Today's playlist is featuring Ray Kennedy, the 16th artist in this series.
I bought this at Flash Disc Ranch, my favorite record store in Shimokitazawa.
This is a record store I've been frequenting since I first started living in Setagaya. The store's popular point card, which is valid as long as the store exists, has an amazing system: once you accumulate 50 stamps, you get half off any number of records priced under 15,000 yen.
Ray Kennedy (Raymond Louis Kennedy, November 26, 1946 - February 16, 2014) was an American singer-songwriter and producer from Philadelphia. Later, a country singer with the same name debuted, so he is sometimes referred to as Raymond Louis Kennedy.
He began listening to jazz in his childhood and taught himself to play the saxophone at the age of nine. At 14, he performed with Gerry Mulligan and recorded with Kenny Gamble's project.
In 1963, he formed the group John & Ray and signed with Atlantic Records, but no album was ever released. In 1968, he joined the group Group Therapy, and in 1970, he made his solo debut with the album "Raymond Louis Kennedy" from Cream Records, but it was not successful.
In 1976, at the invitation of David Geffen, he formed the band KGB with Carmine Appice, Barry Goldberg, Mike Bloomfield, and Rick Grech. The band's name was taken from the initials of its members, but there were frequent lineup changes, including the early departure of Mike Bloomfield, and only two albums were released by MCA Records.
In 1980, he released the solo album "Ray Kennedy" (titled "Lonely Guy" in Japan). David Foster and members of TOTO participated in this album, and the single "You Oughta Know By Now" (titled "Lonely Guy" in Japan) was used as the commercial song for Calpis' soft drink "B&L" in Japan, reaching a peak of 61st on the Oricon Singles Chart.
In 1984, as a member of the Michael Schenker Group, he participated in rock festivals, including the "SUPER ROCK '84 IN JAPAN" at Seibu Dome.
In 1988, he participated in "Take Me Away," the theme song for the Seoul Olympics opening ceremony sung by Laura Branigan and Patti Kim, and in 1995, he participated in Fleetwood Mac's album "Time."
On February 16, 2014, he passed away at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 67.
I stumbled upon "Ray Kennedy" at a record store in Shimokitazawa.
Until I looked him up, I believed he was an artist who had lived his entire career in America, so I couldn't hide my surprise that he had visited my hometown of Tokorozawa, even if only for a short time.
Perhaps there are many unexpected connections that we would never discover unless we listen closely or talk to people.
I believe that by making it a habit to go out into the city and experience new things, instead of staying cooped up at home, life will become even richer from tomorrow onwards.
At WAITER-U, we curate music, books, and movies in addition to camping gear.
I've also created a playlist on Spotify, so please feel free to listen to it on your way to a camping trip.
