An Exclusive Interview with Moody Blues Legend Ray Thomas … Ironically on a “Tuesday Afternoon”

By Ray Shasho

-Interviewed December 30th 2014

There were many similarities between The Moody Blues & The Beatles. Both had an entire band that could sing harmoniously and at times almost identical alongside one another. Each band member was also able to perform solos flawlessly. Both bands became good friends and even shared the same manager (Brian Epstein) for a spell. The Moody Blues became part of ‘The British Invasion’ and supported The Beatles on their final UK tour in December of 1965. They followed the tour with their first trip to the U.S. appearing on The Ed Sullivan Show.

In 1967, Moody Blues mates Ray Thomas and Michael Pinder performed on the studio tracks of “I Am the Walrus” and “The Fool on the Hill” from The Beatles, “Magical Mystery Tour”album. Both bands also mimicked each other’s artistic strengths … originality, prodigious songwriting & musicianship abilities and shared everlasting worldwide popularity.

NEW RELEASE …The Moody Blues 50th Anniversary re-mastered release -‘The Magnificent Moodies’ –Esoteric Recordings (Cherry Red Records) An Official (Deluxe 2 CD) 50th Anniversary Edition of the Moody Blues debut album is now available.

 Re-mastered from the first generation master tapes, along with all the singles the band recorded between 1964 and 1966. Notably, this collection includes 29 previously unreleased bonus tracks.

-‘The Magnificent Moodies’ is available to purchase now at Cherry Red Records and amazon.com.

RAY THOMAS is the legendary co-founder, flautist, singer and songwriter for The Moody Blues. Thomas demonstrates an unimaginable musical feat spanning over five decades. It was Birmingham mates Ray Thomas and Michael Pinder who actually formed The Moody Blues in 1964. They recruited guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. After signing on to Decca Records, they recorded their debut album‘The Magnificent Moodies’ spawning the hit “Go Now” (#1 UK, #10 U.S.).

In 1966, Clint Warwick left the band. Thomas & Pinder eventually brought in longtime friend John Lodge to replace him on bass and vocals. That same year, guitarist and vocalist Denny Laine quit to form an electric string band and was replaced by guitarist/vocalist Justin Hayward … and the classic-lineup of The Moody Blues was inaugurated.

After diminishing record sales and slumping popularity, the band averted from its R&B beginnings to a prolific symphonic rock format captivated by brilliant lyrical content. According to Ray Thomas, Denny Laine had been experimenting in that direction before his departure from the band.

In 1967, THE MOODY BLUES began their path to rock immensity with the release of their masterpiece concept album entitled, ‘Days of Future Passed’ (1972  #3 U.S. Billboard Top 200 Albums), an idea that was intended to be a stage show. Originally the record company wanted the group to record an oldies rock and roll demo disc made for salesmen who would then use it to sell the state-of-the- art ‘Deramic Sound.’ The demo recording would also include Peter Knight and the London Festival Orchestra performing Dvorák's New World Symphony. 

 ‘Days of Future Passed’ featured Peter Knight and the London Festival Orchestra. The album spawned the classic hits,“Tuesday Afternoon” (#24 U.S. Billboard Chart) and “Nights in White Satin” (#2 U.S. Billboard Chart). Ray Thomas wrote the tracks … “Another Morning” and “Twilight Time” for ‘Days of Future Passed,’ and his pivotal flute performances were inspiring.

Producer Tony Clarke’s influence became significant to the groups success.

The Moody Blues succeeded ‘Days of Future Passed’ with another concept release entitled ‘In Search of the Lost Chord’ (1968). Ray Thomas contributed the tracks “Dr. Livingstone, I Presume,” co-wrote “Visions of Paradise” and wrote and sang his most famous composition with The Moody Blues called“Legend of a Mind,” a psychedelic tribute to American psychologist, writer, and LSD advocate Timothy Leary.

Ray Thomas penned the tracks “Dear Diary” and “Lazy Day” for their follow-up album entitled‘On the Threshold of a Dream’ (1969). Thomas wrote “Floating” and “Eternity Road” for their fifth album … “To Our Children's Children's Children’ (1969).

Thomas also penned several fan favorites … “And the Tide Rushes in” (1970) from ‘A Question of Balance,’ “Nice to be Here” (1971) from ‘Every Good Boy Deserves Favour’ and the classic “For My Lady” (1972) from ‘Seventh Sojourn.’

After completing their world tour … The Moody Blues went on hiatus, and it was during this time that band members entered into solo projects and collaborations.

Ray Thomas released two critically acclaimed solo albums with Nicky James entitled… ‘From Mighty Oaks’ (1975) and Hopes, Wishes and Dreams (1976). 

In 1978, The Moody Blues released ‘Octave’ the final album to include Moody Blues co-founder Michael Pinder. YES keyboardist Patrick Moraz would replace Pinder. Ray Thomas demonstrated his songwriting proficiency once again with the tracks … “Under Moonshine,”and “I’m Your Man” on the ‘Octave’ release.

Thomas penned “Painted Smile” and “Veteran Cosmic Rocker” for the bands tenth album“Long Distance Voyager” (1981), “I Am” for ‘The Present’ (1983), “Celtic Sonant” for ‘Keys of the Kingdom’ (1991), and “My Little Lovely” for ‘Strange Times’ (1999).

 ‘Strange Times’ would be the final album featuring Ray Thomas as a member of The Moody Blues.

The Moody Blues continue to tour worldwide with Justin Hayward, John Lodge and Graeme Edge.

RAY THOMAS continues to be musically active …but at his own pace. Ray collaborates with a wide-range of international musicians while adding his magical flute onto various tracks in the studio. Recently, Thomas collaborated with longtime friend and bandmate John Lodge in the studio for an upcoming solo project. Ray Thomas is also currently working on a new solo album.

I had the recent pleasure of chatting with Ray Thomas… the legendary singer, songwriter and flautist from The Moody Blues about …the band’s latest release ‘THE MAGNIFICENT MOODIES’-REMASTERED …The early days of The Moody Blues … Brian Epstein … Working with John Lodge again … Michael Pinder … A new Ray Thomas solo release … ‘Day’s of Future Passed’… “Legend of a Mind”…And much-much more!

Here’s my interview with Singer, Songwriter, Flautist, and co-founder of The Moody Blues …

RAY THOMAS (It was a Tuesday afternoon and the day after Ray’s birthday)

Ray Shasho: Happy Birthday Ray!

Ray Thomas: Well thank you and your name is Ray too?

Ray Shasho:  I am and so is my son’s name.

Ray Thomas: “Well there you go, my grandma used to call me “Little Ray of Sunshine.”

Ray Shasho:  2014 was sort of the year of The Moody Blues for me; I’ve chatted with Michael Pinder, Patrick Moraz and now Ray Thomas. I understand you and Michael are still very close friends.

Ray Thomas: “Oh yea, we still talk every week. He’s getting a bit forgetful now, but we’ve known each other most of our lives. It was his birthday two days before mine. We’re very similar and they call us the twins. (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho:  Graeme Edge (Moody Blues drummer) lives about 20 minutes from my home here in Sarasota … Do you still chat with anyone else in the band?

Ray Thomas: “I haven’t seen or heard from Graeme in years and haven’t heard from Justine (Hayward) since I retired …you’re soon forgotten.”

“I worked with John (Lodge) a couple of weeks before Christmas on an album he’s making and I was in the studio with him. I’ve known John since he was fourteen years of age and I was fifteen. He doesn’t like people to know that we’re so close in age so John lies. (All laughing)  He wrote a song for his grandson, he’s called John Henry after a railroad man in the states. Ray began to sing … “John Henry was a railroad man; He worked from six 'till five.” So anyway, John came around and said I’ve written this song and I’d like you to put flute on it. I went into the studio and brought my bass flute and C flute.  John hadn’t worked in that studio with a producer before; I had, so I introduced them.” 

“But it was just like we were in there yesterday. John was sitting there on a stool with his guitar on his lap and I got in there and set my flutes up and we played the track. I told John that I had an idea to put bass flute on it and then play the C flute over the top of the bass flute. John picked around on his guitar and said I think that’s going to work! So I said, well I’ll tell you the best thing we can do … Let’s fucking do it! (All laughing) And so we did.  But it was just like we worked together like we used to. After he put some strings on it John followed me back home and asked me what I thought of it. I said it’s your song, but if I was you I’d go for it, it could sell the album (10,000 Light Years Ago) for you. And so that’s what we’ve done. John and I had a wonderful day although it was pissing down rain and the weather was crap. John is doing a lot of recording in Florida. I think he wants me to do another flute job on another song. Anyway, we took a few photographs together and when we left it was raining and the studio was at the bottom of the producer’s garden, so John was holding this big ole umbrella because I don’t get around too fast on my legs, and he was also holding my hand. I had my stick and John’s holding the umbrella for the both of us. I said if someone had taken a photograph from the back it would have made a wonderful shot. (All laughing) So we’re holding hands as we walked away from the studio. (All laughing)”

“John came out with the most stupid thing when he got home. His wife and daughter were there and they were waiting to see how we got along together.  So John rushed in there and said … it sounds just like us … it sounds just like us! I said you silly sod of course it does, it’s still us. (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho:  The Moody Blues have a new release out … an official (Deluxe 2-CD) 50th Anniversary edition of The Moody Blues debut album – ‘The Magnificent Moodies’-including 43 -bonus tracks and 29 -previously unreleased.

Ray Thomas: “That’s an awful long time; it’s half a century for God’s sakes. I’ve done several different interviews for magazines and radio stations and people have been asking me questions and some of them I just can’t answer because it’s been so long ago.”

Ray Shasho: There’s a track on ‘The Magnificent Moodies’ that hasn’t been released before. Your wife Lee said I should mention it because it’s an excellent song.

Ray Thomas: “She might be talking about the Tim Hardin song called “How Can We Hang On to a Dream.” It’s a beautiful song and I’m thinking about covering it because I’m making a solo album next year. It might be the last one because I’m getting on a bit now. I can’t really perform anymore; I’ve got this balance problem and it’s called Cerebellar Ataxia and it’s like a short circuit in the brain. If I lose my balance, by the time my brain tells me that I’ve lost my balance; I could be on the floor. The signal has to travel a longer route to the place where it says you’re going to fall over. So it’s really very debilitating. It’s incurable so I just live with it. I walk around with my stick and I don’t drink anymore which helps.”

Ray Shasho: Ray, have you written any songs for the new solo album yet?

Ray Thomas: “I’ve got two finished. I did a duet with my cousin Ryland Teifi, and he had this idea to write a song about his great-grandfather who is my grandfather. He lives in Ireland with his wife and three daughters. He’s married to one of the Clancy families. So he had this idea to write a song, and in Welsh they call grandfather Dada. So I was sending him over lyrics and he was sending me ideas back and forth, and eventually he came over. The timing of the session couldn’t have been better for me because I was diagnosed with prostate cancer; it’s all in remission now, I’m responding well to the treatment. He came over; we sat in my kitchen, shared all our ideas and put it all together. The day I had to go into the hospital to have all these bloody tests were the day of the session. Of course these tests were bloody important to me so I had to go.  I had them all done in one day. I told Ryland and he went into the studio and lay down the piano and guitar tracks. I went into the studio the following day and we just laid it all down, and it’s turned out absolutely lovely!”

“I didn’t realize until we had this song pretty much finished, and he being a lot younger than me … he couldn’t remember Dada. He was only a little toddler when Dada died. All the grandfathers were Welshmen. You know what they say … We’re British by birth but Welsh by the grace of God. So after we laid the track down, we played it to members of the family and they all started crying over it. Well I thought that was a good sign. (All laughing)

My grandfather was a Welsh miner and went on from there to become a carpenter and a wood carver, and he did a lot of work in older chapels and churches in Wales. He worked on the church where I got married in. He went on from carving pews, alters, and whatnot, to carving oak throne-like chairs and Chair the Bard for Eisteddfod (Welsh festival of literature, music and performance) The Bard is a Welshman that has the best understanding as a poet of the Welsh language. I’ve got one of the chairs here, I was able to buy one off one of the winners, it’s almost impossible but I managed it. The song goes from his early days of working in the coal mines to right through to carving the chair for the Bard Throne. The words are very personal to us, so that’s going on the album.”  

Ray Shasho: Where will you be recording the new solo album?

Ray Thomas:  “There’s a guy called Greg Walsh and he’s worked with Tina Turner and loads of people, he has a couple of Grammy nominations … and he has a studio that looks like a log cabin. Inside, it’s a state-of-the-art studio, but not very big. I like working there because it’s nice and comfortable and hooks up to the house so I can make a nice cup of tea. During the last session he said to me, I’m just nipping up to the house to fuck the wife, and I said, so you won’t be gone long then. (All laughing) And he’s a lovely-lovely man, so I’ll record it there.”  

Ray Shasho: One of my favorite Ray Thomas solo albums was your debut release ‘From Mighty Oaks’ (1975) in which you collaborated with Nicky James … just a great album!

Ray Thomas: “Thank you. My old mate Nicky James who really wrote both albums with me and he died. That was a bit of a blow. He came upstage one night and got this violent headache and felt dizzy. He went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and it had gone so far it was inoperable. It was fortunate in a sense that he didn’t last long with it.  But once they diagnosed it, it was just too late to do anything. It was a real shame. There’s this track that’s on one of Nicky’s albums called “Troubadour” and I adored this song for years. I think I’m going to cover that too. Nicky had such a wonderful voice and I was a little bit hesitant, because I was worried about giving the song justice. I thought, well, it’s going to be my version of it, so we’ll give it a crack. Finbar Furey is coming over to play his Irish pipes for me; I’ve worked with Finbar before on a track that’s on my box set and it’s called “The Trouble with Memories.” Finbar is the Prince of Irish Pipes.”

Ray Shasho: My favorite tracks on ‘From Mighty Oaks’ are …“Hey Mama Life” and “Adam and I.”

Ray Thomas: “I’m going fishing with Adam in May; he’s now 41 years of age. He was a little toddler as you see on the cover. I enjoyed writing that. Basically we have done what the lyrics said because we go off fishing together for a week in France. I used to take him fishing and now he takes me.”

Ray Shasho: Is Adam a musician or songwriter?

Ray Thomas:  “No, somebody once asked Adam that question in my company and he said, are you kidding, he’s too hard of act to follow. (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho: I’d like to chat about The Moody Blues and I’ll begin with the early days … What was it like working with Brian Epstein?

Ray Thomas:  “He was our manager for awhile. Brian was gay, but it was in the days where that was not legal. He had a good organization and we knew The Beatles very well. Brian took us under his wing, and this was after “Go Now.” But the thing with Brian, he was in love with a Spanish bullfighter and was always in Spain with his boyfriend. When Brian wasn’t in the office at NEMS, then nobody could really make big decisions, Brian was the decision maker, so consequently NEMS started to not to be so good.”

Ray Shasho: I remember those dubious rumors about John Lennon and Brian Epstein taking weekend getaways together and suggesting that they were a lot more than just friends.

Ray Thomas: “I never saw any of that, I don’t believe it. John had a very cutting wit and very cruel with his comments. He used to go … “You great big puff, piss off!” And Brian used to adore him. Maybe he liked it a bit rough like that … I don’t know.”

Ray Shasho: So continue to talk about your relationship with Brian and NEMS.

Ray Thomas: “We had an offer through NEMS to go and play in France and this French promoter wanted to book us. He said since “Go Now,” they haven’t had a hit in France and the money wasn’t that good. He’d pay our expenses but would also get people thinking about The Moody Blues again over there. So we agreed to do it. When we got to Charles de Gaulle airport, it was packed with photographers and reporters. We had been #1 with “Bye Bye Bird” and didn’t know that the French record company had released it.  This guy got this #1 act for peanuts to play all over France … so he was laughing his socks off.”

“We we’re pissed off and so when we got back we went and saw Brian and told him that he was the head of a crap organization, and he threw us out of his house. He called a meeting for the following day with all his heads of department, publicity, agency … and we sat there with all the heads of department and Brian was there. We always got along with Brian and he was a real gentleman. Brian banged on the table and went around asking all his dept. heads what they’ve done about all this. They all stared at the floor and said nothing. Then he banged on the table again with his fist and said it appears that the boys are right, I’m the head of a crap organization. Then Brian said to us, what do you want? We said can we have our contract back? So he said go and get their contract and he ripped it up in front of us and said, there you go and good luck. He could have kept us under contract and that would have been crap. So we said thank you very much Brian and left. Then Denny (Laine) left and Mike (Pinder) and I got a new band together with Justin (Hayward) and John (Lodge). I worked with John in a semi-pro band in Birmingham years before.”

Ray Shasho: Was that El Riot & the Rebels?

Ray Thomas: “El Riot …what a bloody name. (All laughing) When I was a kid I had so much gall when I think about it. John was a bass player in the Rebels. I was sitting in a club in London a couple of days later and I was talking to Eric Burdon of The Animals. Eric had been advertising in one of the trade magazines for a guitarist/singer. He was putting the new Animals together at the same time. He said since I put an ad in the paper I found the guy I want. Eric said, all I put in my ad was …Top recording band seek guitarist/singer, they won’t know what band it is from the ad anyway. If you want to come around to the office tomorrow you can have all the replies, and that’s how we found Justin …a little bit of fate.”

Ray Shasho: Speaking of fate …I always thought it was quite amazing when The Moody Blues were able to successfully crossover from an early R&B sound to a progressive rock orchestral aspect.

Ray Thomas: “It was sort of going that way when Denny was with us and writing songs. After he left, he formed a string quartet to back him. Bringing Justin in had a much softer approach vocally, and then Michael working with the Mellotron, which was great with the flute …and it just went into that direction.”

“Days of Future Passed was really weird because Decca had just developed ‘Deramic Sound’ which was wall to wall sound or what we call ping-pong stereo. Like if you listen to Sgt. Pepper’s, you’ve either got the sound coming out of the left end or right end speaker, but if you listen to ‘Deramic Sound’ you can place it between the speakers, so you get wall to wall stereo. So they wanted a demonstration disc made for all the salesmen to try and sell ‘Deramic Sound’ and we could never get any studio time. We were developing Days of Future Passed as a stage show. They wanted us to play tunes like “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Rock Around the Clock” and stuff like that, and wanted Peter Knight and the London Festival Orchestra to play Dvorák's New World Symphony. We said that’s going to sound bloody awful … one minute they’re listening to “Blue Suede Shoes” and then the next minute to the symphony and us playing someone else.”

“We approached Tony Clarke who was going to produce this thing and Peter Knight. We said we’ve got an idea, and they were very-very brave because Tony Clarke had lost his job, at the time he was a Decca producer. He was told what to bloody record and that’s what he did. Peter Knight said, that sounds great and so he stuck his neck out and didn’t do what they wanted him to do. So every day we went into the studio and recorded a track and then sent it over to Peter Knight and he wrote the bridges (overtures) and the end of Days of Future Past. We didn’t actually work with the orchestra”.

On the last day of the session the orchestra came in and laid down all the bits and pieces and then we joined them all up. And every Tuesday Decca used to have a meeting with all their producers and they used to take their wares to Edward Lewis and the heads of the department, and would play them and decide if they were going to release it or not and also decided what money they were going to spend on it. So they put Days of Future Passed on. After they finished, everyone said …well what the hell is it and what are we going to do with it? It’s either one thing or the other. Fortunately there was a guy there called Walt McGuire who was the head of London Records, which was Decca America. He said if we don’t release it in the UK then give it to me, I’m going to release it in the states, it’s brilliant! So they said, well, we spent money on it in the studio, because studio money was sacred, they wouldn’t give us any studio time so we just grabbed it and made Days of Future Past in nine days. Also in those nine days we recorded “Legend of a Mind” which was the inspiration for ‘In Search of the Lost Chord’… and the rest is sort of history.”

Ray Shasho: You’ve written so many great Moody Blues classics… and speaking of “Legend of a Mind” what gave you the idea to write a song about Timothy Leary?

Ray Thomas: “I’d read about him, I hadn’t met him at that point. But “Legend of a Mind” is very tongue-in- cheek because I saw the astral plane as like a psychedelically painted biplane which the hippies hired for a trip around the San Francisco Bay. Tim Leary was all involved in the Tibetan Book of the Dead and I had been reading that. So I just wrote Timothy Leary’s dead and then said no, no, no, he’s just outside his body looking in. I was just taking a piss really. (All laughing) Just having a laugh at all the hippies and what they believed in and everything in the states. I never ever took any drugs with him and never saw him take any drugs either. When he died everybody wanted to speak with me. This bloody woman from the New York Times found me, and I was on the road at the time in the states. She said, yes, but what drugs were you doing? I said I never saw any drugs at anytime I met Tim. I told her I never took any drugs with him. She persistently tried to get dirt and shit out of me, so I said fuck you and slammed the phone down. I had just lost a friend. There wasn’t any dirt about Tim, he was a lovely man, and he was just a mysterious Irishmen.”

“When he came to see us, we were playing at the Greek Theatre and Tim turned up, which he used to do on occasion if he was in the area, he’d come watch us play. We played a concert at a college much earlier on and I spotted Tim and he came up onstage for “Legend of a Mind” and played tambourine. That brought the bloody house down.”

“So anyway, Tim came to the Greek Theatre and came backstage and complemented us about the show. Then he asked me to go outside with him for a minute. He said there’s something I want to tell you. After we walked outside he said, I’m going to tell you something, but if you repeated it, I’ll deny saying it. I said okay Tim what is it? He said that bloody song made me more famous than I did. (All laughing) I never told anybody what he said until after he was gone.”

Ray Shasho: “For My Lady” & “And The Tide Rushes In” are beautifully written songs which you also perform, what was the inspiration behind those incredible tracks?

Ray Thomas: “And The Tide Rushes In” was recorded after a big argument with my ex-wife. And I say … “You keep looking for someone to tell your troubles to, I'll sit down and lend an ear yet I hear nothing new.” Just complaining, then the tide rushes in and washes my castle away. And “For My Lady” …that was really just after my divorce. Basically I’m saying I’d give my life for a gentle lady. I was on my own for about twenty odd years before I met Lee. When people have spoken to Lee they say how did you meet and she says… Can you say groupie? She followed me all over the place and I just got to know her on the road. We just became close. It wasn’t in the days of sexual groupies; it was just women who came to every bloody gig. She loves me to bits and I love her to bits. I wish I had met her years before, but that’s life isn’t it.”

Ray Shasho: How long have you and Lee been married?

Ray Thomas: “Six years. We went down to Wales and got married in a place called Mwnt. That’s where my great grandfather made a lot of the woodworking there and my great uncle George and my grandfather made the pews in there. It’s got no electricity or anything; I think its 16th century.”

Ray Shasho: Ray, can you speak Welsh?

Ray Thomas: No, I can understand little bits of it but I was raised in Birmingham. My dad could speak Welsh, and all my family speaks Welsh, but not me. But it’s a very ancient language. In this little church where Lee and I got married, it’s so old; they’ve got a little window because the Lepers were not allowed to come in. So they could watch the service from outside through this tiny little window. They found the church bell in a farmer’s field after they repaired the roof, then reinstalled it but it never sounded quite right. When we finished the service and Lee and I were going to walk out, the Vicar (A priest in the Church of England who is in charge of a church and the religious needs of people in a particular area) stood there and said, there it goes … he’d fixed the bell and it resonated throughout the valley for miles and miles … and he wouldn’t stop bloody winging it! (All laughing) There were only seven of us for the ceremony at the church that day. We told the Vicar and the Bishop to keep it quiet because if the fans found out it be a bloody circus, and which they did anyway, but it all worked out really well.” 

Ray Shasho:  You’re a brilliant flautist.

Ray Thomas: “I never took a lesson in my life and just taught myself. I’ve got a few bad habits that I can’t rid myself of after all this time. Like on the fingering and how you hold the flute, I don’t do it correctly. But when we did all the tours with the orchestras I’d meet all the flute players and they’d come backstage and tell me that I inspired them to play the flute, and these were brilliant classical musicians. This one girl said to me, what I want to ask you, she said, how do you make your flute scream? I said it’s the way you blow it obviously, but you’ve got to be in a rock and roll band to do it. I had to play over the power of electric guitars and mellotrons.

Ray Shasho: “When I think of flautist in the world of rock, you and Ian Anderson always come to mind as the best.  

Ray Thomas: “I was playing before him; I was one of the first rock and roll flute players. Have you heard the Moody Bluegrass? (A Nashville tribute to The Moody Blues) When they did their first volume, I was absolutely knocked out! I’ve heard some different music played to our songs and some of it is bloody awful. We’ve had rap versions of “Night in White Satin” for God’s sake. So when I heard all the pickers from Nashville on it I got in touch with the guy from Moody Bluegrass and said to him how much I really loved it. I sent him a little silver flute in a tiny little case and I put on the case … ‘The only thing missing’ … because they don’t have flutes. So when they did volume two, he got in touch with me, and he said, we’re going to do “Dear Diary” will you put the flutes on? So they sent me a track over and I went into the studio and put the flutes on it. Then he said to me, well, you might be the first rock and roll flute player … but now you’re the first bluegrass flute player … which knocked me out!

Ray Shasho: I asked Michael Pinder if there were any regrets on leaving The Moody Blues. Mike said, “No, I don’t because I was really quite happy with what Ray and I achieved. We had what we wanted… we conquered it.”

Ray Thomas: “Yea, that’s true really. Now that we’re getting older he gets all sentimental, he said we really did it didn’t we, and I said bloody right we did. Two lads from Birmingham…and I said we really shook it up, and he said damn right we did. He’s right there, but I’m glad I carried on for as long as I could.”

Ray Shasho:The Moody Blues popularity and longevity has intensified throughout the years. There have been a few different variations of the classic lineup, kind of like what Crosby, Still, Nash & Young has done over the years. Then of course after Michael left, Patrick Moraz was added on keyboards and stayed with the band for twelve years.

And now there are only three members still performing. How much longer do you think they’ll keep it going?

Ray Thomas: “I don’t know mate, as I said, I haven’t spoken to them, only John. But for as long as possible I hope because they’re selling catalogue. I’m getting paid for sitting on my ass. (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho: Ray, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to play, sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?

“Well I’ve already done it with The Beatles, Mike and I performed on “The Fool on the Hill” and “I Am The Walrus.” We went down to the studio and it was my idea to put all the harmonicas on “Fool on the Hill.” So I’ve done it with The Beatles. I’ve sung with Sonny Boy Williamson, Memphis Slim, and I’ve played on the same stage with all the great ones …Queen, Genesis … you name it really. So I don’t really know that’s an odd one … Crosby, Stills and Nash might be nice.”

“James Brown influenced the band from early on. Actually there’s a funny story, he was on the road same as us and we didn’t know he was staying at the same hotel. We were getting ready to leave and there were two limos for us and one for him. So I jumped into the first limo and I’m sitting there and James Brown got in. I was sitting in the wrong car. (All laughing) He looked at me like …who the hell are you? I said shit James I’m in the wrong car sorry.”

Ray Shasho: Ray, do you know when your new album will be released?

Ray Thomas: “No, the thing is, I’m not going to put myself under pressure like I used to. When I write a song, I don’t like it hanging around because I start picking at it, trying to change it, and inevitably you fuck it up. So as I write one, I’ll go down to the local studio and record it as a whim. I haven’t got a deadline; I’m getting too old for all that pressure. I’ll just do it when I can. So let’s say sometime in 2015. Sex, drugs and rock and roll are a thing of memories; I’ve had more than my fair share so I’ve got no regrets.”

“I’ve done a lot of work with different bands in the studio including an Italian prog-rock band called ‘Syndone’, and did a track on their album. Weeks after the session, a great big box arrived at my front door and it was full of pasta from Naples, all types of shapes and sizes, and that’s how they paid me, it was brilliant! I’ve also done three or four tracks for Mike Pinder’s sons, and just finished another one for them. I also worked with a Ukrainian band called ‘Melting Cloud’ from the Ukraine, and their music is really weird. I did one with harmonica and one with flute and did two tracks for them. Their producer worked a lot in Russia and had these two young guys come over. When they found out they knew me they asked me to play on their album. When I arrived you would have thought God had turned up. But I got a lot of enjoyment from doing it, I don’t mind working for other people. If I don’t do that or going fishing, I’m just sitting around on my ass. (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho: The music business today could sure use your help Ray … it’s bloody awful!

Ray Thomas: “I don’t like to put any artist down because I know how difficult it can be.

But having said that …there really is some crap out there! Where are the ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’, ‘Days of   Future Past’, or the Crosby, Stills and Nash band’s? I feel so sorry for these young boy bands, they put a bit of money behind them and they have a couple of hit records and it’s a throwaway society, to throwaway bands before they really got on their feet and know what they’re doing, there’s no apprenticeship these days. We used to play in the pubs, clubs, and some hard working men’s clubs in the north of England. They didn’t really throw bottles at you but they told you to fuck off! (All laughing) Get them off; let’s have the bingo and all this shit! We got off the stage and got back into the van and almost in tears. It just spurs you to want to do better.”

Ray Shasho: I’ve heard you’ve had some interesting fans over the years?

Ray Thomas: “We’ve had some real weirdoes. I’ve had a woman live in my garden for three weeks and I didn’t even know she was there. The doorbell rung one night and I was expecting a friend of mine, When I opened the door she leaped past me into the house and was covered with shit because she’d been living under my shrubs. She lay on the floor in the sign of the cross, sobbing in tears and looked like a nun would. She wanted me to father her child who was going to be the new messiah. She was sobbing because she wasn’t a virgin anymore. But it frightened the shit out of me!”

“I had another guy come into the dressing room and dropped to his knees in front of me. He wanted me to lay my hands on him because by doing that he was going to leave his body and Krishna was going to enter his body. He had been working out for years to get his body in tip top shape … and it was. It was frightening!”

“There was a guy in San Antonio that we didn’t know about, but he sat in the town square a year before we were coming to town. He sat there with a sign saying … In 365 days they will be here! Then 364 days and so on… and it became a fixture with the press and the television. So they picked up on it and used to go and interview him and asked … Who is going to be here in 200 days now?  He said The Moody Blues, the Rock Gods from up higher are coming. For us it was great publicity. We didn’t know about him. We arrived at the hotel on the day, and I was sharing a room with Pete Jackson who works with Clapton now as his tour manager, he was our tour manager and we were sharing a room to keep the expenses down in those days. There’s a knock on the door and I thought it was a bellhop with our bags. So I opened the door and this vision went pass me, his skin was almost black, he wore a little sheepskin jerkin on, hipster jeans and sandals. He left past me ranting and raving, he was like the war man from Borneo. Pete Jackson phoned security and they threw him out. The following day after the gig he was back in his place with ‘Number one, I was wrong, they’re shit!’ (All laughing) So we’ve had some strange experience.”

Ray Shasho: Ray, have you witnessed some of the UFO’s that Mike has seen?

Ray Thomas: “I think Mike has seen a few more than me. (All laughing) Michael is really into all that shit. Who am I to disbelieve him, if anyone is going to see a whole fleet of UFO’s over his head … it’s Mike. (All laughing) I rang Mike up for his birthday and said you’re older than me you old bastard! Two days later he rings’s me up and says; now you’re the same age as me you old bastard! He came out with a good one,  he said, well I’m two days older than you, so if I die I want you to go out and have a fucking great time for two days. He thinks I’m going to die two days after him because he’s two days older. (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho: Ray, thank you so much for being on the call today, but more importantly for all the incredible Moody Blues music you’ve given us and solo efforts you continue to bring.

Ray Thomas: “Thank you Ray, I enjoyed it.”

Purchase: The Moody Blues 50th Anniversary re-mastered release-‘The Magnificent Moodies’ –Esoteric Recordings (Cherry Red Records)… Official (Deluxe 2 CD) 50th Anniversary Edition of the Moody Blues debut album re-mastered from the first generation master tapes, along with all the singles the band recorded between 1964 and 1966. Notably this collection includes 29 previously unreleased bonus tracks …

Available Now at Cherry Red Records and amazon.com

Track listing …

DISC ONE
THE MAGNIFICENT MOODIES: REMASTERED
1 I’LL GO CRAZY 2. SOMETHING YOU GOT 3. GO NOW 4.CAN’T NOBODY LOVE YOU 5. I DON’T MIND 6. I’VE GOT A DREAM 7. LET ME GO 8. STOP 9. THANK YOU BABY 10. IT AIN’T NECESSARILY SO 11.TRUE STORY12. BYE BYE BIRD
BONUS TRACKS
13.LOSE YOUR MONEY (BUT DON’T LOSE YOUR MIND) 14.STEAL YOUR HEART AWAY 15. GO NOW! (FIRST VERSION) (PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED) 16. IT’S EASY CHILD 17. I DON’T WANT TO GO ON WITHOUT YOU 18.TIME IS ON MY SIDE 19.   FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART (I LOVE YOU) 20. AND MY BABY’S GONE
21. EVERYDAY 22.YOU DON’T (ALL THE TIME) 23.BOULEVARD DE MADELEINE
24.    THIS IS MY HOUSE (BUT NOBODY CALLS) 25. PEOPLE GOTTA GO 26.LIFE’S NOT LIFE 27. HE CAN WIN
DISC TWO
PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED SESSIONS 1964 – 1966
THE JULY 1964 OLYMPIC STUDIOS SESSIONS:
1.    GO NOW! (SECOND VERSION) 2. LOSE YOUR MONEY (BUT DON’T LOSE YOUR MIND) (EARLY VERSION) 3. STEAL YOUR HEART AWAY (FIRST VERSION) 4. I’LL GO CRAZY (FIRST VERSION) 5. YOU BETTER MOVE ON
6.    CAN’T NOBODY LOVE YOU (FIRST VERSION) 7. 23RD PSALM

THE 1965 BBC RADIO SESSIONS:
8.    GO NOW 9. I DON’T WANT TO GO ON WITHOUT YOU 10. I’LL GO CRAZY
"SATURDAY CLUB” SESSION - BBC LIGHT PROGRAMME
RECORDED 12TH APRIL 1965
11.    FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART (I LOVE YOU) 12. JUMP BACK
"SATURDAY CLUB” SESSION - BBC LIGHT PROGRAMME
RECORDED 3RD MAY 1965
13.    I’VE GOT A DREAM 14. AND MY BABY’S GONE
"SATURDAY CLUB” SESSION - BBC LIGHT PROGRAMME
RECORDED 1ST JUNE 1965
15. IT’S EASY CHILD 16. STOP 17. EVERYDAY
"SATURDAY CLUB” SESSION - BBC LIGHT PROGRAMME
RECORDED 21ST SEPTEMBER 1965
18. YOU DON’T (ALL THE TIME) 19. I WANT YOU TO KNOW
"SATURDAY CLUB” SESSION - BBC LIGHT PROGRAMME
RECORDED 9TH NOVEMBER 1965
THE 1966 DENNY CORDELL SESSIONS
20. SAD SONG 21.THIS IS MY HOUSE BUT NOBODY CALLS (FIRST VERSION)
22. HOW CAN WE HANG ON TO A DREAM (FIRST VERSION) 23. HOW CAN WE HANG ON TO A DREAM (REMAKE) 24.JAGO & JILLY 25. WE’RE BROKEN
26. I REALLY HAVEN’T GOT THE TIME (SEPTEMBER 1966 VERSION) 27. RED WINE
28.THIS IS MY HOUSE BUT NOBODY CALLS (STEREO MIX) 

Ray Thomas official website

Ray Thomas on Twitter

The Moody Blues official website

Special thanks to the ‘incredible’ Billy James of Glass Onyon PR

COMING UP NEXT…An interview with lead vocalist and songwriter NIKKI LUNDEN and guitarist LORA ‘G’ ESPINOZA from an incredible new band entitled ‘Lunden Reign’…Also upcoming folk/rock/singer/songwriter/guitarist JONATHAN EDWARDS (“Sunshine,” “Shanty”) and Legendary Pop Crooner ENGELBERT HUMPERDINK  ("Release Me") 

Contact music journalist Ray Shasho at rockraymond.shasho@gmail.com

Purchase Ray’s very special memoir called ‘Check the Gs’ -The True Story of an Eclectic American Family and Their Wacky Family Business … You’ll LIVE IT! Also available for download on NOOK or KINDLE edition for JUST .99 CENTS at amazon.com or barnesandnoble.com   - Please support Ray by purchasing his book so he may continue to bring you quality classic rock music reporting.

…“Check the Gs is just a really cool story ... and it’s real. I’d like to see the kid on the front cover telling his story in a motion picture, TV sitcom or animated series. The characters in the story definitely jump out of the book and come to life. Very funny and scary moments throughout the story and I just love the way Ray timeline’s historical events during his lifetime. Ray’s love of rock music was evident throughout the book and it generates extra enthusiasm when I read his on-line classic rock music column. It’s a wonderful read for everyone!”   …stillerb47@gmail.com   

COMING SOON… Ray’s exciting new book project entitled...

                                         ‘SAVING ROCK AND ROLL.’

                              Watch for the Kickstarter campaign very soon!

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BARRY HAY Uncensored U.S.A.: The Legendary Voice & Songwriter of 'GOLDEN EARRING'

Exclusive interview with Barry Hay of Golden Earring 

-Interviewed 12/7/2014

-By Ray Shasho

The GOLDEN EARRING saga is truly significant in the world of pop culture and rock and roll, including one of the most enduring bands in rock history. Golden Earring continues to tour in the Netherlands and is the longest existing rock band in the world, as they were founded in 1961, one year before The Rolling Stones.

TITS ‘N ASS (2012), Golden Earring’s most recent release may be the bands finest since‘Moontan.’ The album reached #1 on the Dutch album charts while performed by the band’s longtime classic lineup. The maturity and prodigiousness of the group is relevant throughout the album and untainted by modern day’s incompetent music mainstream. The album was produced by Chris Kimsey who is distinguished for working with The Rolling Stones. Lead singerBarry Hay performed all the vocals on the album while lying down because of an excruciating injury. Tits ‘N Ass is a genuine rocker with alluring hints of T. Rex, The Hollies, and The Who. There are also several riveting ballads on the release. Barry Hay’s vocals are superlative andGeorge Kooymans’ guitar work is simply awesome. The album also hailed an impressive guitar contribution from longtime friend Frank Carillo (The Bandoleros w/ Simon Kirke). Bassist Rinus Gerritsen and drummer Cesar Zuiderwijk also performed flawlessly on Tits ‘N Ass, while the songwriting team of Hay and Kooymans penned their best lyrical content to date.  Every track is a winner!  … I gave Tits ‘N Ass (5) Stars!

‘TITS ‘N ASS’ -track listing … “Identical,” “Little Time Bomb,” “Cool As It Gets,” “Acrobats And Clowns,”“What Do I Know About Love,” “Still Got The Keys To My First Cadillac,” “Dope Runner,” “This Love Star,”“Stratosphere,” “Over The Cliff Into The Deep Deep Blue,” “Flowers In The Mud,”“Justin Time,” “Avenue Of Broken Dreams,” “Wanted By Women”

GOLDEN EARRING: The Dutch rock group was formed by childhood friends, guitarist- George Kooymans and bassist- Rinus Gerritsen in The Hague Netherlands. Unlike other popular Dutch bands like The Tee Set, The Bintangs, Focus, Trace, and The Shocking blue, Golden Earring has kept the same- four- original band members together since 1970.

The band was originally called The Tornados but later discovered the name was already taken. They eventually came up with the name Golden Earrings from a song originally sung by Marlene Dietrich in 1947 and became a hit for Peggy Lee in 1948.

In 1965, “Please Go” was Golden Earrings first hit single reaching #9 on the music charts in the Netherlands. After “Please Go” seduced their manager Fred Haayen in believing he had found a Dutch- version of The Beatles, he rushed the Earrings into Pye studios in London to record their debut album "Just Ear-rings."

Their single "That Day," reached #2 on the Dutch charts. The single was beaten out of the #1 spot by The Beatles love ballad “Michelle.”

Lead singer BARRY HAY joined The Earrings in 1967 replacing French singer Frans Krassenburg.

Golden Earring earned their first #1 hit in the Netherlands with the pop song “Dong- Dong- Diki- Digi -Dong".

In 1969, they released a successful psychedelic album called “Eight Miles High,” originally a hit for The Byrds in 1966. The album featured a nineteen-minute version of the title track. Their on- stage version of the song lasted much longer and was considered one of the most memorable jams on their U.S. tour.

Progressing into hard rock, Golden Earring embarked on their first major U.S. tour in 1969. The band performed with Jim Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, and Procol Harum. Between 1969 and 1984, Golden Earring completed thirteen U.S. tours. During that period, the group performed as the opening act for Santana, The Doobie Brothers, Rush, King Crimson, J. Geils Band, and ZZ Top to name a few.

Golden Earring enjoyed international superstardom in the Seventies with the hit single “Radar Love," from their critically acclaimed “Moontan” (1973) release. The album was a huge hit in both Europe and the USA. With “Radar Love” reaching #13 in the U.S., Golden Earring headlined concerts for KISS and Aerosmith.

Golden Earring secured chart success again in 1982 with the release of "Twilight Zone" (Their only #1 U.S. Hit) and “When the Lady Smiles” becoming MTV favorites. Looking to get back to basics and frustrated by U.S. censorship of their music videos, the band continued their music efforts primarily in Europe.

Golden Earring has recorded over 30 gold and platinum albums and singles.

The bands best- selling albums are ‘Moontan,’ which sold over 1- million copies worldwide, and the unplugged acoustic live CD/DVD- ‘The Naked Truth’ in 1992, which sold over 500,000 copies in the Netherlands alone. Their successful unplugged theater tours also started in 1992.  The album was followed by ‘Naked II’ (1997) and the trilogy was completed in 2005 with ‘Naked III.’The live acoustic albums were also released with additional tracks under the titles…‘The Complete Naked Truth’ and ‘Fully Naked.’  

Studio albums by Golden Earring …

Just Ear-rings (1965), Winter-Harvest (1967), Miracle Mirror (1968), On the Double (1969), Eight Miles High (1969), Golden Earring (1970), Seven Tears (1971), Together (1972), Moontan (1973), Switch (1975), To the Hilt (1976), Contraband (1976), Grab It for a Second (1978), No Promises...No Debts (1979), Prisoner of the Night (1980), Cut (1982), N.E.W.S. (1984), The Hole (1986), Keeper of the Flame (1989), Bloody Buccaneers (1991), Face It (1994), Love Sweat (1995), Paradise in Distress (1999), Millbrook U.S.A. (2003), Tits 'n Ass (2012)

In 2011, the Dutch post group TNT Post honored the band with a Golden Earring commemorative stamp for its 50th anniversary and golden jubilee as a rock band.

“Radar Love” continues to be a heavily popular cover song and performed by such legendary music luminaries as … U2, Carlos Santana, White Lion, Def Leppard, Ministry, and R.E.M to name just a few.

None of the members of Golden Earring have plans to retire anytime soon.

The Golden Earring classic and current band lineup is … Barry Hay (lead vocals, alto flute, guitar, and saxophone), George Kooymans (guitars, vocals), Rinus Gerritsen (bass guitar, keyboards, and synthesizer), and Cesar Zuiderwijk (Drums).

Purchase ‘Tits ‘N Ass’ the incredible CD from the legendary Golden Earring at amazon.com

I had the rare pleasure of chatting with Barry Hay about … Golden Earring’s latest album ‘Tits ‘N Ass” … Singing while lying down … The legendary Moontan album … “The inception of “Radar Love” … The Happy go lucky days of Golden Earring … My infamous ‘Field of Dreams’ question … More Touring …  A new EP forthcoming … And much-much more!

Here’s my interview with the legendary singer and songwriter of Golden Earring …BARRY HAY

 -I spoke with Barry from his home in Curacao

Ray Shasho: Hi Barry!

Barry Hay: “Hi Ray, you’re spot on time man, well done! My dad was a military man so I grew up very strict.”

Ray Shasho: So how are things in beautiful Curacao?

Barry Hay: “I’ve been living here for eight years now and it was a really good move. I have an apartment in Amsterdam and fly back and forth about once a month. It’s the rainy season here in Curacao, we had showers this morning but it never rains more than an hour, like much of Florida, after that the sun peeks out again. I was fed up with the climate in Holland; it’s so cold and rainy. I was actually born in India and came to Holland when I was eight years old.”

“We were watching an HBO documentary called “Banksy Does New York” and it was fucking great! He’s a British graffiti artist but really sort of subversive in what he does. He came to New York and did one piece a day, 31 works of art in 31 days. He posted pictures of the finished works but wouldn’t say where they were located. His fans had to hunt around the city to find them and people would follow on Twitter and everything. It’s a fantastic documentary … you should check it out.”

Ray Shasho: “I wrote a very nice piece about Golden Earring on celebrating the bands 50th anniversary back in 2011. The group has had a remarkable career and I was very disappointed that more American music journalist had not reported it and frankly just don’t get it.

Barry Hay:  “Well, they did get it but then we moved out and that’s what happened. We brought out this hit called “When the Lady Smiles” and that was a big hit in Holland. The clip wasn’t your middle of the road sort of thing and what MTV did in those days was to cut up everything that was a little bit strange. We were in the top ten of video clips that got mutilated. “Twilight Zone” also got mutilated and at the end it was like a really dreary affair. We just got pissed off and said fuck this shit! Then we just concentrated on Holland, Germany, Belgium … and so that was it. You can hear foul language and watch nudity on HBO, but they are still censoring shows on American public television and I find that strange.  It seems like there has been hardly any progression in the last thirty years.”

Ray Shasho:  Barry, Golden Earring’s latest release ‘Tits ‘N Ass’ is a great album and may be the bands best to date.

Barry Hay: “Yea it is … I know it’s great, especially the way it was recorded because we wanted to record it live and it’s just in one piece. We had Frank Carillo who is a friend of ours that participated who lives in New York and is a fantastic guitar player. We did a lot of preproduction and before we went to London we actually recorded the whole album in Rotterdam at a friend’s studio. We managed to record it in one week. There were a couple of vocal tracks that were done while we were recording …live vocal tracks. It was a pretty good experience for the band to do it that way because we’re not very good at doing the production thing, all the recordings that you here nowadays are really heavily produced and that’s not our thing at all.”

“But the band is still going strong! We have a month off for the holidays and then we’re starting again in January and there’s this big show called ‘Friends of Amstel Live’ and it’s a big party. They turn this hall into like a big pub, the drinks are really cheap and everybody gets fucked up and has a good time. So we’re doing ten of those shows in January. All the bands get to hangout at the same hotel and its one big party that lasts ten days. So who is going to come out of that alive? (All laughing) Then we’re starting the acoustic thing again, we’ve done that for the last decade and we draw a completely different audience, sometimes even three generations. We do ‘The Naked Truth’ sort of thing and expanded it. There’s hardly not a song that we can’t do acoustically. So those shows will be interesting… anyways there’s about 60 shows planned for next year so far, so we’re going to be busy man.”

Ray Shasho: What was it like working with legendary producer Chris Kimsey who worked with The Rolling Stones … Peter Frampton on ‘Frampton Comes Alive!’ …

Barry Hay: “He’s a legend but also just one of the guys. He’s really good at recording but not very good at mixing. He can lay down the tracks as nobody else can and the sound was real, but when it came down to mixing he didn’t actually mix, just what he recorded and then said … this is it! So we needed a little bit of mixing and John did that. Bill Wyman was in town and told us … “I like that …Tits ‘N Ass” (in British accent). Those were the legendary words from Bill Wyman. (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho: “Who came up with the ‘Tits ‘N Ass’ title?

Barry Hay: “I said let’s call it “Tits” and then George said let’s call it ‘Tits ‘N Ass.’ It’s a bit jaded but I remember when we were in the states we had American roadies and they would say … yea man, that’s tits and ass! It was like saying something was alright and real. So it’s a bit rude and a bit naughty and that’s the way we like to project ourselves.”

Ray Shasho: I really feel that the album is the best since ‘Moontan’.

Barry Hay: “I do too, there’s a lot of versatility and a lot of songs as well. There are a couple of great ballads and George is really great at that. We’re working on an EP that will be coming out at the end of next year, there’s a song on it called “My Lips Are Sealed,” it’s rocky but also has all these twists and changes because George loves that shit. I always tell him, Jesus Christ man, you have to be a rocket engineer to understand that shit. (All laughing) He likes the sort of mini- operas.”

Ray Shasho: One of my favorite tunes on ‘Tits ‘N Ass’ is “Cool As It Gets,” the melody is … T. Rex, Hollies, and The Who wrapped into one mammoth track.

Barry Hay: “We really wanted to duplicate that sound. Frank (‘Frank the Yank’) is really good at classics and he put that guitar in and I like the lyrics a lot …like a mother being envious of her daughter …the mother always wanted to be like her hip daughter but is not.”

Ray Shasho: You and George Kooymans really shine on the album and your voice sounds better than ever.

Barry Hay: “I sang the whole album lying down. I was trying to get a bottle out of a cupboard and was reaching up and something went out in my back. My back became really sore and thick and I had to go to a chiropractor for it. I was in pain man! The first night I had to crawl to the toilet and it was extremely excruciating. So I had to go to the chiropractor every day, I couldn’t stand up and sang the whole album lying down. There’s a really cool documentary made … the making of … and you see me standing up but that was before it happened. (All laughing) Everybody says you sang really great and I tell them all I was fucking lying down! Could you imagine what happens when I stand up? (Laughing) Maybe they’ll start rolling me in onstage.”

Ray Shasho: I’ve got to talk about Golden Earring’s masterpiece album ‘Moontan’ (released in 1973).  I heard that Black Sabbath’s Tony Iommi borrowed a riff from the album and it ended up being the main riff for the bands title song “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath.”

Barry Hay: “Oh sure… that’s absolutely true. A lot of bands were copying that sort of sound. ‘Tragically Hip’ the Canadian band, I met them later and they told me, shit man, we ripped off a lot of your stuff from the ‘Moontan’ album. But it’s all good man; I like getting ripped off because we did something worthwhile to be ripped off. There’s no problem with me there. The good thing with ‘Moontan’ was that obviously “Radar Love” was on it and it has been covered more than 350 times now, and everyday there’s a new cover. There’s a version of U2 doing it and R.E.M. but we didn’t know what we were doing then. We were thinking about breaking up the band and the shows weren’t going that well in Holland and we thought, let’s just make one album and see what happens, if it’s good we’ll stick together and if it bombs we’ll split-up and start doing different things. So anyway the rest is history because it was a big hit in England as well. We were lucky to get on Track Records, the label of The Who, and join them on tour. We did the European tour with them and two gigs at Madison Square Garden. Under their wings man we were pretty secure, it was really good because they helped us out a lot. When we recorded the album we were experimenting a lot more than we’re doing now. We were really lucky because somehow Track Records put us together with IBC Studios and Damon Lyon-Shaw who actually recorded it; he was also the producer for Status Quo. I remember him saying from Status Quo … “It’s all the same ditty isn’t it.”(All laughing)”

“It was a fantastic team and he did a really good job, when you listen to “Radar Love” it still sounds great. So we were just tinkering and having a great time in London and the vibes were really good. We met a lot of people, like the son of an owner of this Greek Restaurant and he brought in Greek food everyday and there were chicks all around … it was a happy go lucky period. We never expected the album to be as successful as it did. We had meetings to discuss what song would be the single, Cesar said “Vanilla Queen” has got to be the single … that’s a hit, and we all said you’re crazy man!  So we had to draw straws and thank God “Radar Love” came out as the single. (All laughing) I’m really glad that Cesar didn’t win that one because “Vanilla Queen” would have been a disaster.”        

Ray Shasho:  Barry, talk about the inception of “Radar Love” penned by you and George.

Barry Hay:  “George had the demo but the guitar was playing the bass line. He was really strumming it, typical George style filling it up and there were no holes in it, completely jam packed. A friend of ours owned a studio in Holland. He was building a studio too and wanted to break in an engineer and George lived near the studio there. So we got the studio for a week for demos and rehearsals and with an engineer for nothing, which was really fantastic for us. We usually worked from seven in the evening through seven in the morning. Of course all that has changed, now we work from seven in the morning through seven in the evening. (All laughing) Anyway, we were playing the tune and George was merrily strumming away, I had the idea because I was always into blues back then, and I thought it would be nice to have the bass play the bottom and have George really boost the guitar to add to the vocals. We tried that and it really worked out well because it made it a lot emptier than it was and made it sound a lot better as well. From there on we tinkered and it just materialized, the song sort of made itself. We were really happy with it because it was a mature song and didn’t sound like a typical pop tune.”

“At that time I didn’t have the lyrics together yet because there were maybe twenty versions. We played the song live and the audience really reacted to it. I remember I had sort of a deadline to finish the lyrics and I loved partying back in those days, I still do but back then I partied every day and I had a lot of guests in the house. I kicked them out but usually they would return at five o’clock in the morning. (All laughing) I remember being pissed off because there were girls there and I had to finish the lyrics. There was an American friend staying at my house, Bob Lambert, who used to be our tour manager in the states. So I finished the lyrics and just had a couple of lines here and there and Bob came back with a couple of people in the morning and he read the lyrics and said, man, this is probably the best you’ve ever written and probably the best you’ll ever write. (All laughing) So I thought that was a good complement. He really liked the “No more speed, I’m almost there” …that was his thing; he was like a speed freak.”

Ray Shasho: It’s amazing how many veterans liked the song too, especially radar specialists.  

Barry Hay: “It’s strange because that word combination didn’t exist. I was going through a dictionary and saw ‘radar’ and my eyes focused on the word like magic … when you’re on the lookout for something it will come. It’s like when you are going to buy a new car and suddenly you see that car all over. When you’re not thinking about it you won’t see it … it’s like that.  It all fell together, it was a magical thing. Also the thing with the Horn Section which was George’s idea, he said let’s put in Horns and it was a nothing to lose situation, we could do whatever the fuck we wanted. The guy that arranged the Horns understood just perfectly what we needed. We brought in Eelco Gelling who played the slide guitar, which was also exciting in the song.”

“I also did the album cover because I had just come back from art school. And of course the original cover got banned immediately in the states. So they put an ear on the cover wearing a gold earring, yea, that’s really creative. It really pissed me off too. The original was fantastic, it was a classic cover.” 

Ray Shasho:  Barry I always wondered about this …When I watched you guys perform “Radar Love” on ‘The Midnight Special’ in 1974, you traded off vocals with George a lot on the song. Did you have problems with your voice during that performance … George looked surprised and a bit panicky each time he had to sing your part.

Barry Hay: “Yea my voice was really-really bad, I actually had laryngitis. When I watched the performance later, I was surprised that it was that good. I was really in pain man!”

Ray Shasho:  “Just Like Vince Taylor” is another great and timeless tune! Originally it wasn’t on the U.S. ‘Moontan’ release but did appear on the European/UK version …

Barry Hay: “Yea that’s a great song; we picked it up and started playing it again and Rinus is playing piano onstage nowadays also. He has this piano with a lot of bass in it. (All laughing) We start it at the show because it’s a true grid rock and roll song. I can tell you something funny about the song; Vince Taylor was an English singer who was pretty popular in France. His band would always wear black with chains and everything and they looked like heavy rockers. They (The Playboys) came to Holland and played where The Rolling Stones played their first gig in Holland at the Kurhaus Concert Hall. I was there with a girl that I was really in love with and she was a big fan of Vince Taylor. She managed to get up front and Vince Taylor was kicking girls and getting very aggressive, and I was like … don’t you fucking kick my girl! Later I found it funny because it was sort of an Iggy Pop type of act. So the song is about the girl taking me there in a way and me being her puppet throughout the thing. I love the song and we still play it like it’s brand new.”

Ray Shasho: You joined Golden Earring around 1967 during the bands psychedelic period … the ‘Eight Miles High’ (1969) album was another favorite of mine.

Barry Hay: “My first album with the band was ‘Miracle Mirror.’ The ‘Eight Miles High’ album was also recorded in England and I remember Keith Richards coming in while we were doing it and he said … “It’s a bit rushed.” So we had two comments from The Stones … “Tits ‘N Ass, I like it” and “It’s a bit rushed.” (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho: I saw The Stones perform in 1975. I had a fantastic front row seat because I was actually working at the venue. The Rolling Stones were terrible that night! I think the opening act … gospel singers called the ‘Mighty Clouds of Joy’ performed better than the Stones that night. The Stones are a great band but have certainly had their share of dreadful moments in rock history.

Barry Hay: “I must have seen The Stones at least ten times. I watched them perform great but also saw them play really-really terrible as well. They did the ‘Pink Pop Festival’ this year which is one of the biggest open- air festivals in Holland and they were really awful. It wasn’t on TV or anything because they banned everything. They couldn’t do anything about it …usually they take the live tracks into the studio, then bounce around with them and enhance them or whatever they do, but they couldn’t do that because this was completely live. So they banned it and said no way man this will not be broadcasted. Everything else was broadcasted except The Stones and they were the headliners. But they were really dreadful.”

Ray Shasho: I really enjoyed your flute playing on the track “Everyday’s Torture” from the ‘Eight Miles High’ album as well.

Barry Hay: “I had to start playing flute because when I joined the band they had a single out called “Sound of The Screaming Day” (1967) which was also recorded in England at EMI studios, and they brought in this flute player who was a really good fucking classical flute player and George was singing the song, so I had to do something instead of just standing there onstage. So they said, why don’t you learn to play the flute, we’ll give you a week to learn and even give you the flute. (All laughing) So I had a guy teaching me the flute for a week but could only play that part. So that was the only thing I could play. I was only interested in getting that part done and that was it, then I would put the flute away. Later on they said, why don’t you play some more flute, but the good thing is that you can’t play flute and sing at the same time … so that’s a blessing. (All laughing) I’ll do a solo once in awhile and the girls will all go ... Ahhh … because they think I’m like the Pied Piper and the flute a romantic instrument, but I don’t think it’s very masculine. (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho:  Barry, what was it like touring America during the “Radar Love” days?

Barry Hay: “They were wild and crazy; I was sucking it up, having a fantastic time and really enjoying myself. It wasn’t work, work, work … for us it was … fun, fun, fun. America was like being a kid visiting a toy or candy factory. I remember driving into New York for the first time in my life and fucking mission accomplished …I can die now. (All laughing) It was exactly like that. As a Dutch boy you see these things on TV like ‘Route 66’ and everything and you have this dream of seeing the country. We also listened to a lot of American music of course but it was like a dream for us and the place to be.”

Ray Shasho: Was there a particular band that you especially enjoyed touring with in America?

Barry Hay: “I really enjoyed touring with J. Geils Band, they were so great and Peter Wolf was so funny. They were one of my favorite bands even before we started touring with them and when I found out we were going to tour with them it was like heaven. I watched them every night man. I also liked touring with The Doobie Brothers, just an amazing band. Shit man, we did two gigs with Led Zeppelin, which is very strange, at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit and that was a mindbender. John Bonham’s drumming was so different from anybody else’s at that moment. Our drummer then Jaap Eggermont decided to stop drumming from the moment he saw John Bonham. He left the band, became a producer and was very successful, but after seeing John Bonham that was it for him. He said I lay down the sticks and will never drum again! (All laughing)”

Ray Shasho: Barry, here’s a question that I ask everyone that I interview. If you had a ‘Field of Dreams’ wish like the movie, to sing or collaborate with anyone from the past or present, who would that be?

Barry Hay: “Jim Morrison. I’d like to sing second voice on anything he’d do. “This is The End” …I love it! I have a lot of favorite singers, like Eric Burdon has also been one of my favorites. Also the first Manfred Mann singer Paul Jones and I thought that Jimi Hendrix was also a great singer. Jim Morrison had this charismatic sort of sound and I don’t know man, the guy didn’t even realize himself how good he was as a singer. It’s like mysticism, there’s something going on man, like melancholy and really bluesy as well, and I think he’s fucking great! And I love the Doors too. I remember joining Golden Earring and was a fan of Bruce Botnick the producer of The Doors, especially of the sound. I asked the band if they liked The Doors and they were not into The Doors at all, which was really strange. I started pushing the Doors on them and finally they understood and became fans as well. They were definitely one of my favorite bands for those days.”

Ray Shasho: Barry, thank you for being on the call today, and for all the incredible Golden Earring music you’ve given us and continue to bring. We miss you in the states man!

Barry Hay: “It was mentioned that David Letterman wanted us to do something on the show but it’s not going to happen anymore because he’s gone! (Laughing)”

“Anyway, thank you so much Ray, take care!”

PURCHASE ‘Tits ‘N Ass’ the incredible CD from the legendary Golden Earring at amazon.com. I gave it (5) Stars!

‘TITS ‘N ASS’ track listing …

“Identical”

“Little Time Bomb”

“Cool As It Gets”

“Acrobats And Clowns”

“What Do I Know About Love”

“Still Got The Keys To My First Cadillac”

“Dope Runner”

“This Love Star”

“Stratosphere”

“Over The Cliff Into The Deep Deep Blue”

“Flowers In The Mud”

“Justin Time”

“Avenue Of Broken Dreams”

“Wanted By Women”

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COMING UP NEXT… The Moody Blues co-founder/ singer/ songwriter/flautist … RAY THOMASand Folk/Rock singer & songwriter … JONATHAN EDWARDS (“Sunshine,” “Shanty”)

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