A lifetime in the music business has given RayMan Ramsay plenty to write about.

The now-retired South Surrey resident has authored two books about his days as a 香蕉视频直播淧romo Monkey香蕉视频直播� who helped sell records, starting in the late-1960s.

The series offers a wide selection of real-life stories and hands-on working experiences documenting Ramsay香蕉视频直播檚 decades with Quality Records/TPC Distribution and, later, the RCA/BMG record labels, in the B.C. market.

He also includes anecdotal stories and his thoughts of some of the world香蕉视频直播檚 most famous musicians, including Elton John, KISS, David Bowie, Dolly Parton and others, along with Vancouver-area music-biz insiders.

Full of puns Ramsay is known for in conversation, the two 香蕉视频直播淧romo Monkey香蕉视频直播� books are subtitled 香蕉视频直播淢onkey See, Monkey Two: Personas & Prima Donnas香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播淢y Life as a Bellhop in the Waldorf Hysteria: Friends & Enemas.香蕉视频直播�

Self-published by Friesen Press, the books kept Ramsay busy during the COVID pandemic, and in the years before that, too.

香蕉视频直播淭he reason there香蕉视频直播檚 two books is because they香蕉视频直播檙e written in different styles, and I just couldn香蕉视频直播檛 mix them,香蕉视频直播� Ramsay said over a cup of coffee.

香蕉视频直播淚 kind of miss the job (as record company promo rep/manager), but writing the book is something I香蕉视频直播檇 wanted to do,香蕉视频直播� he continued. 香蕉视频直播淚n 2013 I realized it was my 45th anniversary in the music business so I wrote a little thing about that and sent it to all my friends. Well, they all came back wanting more 香蕉视频直播� give us more! So OK, that went on for years, and that香蕉视频直播檚 where I got the idea to turn these thoughts of mine into a book, or books now. They were enjoying it and I wanted to enjoy something too, before my orbit goes to obit.香蕉视频直播�

A couple of years go Ramsay and his longtime wife, Lynne, moved from Ladner to a place in South Surrey.

As a young man Ramsay got into the commercial fishing business, following in family footsteps, but eventually put his passion for music to work, as a guy with a creative mind and a way with words and ideas.

On April 1, 1968, Ramsay got his start in the music business when he was hired as a 19-year-old to work as a warehouse 香蕉视频直播渉ump香蕉视频直播� for Quality/TPC, and the April Fool香蕉视频直播檚 joke is not lost on the author.

Later, another landmark day was Aug. 16, 1977, when Elvis Presley died. 香蕉视频直播淎nother good start,香蕉视频直播� Ramsay deadpanned about his very first day with RCA, which was Presley香蕉视频直播檚 record label.

香蕉视频直播淚 was driving home from signing the deal to work there, and on the radio comes the news that Elvis died,香蕉视频直播� Ramsay recalled. 香蕉视频直播淩ecord sales went through the roof, of course.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播淚 did meet Colonel Parker at an Elvis convention centre in Vegas,香蕉视频直播� continued Ramsay, talking about The King香蕉视频直播檚 notorious manager. 香蕉视频直播淗e was sitting there counting stuff, and Ricky Nelson, his latest victim, was sitting next to him. Years later we found out about Parker香蕉视频直播檚 treatment of Elvis and I thought, you son-of-a-bitch, why didn香蕉视频直播檛 you look after him?香蕉视频直播� Taking 50 per cent of what he made was outrageous. I haven香蕉视频直播檛 seen the movie (Baz Luhrmann香蕉视频直播檚 biopic, released last summer), and it kind of angers me to see Elvis being used that way. I understand this business is all about money, but look after people.香蕉视频直播�

Similar tales are told on Ramsay香蕉视频直播檚 Facebook page, dubbed 香蕉视频直播淢onkey House: the Written Werd,香蕉视频直播� and on the website he calls 香蕉视频直播淎 Lad in Ladner香蕉视频直播� (aladinladner.simplesite.com).

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

One story involves the night he had some fun with American country artist Charley Pride at Surrey香蕉视频直播檚 old Newton Inn in the late-1970s.

香蕉视频直播淗e had a night off and wanted to go to a country club, and I knew that was the one at the time,香蕉视频直播� Ramsay recalled. 香蕉视频直播淭he club sent a limo for him, which was cool, he walks in and everyone香蕉视频直播檚 jaw drops.香蕉视频直播�

Pride didn香蕉视频直播檛 perform at the Newton Inn that night, but Ramsay said Kenny Rogers did on another night there.

香蕉视频直播淚t was just when 香蕉视频直播楾he Gambler香蕉视频直播� was coming out and blowing up really big,香蕉视频直播� Ramsay said. 香蕉视频直播淚t was called a routing date, and he had an open night, to keep the calendar filled. Kitty Wells played there, too.香蕉视频直播�

香蕉视频直播� RELATED: .

Ramsay香蕉视频直播檚 sense of humour was shaped by 香蕉视频直播淢onty Python香蕉视频直播檚 Flying Circus,香蕉视频直播� the British comedy show.

香蕉视频直播淚 worked with Monty Python in the 香蕉视频直播�70s when they were coming through Vancouver,香蕉视频直播� he said with a smile. 香蕉视频直播淭he tickets weren香蕉视频直播檛 selling (for the show), which blew my mind, because who wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 go see these loons? So I suggested they get a flatbed truck, build a cage and put all the Monty Python signage on it, for the concert, and pay a guy to drive around in rush-hour. The guy putting on the concert, Hugh Pickett, said at that time, it then set a box-office record for sales, because that was outside the box, and different people react to different things.香蕉视频直播�

For the record labels, Ramsay香蕉视频直播檚 job involved getting albums noticed and sold.

香蕉视频直播淚 remember we had The Eurythmics, and Annie (Lennox) had the mask on for that album (香蕉视频直播淭ouch香蕉视频直播�), and we were at A&B Sound. For the ad I said, 香蕉视频直播榃e香蕉视频直播檙e going to put this album in upside-down.香蕉视频直播� The buyer, we got into it screaming and yelling, he says, 香蕉视频直播楾hat香蕉视频直播檚 stupid.香蕉视频直播� But it was our ad, and he didn香蕉视频直播檛 get the concept of people reading the Province on the bus and there香蕉视频直播檚 this upside-down ad, and how people would then get into a conversation going about that.香蕉视频直播�

In the record business today, digital marketing dominates the streaming world, and there are few CDs, vinyl albums and cassettes to sell.

香蕉视频直播淏ack then we had to get creative sometimes,香蕉视频直播� Ramsay said. 香蕉视频直播淚 really enjoyed the work I did because I was absolutely thrilled by the feeling that I could create an idea and move the thing forward.

香蕉视频直播淪ome people didn香蕉视频直播檛 bother, and believe me, I don香蕉视频直播檛 think I ever did anything special that someone else couldn香蕉视频直播檛 have done, I just did it because I saw an opportunity and moved with it.香蕉视频直播�

Ramsay says partial proceeds from sales of his two books will be donated to Wigs for Kids and BC Children香蕉视频直播檚 Hospital.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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