It's a Shame about Ray
Encyclopedia
It's a Shame about Ray is the fifth album by The Lemonheads
. It was released on June 2, 1992 (see 1992 in music
). Tom Morgan of Australian band Smudge
helped author the album, while Juliana Hatfield
played bass and sang backing vocals on some songs.
After its initial release, the album was re-issued with a cover of "Mrs. Robinson
", originally by Simon & Garfunkel, which was released as a single, recorded to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the movie The Graduate
, for which the song and video appeared in the DVD release. The song had been recorded after the other tracks, with a different bass player. Pressure from the record label also caused the title of the song "My Drug Buddy" to be reduced to the less-provocative "Buddy" when the album was reissued.
The album and its title track was inspired partially by a club owner who called everyone 'Ray'. Band leader Evan Dando
later saw the actual line "It's a Shame About Ray" in a Sydney newspaper article about something that happened to a child named Ray. "It's a Shame About Ray" was a big international hit for the band, as well as a #5 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks
chart in America. The song was later included at #138 on Pitchfork Media's
Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.
"Alison's Starting to Happen" refers to Alison Galloway, the drummer for Smudge.
The album also includes a cover of the song "Frank Mills" from the musical Hair
.
The band performed the album in its entirety at London's Shepherds Bush Empire
on September 14 and 15, 2005, as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties
-curated Don't Look Back
series. The cover of "Mrs. Robinson," a song that Dando grew tired of after its popularity, was missing from the setlist, however "Mrs. Robinson" was not on the original, first pressings of the album.
"Confetti" and the title track were also released as singles in the UK.
The album was re-issued as a collector's edition by Rhino in 2008. This edition includes several bonus demo versions of album tracks, along with the b-side Shaky Ground plus a DVD containing the previous VHS release Two Weeks In Australia.
The Lemonheads have announced an Australian tour for November and December 2010, where they will play the album, It's A Shame About Ray in its entirety, along with other select songs from their other albums.
The song "Mrs. Robinson" did not appear on original versions of the album.
Singles - Billboard (North America)
The Lemonheads
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band first formed in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member....
. It was released on June 2, 1992 (see 1992 in music
1992 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s....
). Tom Morgan of Australian band Smudge
Smudge
Smudge is an Australian rock band. Its frontman Tom Morgan is better known outside Australia as a songwriting collaborator of Evan Dando and his band The Lemonheads.-History:...
helped author the album, while Juliana Hatfield
Juliana Hatfield
Juliana Hatfield , is an American guitarist/singer-songwriter and author from the Boston area, formerly of the indie rock bands Blake Babies and Some Girls. She currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
played bass and sang backing vocals on some songs.
After its initial release, the album was re-issued with a cover of "Mrs. Robinson
Mrs. Robinson
"Mrs. Robinson" is a song written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon & Garfunkel. When released as a single in 1968, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, for their second chart-topping hit after "The Sound of Silence"...
", originally by Simon & Garfunkel, which was released as a single, recorded to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of the movie The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
, for which the song and video appeared in the DVD release. The song had been recorded after the other tracks, with a different bass player. Pressure from the record label also caused the title of the song "My Drug Buddy" to be reduced to the less-provocative "Buddy" when the album was reissued.
The album and its title track was inspired partially by a club owner who called everyone 'Ray'. Band leader Evan Dando
Evan Dando
Evan Griffith Dando is an American musician, most famous for fronting the alternative rock band The Lemonheads. He is the only original member left in the current Lemonheads line-up, having served as lead singer since the band's original formation in 1986...
later saw the actual line "It's a Shame About Ray" in a Sydney newspaper article about something that happened to a child named Ray. "It's a Shame About Ray" was a big international hit for the band, as well as a #5 hit on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart in America. The song was later included at #138 on Pitchfork Media's
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.
"Alison's Starting to Happen" refers to Alison Galloway, the drummer for Smudge.
The album also includes a cover of the song "Frank Mills" from the musical Hair
Hair (musical)
Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical is a rock musical with a book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragni and music by Galt MacDermot. A product of the hippie counter-culture and sexual revolution of the 1960s, several of its songs became anthems of the anti-Vietnam War peace movement...
.
The band performed the album in its entirety at London's Shepherds Bush Empire
Shepherds Bush Empire
The O2 Shepherds Bush Empire is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, London, England, run by the Academy Music Group. It was built in 1903, as a music hall, and in 1953 became the BBC Television Theatre...
on September 14 and 15, 2005, as part of the All Tomorrow's Parties
All Tomorrow's Parties (music festival)
All Tomorrow's Parties is a music festival which takes place at Camber Sands holiday camp in East Sussex and Butlin's holiday camp in Minehead, Somerset, England....
-curated Don't Look Back
Don't Look Back (concert series)
Don't Look Back is a yearly series of concerts in which London based promoters All Tomorrow's Parties ask artists and bands to play one of their seminal albums live in its entirety...
series. The cover of "Mrs. Robinson," a song that Dando grew tired of after its popularity, was missing from the setlist, however "Mrs. Robinson" was not on the original, first pressings of the album.
"Confetti" and the title track were also released as singles in the UK.
The album was re-issued as a collector's edition by Rhino in 2008. This edition includes several bonus demo versions of album tracks, along with the b-side Shaky Ground plus a DVD containing the previous VHS release Two Weeks In Australia.
The Lemonheads have announced an Australian tour for November and December 2010, where they will play the album, It's A Shame About Ray in its entirety, along with other select songs from their other albums.
Track listing
All songs by Evan Dando unless otherwise stated.- "Rockin Stroll"
- "Confetti"
- "It's a Shame About Ray" (Words by Dando/Tom Morgan, music by Dando)
- "Rudderless"
- "My Drug Buddy"
- "The Turnpike Down"
- "Bit Part" (Words by Dando/Morgan, music by Dando)
- "Alison's Starting to Happen"
- "Hannah & Gabi"
- "Kitchen" (Nic Dalton)
- "Ceiling Fan in My Spoon"
- "Frank Mills" (James Rado, Gerome RagniGerome RagniGerome Bernard Ragni was an American actor, singer and songwriter, best known as the co-author of the groundbreaking 1960s Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical.-Early life:...
, Galt MacDermotGalt MacDermotGalt MacDermot is a Canadian composer, pianist and writer of musical theatre. He won a Grammy Award for the song African Waltz in 1960. His most successful musicals have been Hair and Two Gentlemen of Verona...
) - "Mrs. RobinsonMrs. Robinson"Mrs. Robinson" is a song written by Paul Simon and first performed by Simon & Garfunkel. When released as a single in 1968, it hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the US, for their second chart-topping hit after "The Sound of Silence"...
" (Paul SimonPaul SimonPaul Frederic Simon is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist.Simon is best known for his success, beginning in 1965, as part of the duo Simon & Garfunkel, with musical partner Art Garfunkel. Simon wrote most of the pair's songs, including three that reached number one on the US singles...
)
The song "Mrs. Robinson" did not appear on original versions of the album.
Charts
Album - Billboard (North America)| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Heatseekers | 3 |
| 1993 | The Billboard 200 | 68 |
Singles - Billboard (North America)
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | "It's a Shame About Ray" | Modern Rock Tracks | 5 |
| 1992 | "Mrs. Robinson" | Modern Rock Tracks | 8 |