by Marija Brettle
– Senior Columnist —
Growing up in the West Orange house where legendary songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin lived, young Ray Andersen knew early on that music would be his life’s work. While living on the street that inspired King to write the Monkees’ hit, “Pleasant Valley Sunday,” he started playing drums at the age of seven and self taught to play piano and guitar.
In the early 80’s he was a member of the noted Asbury Park NJ, Stone Pony house band, Cats On A Smooth Surface, and often had the chance to jam with Springsteen, and Bon Jovi. This experience led him to years of performing and touring with the likes of Matchbox Twenty, Meat Loaf, Bon Jovi and Blue Van Gogh. As part of Meat Loaf’s band he did a lot of TV, such as David Letterman, Jay Leno, VH1’s Storytellers, Hard Rock Live and many European TV shows.
But closer to home, in 1998, New York born Andersen was becoming famous for another type of music; music for kids of certain age. Since he’s been writing songs and performing for kids, which led him into a new musical galaxy of mr Ray, releasing kids records and DVD’s. He sought to write songs that featured lyrics for children, but with music featuring Beatlesque influences that adults would love as well.
In recent years Andersen has also begun adding a few shows a year for his adult fans, bringing out the artist he jokingly calls ‘Dark Ray,’ performing as a part time member of Bandera’s popular Jersey Rock & Soul Revue shows.
This year, Andersen has been working hard on his new anti-bullying Music/Video project and is ready to take it to the next level. With this project his soul intention is to tackle an issue that’s close to his heart. Andersen was personally inspired to create this record and Video Project, addressing bullying diversity, tolerance and respect for each other’s differences.
Following the release of his new music/video project, ‘NO ROOM FOR BULLIES’ we caught up with Ray to talk about; what inspired him to work on this project, his music beginnings, jamming with Springsteen and Bon Jovi as well playing Wembley with Meat Loaf …
HARDROCK HAVEN: Hi Ray, thanks for taking the time to talk with HRH. You’ve been very busy lately, with the release of your new music/video project ‘NO ROOM FOR BULLIES Mr Ray’. Tell me more about this project?
Ray Andersen: Hello! And thank you for the opportunity to chat with you. Yes, there were two things that inspired me to begin working on a message-oriented collection of songs regarding bullying & diversity. The first was the abuse my beautiful niece fell victim to, by a then-boyfriend at her college. The second was the suicide of Tyler Clementi, who took his life, after a fellow student at Rutgers University (only a few miles from where I live) video-recorded he & another boy together … then posted it on the web.
HRH: Watching the video and listening to your new amazing song ‘NO ROOM FOR BULLIES,’ it seems you’re truly passionate about this subject and it’s very obvious you’re extremely determined to make a real dent on incident of bullying, as well as teaching and encouraging kids of certain ages, to stand up to their bullies. Since the release of this project, what kind of reaction are you getting from people and their parents?
Ray: Thank you! It’s been very positive… I’m a little taken aback, in a good way, how folks have reacted to even the idea that I’m devoting an entire collection of songs to this message. So many people have been incredibly supportive. Musically, I tried to meld a few different genres of music here … rock, pop, urban … and to mix it up with stop-motion animation is refreshing, people are telling me. Above all, I wanted the message to ring through, the hook melody to stick in people’s head.
HRH: On the record, you’re working with many amazing musicians, including hip-hop stars. Can you tell me more about the collaboration and the experience as a whole?
Ray: I’ve been friends for quite some time with everyone on the album. Bob Bandiera from Bon Jovi, Everett Bradley from Bruce Springsteen’s band and the three hip hop artists, TC-Uno, Kosha Dillz & Third Person, are national & international touring artists. Bringing some hip hop into it, was my kind of my bridge to this age group I’m trying to appeal to. In my mind, integrating this genre doesn’t sound gratuitous, but rather, it rings pretty organic. I hope others feel that way, as well.
HRH: Looking back at your long catalogue of serious, more grown up work as a rock musician, it begs the question of how did you end up making music for kids and you’ve been working with kids for quite a while now. Do you have any amusing stories to tell?
Ray: In 1994, my ex was temping as a teacher at a preschool and asked me if I’d like to come in and sing to the kids that particular day. I went in, sang “Yellow Submarine” and some classic kids’ song and the director poked her head in the class and right on the spot said, “I will pay you to sing to my kids on a part-time basis.” So I said absolutely! I think I am in reality, just a stretched-out 6 year old that happens to relate to kids. (Laughs) I find it fairly easy to keep creating songs and entertaining them without it ever seeming like it’s a chore … for me … or for them. As far as a story, often, I call kids up to sing a solo on my mic and it’s usually a kids classic like “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” … but this one time, this 4 year old got up and started making up a song about his mom and dad arguing! Kid you not! (Laughs) The place went wild with laughter. Outta the mouths of babes, as they say …
HRH: You recently said that sometimes you like to take a break from dinosaurs and rainbows, get back into the more serious Ray Andersen skin and just do ‘Dark Ray’ songs. So how much is there of the grown up and dark Ray songs on this record?
Ray: Well, it’s an older age group I’m writing for here, so it’s definitely not that rainbows and dinosaurs mind-set I’m going for … ‘dark Ray’ is reserved for nights I’m singing exclusively for a 21 and over crowd.
HRH: You showed a real interest in music and you self-taught piano and drums, as well as guitar, whilst also writing your own songs at a very early age. Who would you say was most responsible for you to set your heart on music at such a young age?
Ray: Without a doubt, The Beatles … not just, but their music was the first music in my life … whereby melody and rhythm absolutely grabbed me…that and just seeing them playing off each other and totally digging what they were doing.
HRH: You also grew up in the West Orange home, which was once owned by the legendary songwriters Carole King and Gerry Goffin. Would you say that you were in some ways inspired by them and the surrounding you were growing up in?
Ray: I was … their songwriting craft was an inspiration for me, particularly her Tapestry songs. Fabulous! When we moved in, my parents found these hidden closets with first pressings of 45 records of the Drifters and other songs they had written.
HRH: For much of the 80’s you were a member of the notable Asbury Park NJ, Stone Pony House band. Tell me more about this period and your work with those bands?
Ray: It was a fabulous, musically-enriching time for myself & other musicians! Those years, I really learned how to play with other musicians. In other words, to be a part of something to get a song across, always listening to what the other band members were playing. It was a real ‘scene,’ for sure.
HRH: How did you get to play with the band Cats on a Smooth Surface. What would you say was the highlights of working with this amazing band?
Ray: Their sound-person recommended me to Bob Bandiera, leader of the band, then I auditioned. I sang the Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go?” at the audition and played some Jerry Lee Lewis in piano.
HRH: How much did this experience help you with your work and your TV career later on?
Ray: As mentioned before, it absolutely made me feel comfortable playing with other musicians at such a high level. So many different musicians used to come up with us to jam, Nils Lofgren, some guys from Dire Straits, so many more.
HRH: I read somewhere that Bruce Springsteen loves this band so much that he often raved to the press worldwide, about how they were his favorite group of musicians to jam with, when he was off tour. What was it like; jamming with Bruce … did he give you any guitar tips?
Ray: I was a major Bruce fan, so I was awestruck the first time he came up on stage. He was very gracious to me, asking me to duet on some songs – that very first time. There was a guy in the band that had an typical ’80s type of guitar and before a song, Bruce picked it up & started banging chords on it. It went severely outta tune, due to his Townshend-like approach and the guitar. So, not being able to handle this awesome guitar-bashing he stopped the song and asked to use my black early ’70s Strat, smiled and proceeded to rock. (Laughs)
HRH: You also shared a stage with the Blues legend Chuck Berry, for a gig in South Africa back in ’96. Is there any interesting story you would like to tell us?
Ray: My wife at the time, Patti Maloney and I started a band called Blue Van Dogh in 1995. We got a chance to play at a concert to raise awareness for Native Americans in 1997, in South Dakota, right on Wounded Knee, where that senseless massacre of human life took place some hundred years ago. Chuck’s pick-up band is assembled onstage, and amid the chaos, the stage manager asks we musicians if any of us play keyboards.
For a split nanosecond I flirt with the idea of anonymity, but who am I kidding? Chuck Berry needs a keyboard player ASAP! (Laughs) I’m there … me and Chuck waiting to go on! I ask him what songs we’ll be playing, and he says, “Just follow me, son.” OK, sure, Chuck. I go, “What key is Roll over Beethoven in?” Chuck said, “Oh man, you be soundin’ like my bitch, Keith Richards, now, man, don’t you worry!” OK, I can die now- one of my idols just said I sounded like one of my other idols! (Laughs) The set goes on-he’s pullin’ out simple songs with not so simple keys-Johnny B. Goode in Eb? Whatever … I solo, and Chuck walks over to me, smiles, walks back to the center stage mic and says to the audience, “Is he alright, or what?”
HRH: Then in 1998 you joined Meat Loaf’s band and went on the road through 2000, touring America and Europe, playing venues such as Wembley. It must have been a real thrill for you, as a guitarist at that time and a great kick-off for your music career as well as your TV career later on?
Ray: I was a full-fledged member of Meat Loaf’s band from 1998-2001. It was a wonderful experience touring most of Europe – places like SSE Wembley Arena were a thrill … Letterman, Jay Leno, TGIF. So much fun!
HRH: Looking back on your work with all this amazing bands and musicians, what would you say was the highlight of your career?
Ray: I have to say, it was appearing on the David Letterman Show as part of Meat Loaf’s band (performing Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns & Money”). To be on that same stage, at the Ed Sullivan Theatre, where the Beatles and so many other idols of mine performed. A beautiful experience! That and to get a private tour of Abbey Road Studios because a friend of mine knows someone there and I was only there because of playing with Mr. Loaf. Yeah, I know … I’m a geek. (Laughs)
HRH: You’ve often been described as an incredibly talented musician, big hearted and generous of spirit. If you had to describe yourself in three words, what would you say about Mr. Ray?
Ray: Yikes …as a writer/singer/performer … honest, earnest, forever-reaching!
HRH: Are there any plans to go on tour, to promote this amazing and worthy music project?
Ray: Not right now, but I hope to be coming to London in the near future to perform some of these songs.
HRH: Thanks again Ray for taking the time for the interview. I wish you every bit of success, with this amazing and worldly project!
Ray: Thank you! I sincerely appreciate your interest in what I’m doing … Trying to do my part in helping to stop bullying and trying to inspire kids to treat each other with respect & to be tolerant of their differences!
Visit Ray Andersen online at http://www.mrray.com/.
