So, how does Ray Stevens have any link to Oklahoma, The South, and the "changing of the life," in The South. For sure, we know that Ray was probably influenced by Sheb Wooley and Sheb to Stevens. You have to understand, how serious all of us kids in our family were influenced by Ray. At times Ray Stevens' alter-ego, was my brother, Ray. For over a year, Ray was doing the Ray Stevens' camel routine. That is absolutely true. Ray had the ability to mimmick other people. I can't do that. I'll steal something musically from some one, but I cannot steal inflections, mannerisms, and "the way," other people act. The amazing thing that I have found, is that no one has thought about doing a President Bush routine where he constantly, takes his lower jaw and forces it out of place. Yep, he has a double jointed jaw, and so do I. You either have it or you don't.
Try taking your thumb and force it down to touch the inside of your arm. Can you do it? You can either do it or you can't. Also, see if you can turn your tongue over or make the sides of your tongue, pull in to make a circle. Mr. C. can move his hair. I cannot. We are all blessed with different gifts, and it is up to us to use them, to hone them, to take advantage of them, ... and you can't take advantage of them, if you haven't discovered your individual abilities that make up you.
From Ray's bio at raystevens.com
When Ray Stevens says he just thinks funny, his key word is thinks. Like many revered American wits -- from Charlie Chaplin to Jackie Gleason to Bill Cosby -- Stevens' humor is keenly observant and rich in nuance, yet he puts it across with such an unpretentious, unaffected style that it can be easy to overlook the fertile mind needed to create such guileless entertainment.
For more than 40 years, Ray Stevens has been entertaining us. From his novelty songs like "The Streak," to his socially aware pieces like " Mr. Businessman," to his tender ballads he has touched us. Besides singing and composing, Ray has produced and arranged for some of Nashville's most legendary performers. As with all outstanding writers, Stevens has a way of creating characters and situations that highlight the humor in everyday life as well as larger issues and lifestyle trends.
Ray Stevens was born Harold Ray Ragsdale in Clarkdale, Georgia in January 1939. Clarkdale was a small cotton mill town 20 miles north of Atlanta. There was no television in 1939 in Clarkdale so the radio was a major influence in Ray's life. In the village was a swimming pool. Ray, along with most of the kids, lived at the pool every summer. At the pool they had a jukebox, and there were all kinds of records they would play. In those days, radio stations played all styles of music, it was pretty eclectic.
Ray was an average seven-year-old kid taking piano lessons when one day he looked at the keyboard and, in his words, "It all made sense." From that day forward, music was his life. By the time he was a teenager in Albany, GA., he had absorbed some of the great musical influences of the South, from country to rhythm & blues, and felt at home with any style of music. He started his own high school band at age 15. His band, The Barons, played all over the area for the American Legion, the Elks, private parties, anywhere.
At age 17, he moved to Atlanta where he met radio personality and Georgia Tech football broadcaster, Bill Lowery. "Bill played all kinds of shows. He was on several different radio stations around town, and he had started a music publishing company. He was looking for talent to write songs. I went out to his house, and I said, 'My name is Ray Ragsdale, and I'm going to learn to write songs for you.' He said, 'Okay lad, go to it.' I borrowed a little tape recorder from a friend. I got the key to the lunch room, which also served as the assembly hall, from the high school principal. The cafeteria had a very high ceiling and a piano up on a little stage. I went there one Sunday by myself and made a demo of a song that I had written called "Silver Bracelet." I took it to Bill and he liked it. He called Ken Nelson at Capitol Records who was coming to Nashville a lot during those days to produce records. Ken liked the song and signed me to a contract with Prep Records."
In 1957, Ray went to Nashville and recorded his first record at the old RCA "B" studio. He met Chet Atkins, who was in charge of A&R for RCA, on that first trip and they have been friends ever since. "Silver Bracelet" was a hit in Atlanta but nowhere else. Ray left Prep Records and went to Capitol Records, its parent label, and recorded some tracks. Meanwhile, Bill Lowery formed the National Recording Corporation (NRC) in 1958.
NRC had a little studio that was not state of the art, but it was something to play with. Ray, Jerry Reed, Joe South and all the guys down there, would show up every day and bug the engineer to let them record something.
In 1960 Stevens, released a song called "Sgt. Preston Of The Yukon" that picked up some national air play - until someone at King Features Syndicate took notice. The song was based on their character and Ray had neglected to get permission to use the name. Due to a pending lawsuit they had to pull the record off the market. It never occurred to Ray that he needed permission to use the character in a song.
Ray was attending Georgia State University to study classical piano and music theory, but his classical career was cut short in 1961 when he recorded a novelty song called "Jeremiah Peabody's Poly Unsaturated Quick Dissolving Fast Acting Pleasant Tasting Green and Purple Pills," which went to #35 on the pop charts. In the meantime, his wide range of talent landed him a job with Mercury Records in Nashville. He arrived in Music City on January 2, 1962, and worked on more than 300 sessions as a pianist, arranger and vocalist in his first year. One of those sessions was his own "Ahab The Arab," which went to #5 on the pop charts in 1962.
This is my oldest brother Ray's, favorite song,
"Ahab, The Arab"
Written and Recorded by: "Ray Stevens"
Published by: Lowery Music Co. P O BOX 9687 Atlanta, GA 30319
Let me tell you 'bout Ahab The Arab
The Sheik of the burning sand
He had emeralds and rubies just dripping off 'a him
And a ring on every finger of his hands
He wore a big ol' turban wrapped around his head
And a scimitar by his side
And every evening about midnight
He'd jump on his camel named Clyde...and ride
(Spoken)
Silently through the night to the sultan's tent where he would secretly meet up
with Fatima of the Seven Veils, swingingest grade "A" number one U.S. choice
dancer in the Sultan's whole harem, 'cause, heh, him and her had a thing going.
You know, and they'd been carrying on for some time now behind the Sultan's back
and you could hear him talk to his camel as he rode out across the dunes, his
voice would cut through the still night desert air and he'd say (imitate Arabian
speech) which is arabic for, "stop, Clyde!" and Clyde would say, (imitate camel
voice). Which is camel for, "What the heck did he say anyway?"
Well....
He brought that camel to a screeching halt
At the rear of Fatima's tent jumped off Clyde,
Snuck around the corner and into the tent he went
There he saw Fatima laying on a Zebra skin rug
Wearing rings on her fingers and bells on her toes
And a bone in her nose ho, ho.
(Spoken)
There she was friends lying there in all her radiant beauty. Eating on a raisin,
grape, apricot, pomegranate, bowl of chitterlings, two bananas, three Hershey
bars, sipping on a "R C" Co-Cola listening to her transistor, watching the Grand
Ole Opry on the tube reading the Mad magazine while she sung, "Does your
chewing gum lose it's flavor?" and Ahab walked up to her and he said, (imitate
Arabian speech) which is arabic for, "Let's twist again like we did last summer,
baby." (laughter) You know what I mean! Whew! She looked up at him from off
the rug, give him one of the sly looks, she said, (coy, girlish laugh) "Crazy baby".
'Round and around and around and around...etc.
And that's the story 'bout Ahab the Arab
The Sheik of the Burnin' sand
Ahab the Arab
The swinging Sheik of the burnin' sand
Stevens also has a tune recorded with only chickens, and he has a Christmas song of Dogs Barking Jingle Bells.
"The Streak"
Written and Recorded by: "Ray Stevens"
Published by: Ahab Music Company, Inc. 1707 Grand Avenue Nashville, TN 37212
Hello everybody, this is your action news reporter
With all the news that is news across the nation
On the scene at the super market
There seems to have been some disturbance here
Pardon me sir, did you see what happened?
Yeh, I did...I was standing over there by the tomatoes
And here he come
Running thru the pole beans, thru the fruits and vegetables
Naked as a jay-bird
And I hollered over at Ethel...Isaid don't look Ethel
It was too late, she'd already been incensed...
(Chorus)
Here he comes, boogie-dy, boogie-dy
There he goes, boogie-dy, boogie-dy
And he ain't wearin' no clothes
Oh yes, they call him the streak
Fastest thing on two feet
He's just as proud as he can be
Of his anatomy
He's gonna give us a peek
Oh yes, they call him the streak
He likes to show off his physique
If there's an audience to be found
He'll be streakin' around
Invitin' public critique...
This is your action news reporter once again
And we're here at the gas station
Pardon me sir, did you see what happened?
Yeh, I did...I was just in here gettin' my tires checked
And he just appeared out of the traffic
Come streakin' around the grease rack there
Didn't have nothing on but a smile
I looked in there and Ethel was gettin' her a cold drink
I hollered...Don't look Ethel
It was too late...She'd already been mooned
Flashed her right there in front of the shock absorbers
(Chorus)
He ain't rude, boogie-dy, boogie-dy
He ain't lewd, boogie-dy, boogie-dy
He's just in the mood to run in the nude
Oh yes, they call him the streak
He likes to turn the other cheek
He's always making the news
Wearin' just his tennis shoes
Guess you could call him unique...
Once again, your action news reporter in the booth at the gym
Covering the disturbance at the basketball playoffs
Pardon me sir, did you see what happened?
Yeh, I did...half-time, I was just going down there
To get Ethel a snow cone
Here he come right our of the cheap seats
Dribblin'...right down the middle of the court
Didn't have on nothin' but his PF's
Made a hook shot and got out thru the concession stand
I hollered up at Ethel, I said don't look Ethel
It was too late...She'd already got a free shot
Grandstanded...Right there in front of the home team
Here he comes...look...who's that with him?
Ethel, is that you, Ethel?
What do you think you're doing?
You get your clothes on!
Ethel, where you going?
Ethel, you shameless hussy
Say it isn't so Ethel
Ethel........
=======
"Gitarzan"
Recorded by: " Ray Stevens"
Written by; Ray Stevens and Bill Everette
Published by: Ahab Music Company, Inc. 1707 Grand Avenue Nashville, TN 37212
He's free as the breeze, He's always at ease
He lives in the jungle and hangs by his knees
As he swings through the trees without a trapeze
In his B.V.D.'s
He's got a union card and he's practicing hard
To play the guitar
Gonna be a big star, yeah, he's gonna go far
And carry moon beams home in a jar
He ordered Chet's Guitar course C.O.D.
Makes "A" and "E" and he's working on "B"
Digs "C" and "W" and "R" and "B"
And me and the chimpanzee agree that one day soon he will be a celebrity
(Chorus)
Git it, git it, git it, git it...OW!
Gitarzan, he's a guitar man
He's all you can stand
Give him a hand, Gitarzan
Ahhh (Jungle Yell), Ahhh, Ahhh
He's got a girl named Jane with no last name
Kinda homely and plain but he loves her just the same
Cuz she kindles a flame and it drives him insane
When he hears her sing, she really does her thing
It's her claim to fame, come on, sing one Jane
Baby, baby
Ow, baby, baby (scat)
Baby, baby
Well, they got a pet monkey
He likes to get drunky
And sing boogie woogie and it sounds real funky
Come on, your time boy, sing one monkey
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Let's hear it for the monkey
On saturday night they need some excitement
Jane gets right and the monkey gets tight
And their voices unite in the pale moonlight
And it sounds all right, yeah, it's dynamite, it's out of sight
Let's hear it right.....now
Baby, ahhh, baby, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
Baby, ahhh, baby, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
(Chorus)
Git it, git it, git it, git it...ow!
Gitarzan and his jungle band
They're all you can stand
Give 'em a hand Gitarzan
///////
Yet another huge hit for the Man, Ray Stevens.
"Shriner's Convention"
Recorded by: "Ray Stevens"
Written by: Ray Stevens
Published by: Ray Stevens Music, 1707 Grand Avenue Nashville, TN 37212
Here they come down main street, drums a flailin' and the sirens a wailin', what a roar
Bands are a playin' and flags are a waivin, and the Vanguard's and Motorcycle Corps
Clowns are a clownin' to the crowd and pinchin' every pretty girl who dares to smile
It's a glorious mess, everybody wears a fez the parade stretches out for a mile
(Chorus)
It's a typical American phenomenon where all the members have a fine old time
It's the forty-third annual Convention of the Grand Mystic Royal Order
Of the Nobles of the Ali Baba Temple of the Shrine
(Girls)
Meanwhile back at the Motel.....
(Spoken)
"Hello, Operator, give me room 321, please, thank you Hello, Noble Lumpkin?
This here is the illustrious Potentate. I said it's the illustrious Potentate.
The illustrious...Coy! Dad blame it! This here's Bubba! Coy, why an't you at
the parade?! What?! Well, how'd you get that big Harley up there in your room?
What?! I can't hear ya' Coy! Quit revvin' it up, son! Turn it off! Listen I just
want you to know one thing. You have embarrassed us all, the whole Hahira
Delegation! Now I'll see you at the banquet tonight, son. And you be there Coy,
you hear me? Black tie! Seven o'clock! Be there! And Coy, don't answer the
phone, udden udden! Mercy"
Well, it was all arranged by the Ladies Auxiliary in the downtown Convention Hall
Cold Roast Beef, String Beans, Mashed Potatoes and nine boring speeches in all
And all the tables looked fine with their Mogen David Wine and Chrysanthemums on each side
And the Hahira leaders in their rented Tuxedos made the local hearts swell with pride
(Chorus)
It's a typical American phenomenon where all the members have a fine old time
It's the forty-third annual Convention of the Grand Mystic Royal Order
Of the Nobles of the Ali Baba Temple of the Shrine
(Girls)
Meanwhile back at the Motel.....
(Spoken)
"Operator, 321, please. Thank You. Hello, Coy? What are you doin'?!
What do you mean, who is this! This is Bubba? Why wasn't you at
the banquet? What do you mean all you had to wear was a Hawaiian
flowerdy shirt? Well, you may think you're foolin' some people, but
I know what's goin' on. Yeah, Ever'body seen the little redhead.
That's right, ever'body! Why she come runnin' right through the dinner,
right in the middle of the pineapple sherbet. Didn't have nothin' on but
your fez, Coy! Coy, you the only one's got a fez with a propeller on top!!
Yeah, yeah and she was a yellin' out the secret code, too, Coy.
Dad blame it we gonna have to change it now, Coy! We gonna have to
have a special meetin', we get back to Hahira, about your conduct at
this here convention. Embarrassin'!! Now Coy, you be at the secret
conclave tonight! You hear me?! And Coy, keep it a secret! Hah!"
Well, it was a secret meeting in the dead of the night with mysterious sanctimony
In accordance with prescribed rituals of time honored ceremony
Matters of grave concern were weighed with dedicated caution
Like whether or not to raise at stud or draw or spit in the ocean
(Chorus)
It's a typical American phenomenon where all the members have a fine old time
It's the forty-third annual Convention of the Grand Mystic Royal Order
Of the Nobles of the Ali Baba Temple of the Shrine
(Girls)
Meanwhile back at the Motel.....
(Spoken)
"Operator, room three-twenty...How'd you know? Oh! Hello! Coy?
Where have you been? No, you wasn't at the meeting! Well, I found out that
at three o'clock this mornin' you was out there in your Fruit of the Loom's
in the motel swimmin' pool with a bunch of them waitresses from the
cocktail lounge! I just hope your mama don't find out about this, Coy! What?
Well, how'd you get that big motorcycle up there on the high dive, Coy?
Now Coy, dad blame it, that ain't no way to act. We supposed to be pillars
of the community. When we get back to Hahira you can just turn in your
ring and your tie tack 'cause Coy, heh-heh, you are out of the Shrine! You
gonna be blackballed, boy! That's right! You might even have to pack your
bags and leave town! What do you mean you might join the Hell's Angels?
Coy! Don't you hang up on me! Hello, hello...Don't you crank that motorcycle!
Who's that gigglin' in the background, Coy? Hello, hello operator! Yeah, we's
cut off! Rroom 321. Dad blame it Coy! You don't hang up on the illustrious
Potentate! I said the illustrious Potentate! This is Bubba! Bubba! Coy!...."
Yet another Ray Stevens BIGGG HITT! All in fun. Maybe Mr. C will get you a cd full of Ray Stevens collections
"The Mississippi Squirrel Revival"
Recorded by: "Ray Stevens"
Written by: C.W. Kalb, Jr. and Carlene kalb
Published by: Ray Stevens Music, 1707 Grand Avenue Nashville, TN 37212
Well, when I was a kid I'd take a trip every summer down the Mississippi
To visit my granny in her antebellum world
I'd run barefooted all day long climbin' trees free as a song
And one day I happened to catch myself a squirrel
Well, I stuffed him down in an old shoe box, punched a couple of holes in the top
And when Sunday came I snuck him into Church
I was sittin' way back in the very last pew showin' him to my good buddy Hugh
When that squirrel got loose and went totally berserk
Well, what happened next is hard to tell
Some thought it was heaven others thought it was hell
But the fact that something was among us was plain to see
As the choir sang "I Surrender All" the squirrel ran up Harv Newlan's coveralls
Harv leaped to his feet and said, "Somethin's got a hold on me", Yeow!
Chorus:
The day the squirrel went berserk
In the First Self-Righteous Church
In the sleepy little town of Pascagoula
It was a fight for survival that broke out in revival
They were jumpin' pews and shoutin' Hallelujah!
Well, Harv hit the aisles dancin' and screamin'
Some thought he had religion others thought he had a demon
And Harv thought he had a weed eater loose in his Fruit-Of-The-Looms
He fell to his knees to plead and beg and the squirrel ran out of his britches leg
Unobserved to the other side of the room
All the way down to the amen pew where sat Sister Bertha better-than-you
Who'd been watchin' all the commotion with sadistic glee
But you should've seen the look in her eyes
When that squirrel jumped her garters and crossed her thighs
She jumped to her feet and said "Lord have mercy on me"
As the squirrel made laps inside her dress
She began to cry and then to confess to sins that would make a sailor blush with shame
She told of gossip and church dissension but the thing that got the most attention
Was when she talked about her love life and then she started naming names
Chorus:
The day the squirrel went berserk
In the First Self-Righteous Church
In that sleepy little town of Pascagoula
It was a fight for survival that broke out in revival
They were jumpin' pews and shoutin' Hallelujah!
Well seven deacons and the pastor got saved,
Twenty-five thousand dollars was raised and fifty volunteered
For missions in the Congo on the spot
Even without an invitation there were at least five hundred rededications
And we all got baptized whether we needed it or not
Now you've heard the bible story I guess
How he parted the waters for Moses to pass
Oh the miracles God has wrought in this old world
But the one I'll remember 'til my dyin' day
Is how he put that Church back on the narrow way
With a half crazed Mississippi squirrel
Chorus:
The day the squirrel went berserk
In the First Self-Righteous Church
In the sleepy little town of Pascagoula
It was a fight for survival that broke out in revival
They was jumpin' pews and shoutin' Hallelujah!
++++++++++++++++
Yet another great Ray Stevens song. By the way, Stevens also has written very serious songs, one named, "Everything is Beautiful." But Not this one.
"I Saw Elvis In A U.F.O."
Recorded by: "Ray Stevens"
Written by: Ray Stevens and C.W. Kalb, Jr.
Published by: Ray Stevens Music, 1707 Grand Avenue Nashville, TN 37212
(Spoken) This is the evening news. Let's go now to our field reporter
Renaldo Riviera. This is Renaldo Riviera on the banks of the stinky muddy
river with Mr. R.V. Frisbee who claims to have witnessed something truly
fantastic. Mr. Frisbee could you tell us what you saw.
Yeah, I's just hunkered down over there puttin' a stink wad on my trot
line and the short hairs just stood straight out on the back of my neck
and I turned around and there's this big orange thing with them purple
lights on it come swoopin' over them pine trees and just hoovered
over the Winnebago there. Inez run out and throwed a skillet at it and
then she scissored and run back in under the hide-a-bed. 'Bout that
time a little trap door opened up, little stair steps come down and
this little pink baldheaded guy stuck his head out. Now I'd seen that
movie "Clost Encounters". I just walked on over there big as Ike and
looked up in there and there he was.
There who was?
I saw Elvis in a U.F.O. sittin' there with Howard Hughes
I saw Elvis in a U.F.O. Jimmy Hoffa was in there too
I saw Elvis in a U.F.O. singing them rhythm and blues
And Liberace was there and he had on a pair of Imeldia Marcos shoes
What is that a shootin star streakin' cross the heavens above?
No it's a whole lot more than a shootin' star it's a hunka hunka burning love, oooh
I saw the Colonel in a U.F.O. had a big smile on his face
And then he shook his head, puffed on his cigar and said
"I done book "Elvis" out in outer space"
And then those little pink men they all jumped in dancin' up and down the stairs
And then they rolled their eyes, began to harmonize and it sounded like the Jordoniares
Bop bop bop bop uh unh huh bop bop bop
We got Elvis in a U.F.O. he's too good for the human race
We got Elvis in a U.F.O. we're going to keep him out in outer space
They got Elvis in a U.F.O. honey have you heard the news
They got Elvis in a U.F.O. just singing them rhythm and blues
They got Elvis in a U.F.O.
(Spoken) And the colonel and Howard Hughes and Jimmy Hoffa even Liberaces
up there he ain't never had no hit record honey. I done had more hits than anybody
but do I get to go in a U.F.O. Nooo!!! Now is that fair? I'm the king of Rock n Rol!
The originator! I started the whole thing baby and I think it's about time I got
to go on a U.F.O. You better beam me up Scotty or your little pink baldheaded
people done tore it with me. Wow!!!.....Thank you
Ray's got videos out on all of his silly songs. Tell your Mr. Ajarn that you want to hear a whole Ray Stevens' song. And read his full bio at "raystevens.com. Do something different than everybody else, and you will be picked up somewhere and sometime, and be recorded. Ray has found his NITCH.
