Ray Russell (musician)
Encyclopedia
Raymond 'Ray' Russell is an English
session musician
who is primarily a guitarist
. He is also renowned as a record producer
, composer
and session musician
.
In 1973 he was a member of the band, Mouse, who released a progressive rock
album
entitled Lady Killer for the Sovereign record label
.
His TV compositions have included A Touch of Frost
, Bergerac
, Plain Jane
, A Bit of a Do
, The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries
, Dangerfield
and Grafters
, as well as many other British
and American
television program
mes.
Along with colleagues Mo Foster
and Ralph Salmins, Russell gives musical seminars at UK educational establishments and occasionally other venues around the world.
In 2008 Russell, in collaboration with drummer, Ralph Salmins, and sound engineer Rik Walton, created Made Up Music. A music library which has eschewed the usual methodology of distributing audio CDs to sound studios and production companies. It currently achieves its music distribution partially from its website and partially by distributing portable hard drives to music editors. The company features music written and performed by Russell and several other well-established session players such as Mo Foster
, Steve Donnelly and Simon Eyre.
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
who is primarily a guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
. He is also renowned as a record producer
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
.
In 1973 he was a member of the band, Mouse, who released a progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
entitled Lady Killer for the Sovereign record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
.
His TV compositions have included A Touch of Frost
A Touch of Frost (TV series)
A Touch of Frost is a television detective series produced by Yorkshire Television for ITV from 1992 until 2010, initially based on the Frost novels by R. D. Wingfield....
, Bergerac
Bergerac (TV series)
Bergerac was a British television show set on Jersey. Produced by the BBC in association with the Seven Network, and screened on BBC1, it starred John Nettles as the title character Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac, a detective in "Le Bureau des Étrangers" Bergerac was a British television show...
, Plain Jane
Plain Jane (TV series)
Plain Jane is an American reality television makeover summer series that transforms one woman each week. The show premiered on The CW on Wednesday July 28, 2010 at 9 pm...
, A Bit of a Do
A Bit of a Do
A Bit of a Do was a British comedy drama series based on the books by David Nobbs. The show starred David Jason and was aired on ITV in 1989. It was made for the ITV network by Yorkshire Television.The show was set in a fictional Yorkshire town...
, The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries
The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries
The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries is a British detective television series adapted from nine of the Roderick Alleyn novels by Ngaio Marsh. It originally aired between 1990 and 1994.In the pilot episode Detective Inspector Alleyn was played by Simon Williams...
, Dangerfield
Dangerfield (TV series)
Dangerfield is a British drama series about a small town doctor / police surgeon, which ran for 6 series, between 1995 and 1999. Originally Nigel Le Vaillant played the central role , but this character later left the series, the focus switching to his replacement, played by Nigel Havers.The BBC...
and Grafters
Grafters
Grafters was a British drama–comedy programme originally broadcast in the UK on ITV from 27 October 1998 to 20 December 1999 for 16 episodes over two series....
, as well as many other British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
mes.
Along with colleagues Mo Foster
Mo Foster
Mo Foster is a British session musician, playing primarily jazz, jazz-fusion and rock bass guitar. He is also a music producer and songwriter/composer. In over 40 years as a musician Foster has played on and produced countless albums, singles, and film soundtracks...
and Ralph Salmins, Russell gives musical seminars at UK educational establishments and occasionally other venues around the world.
In 2008 Russell, in collaboration with drummer, Ralph Salmins, and sound engineer Rik Walton, created Made Up Music. A music library which has eschewed the usual methodology of distributing audio CDs to sound studios and production companies. It currently achieves its music distribution partially from its website and partially by distributing portable hard drives to music editors. The company features music written and performed by Russell and several other well-established session players such as Mo Foster
Mo Foster
Mo Foster is a British session musician, playing primarily jazz, jazz-fusion and rock bass guitar. He is also a music producer and songwriter/composer. In over 40 years as a musician Foster has played on and produced countless albums, singles, and film soundtracks...
, Steve Donnelly and Simon Eyre.
Solo discography
- 1968 – Turn Circle (CBS)
- 1969 – Dragon Hill (CBS)
- 1971 – June 11th 1971: Live at the ICA (RCA)
- 1971 – Rites & Rituals (CBS)
- 1973 – Secret Asylum (Black Lion)
- 1977 – Ready or Not (DJM, 2002 reissue, Angel Air)
- 1989 - This Side Up (B&W Records)
- 1990 - A Table Near The Band (2008 reissue, Angel Air)
- 1990 - Guitars From Mars (Virgin)
- 1994 – Childscape (B&W/Theta)
- 1999 – Why Not Now (a reissued and renamed Childscape)(2004, Angel Air)
- 2000 – Live at the ICA: Retrospective (RCA)
- 2003 - A Touch of Frost (Universal)
- 2005 – The Composer's Cut (Angel Air)
- 2006 – Goodbye Svengali (Cuneiform)
- 2007 - Myths & Legends (Strip Sounds)