Ray Burton (musician)
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Raymond Charles Burton (born 1945) is an Australian musician and singer-song writer. He was briefly a member of rock 'n' rollers the Delltones (1965–66) on vocals, pop group the Executives (1968–69) on guitar and vocals,
progressive rock Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog) is a broad genre of rock music that primarily developed in the United Kingdom through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early-to-mid-1970s. Initially termed " progressive pop", the ...
ers Leo de Castro and Friends (1973) on guitar, and
jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...
band Ayers Rock (1973–74) on guitar and vocals. In 1971, Burton was working in the United States where he co-wrote "
I Am Woman "I Am Woman" is a song written by Australian musicians Helen Reddy and Ray Burton (musician), Ray Burton. Performed by Reddy, the first recording of "I Am Woman" appeared on her debut album ''I Don't Know How to Love Him (album), I Don't Know H ...
" with fellow Australian
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...
, which became a number-one hit for her on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 late in the following year. Another song written by the pair, "Best Friend", was sung by Reddy while she was also acting in a disaster film, ''
Airport 1975 ''Airport 1975'' (also known as ''Airport '75'') is a 1974 American air disaster film and the first sequel to the successful 1970 film ''Airport''. It was directed by Jack Smight, produced by William Frye, executive produced by Jennings Lang, a ...
'' (October 1974). As a solo artist, Burton issued an album, ''Dreamers and Nightflyers'', and two associated singles, "Too Hard to Handle" and "Paddington Green", in 1978 in Australia. He returned to the US, where he worked as a song writer.


Biography

Ray Burton was born in 1945. He joined Dave Bridge Quartet as a rhythm guitarist in 1961 in Sydney. The instrumental band included Bridge (ex- Col Joye and the Joy Boys) on lead guitar, Warren Foley on drums and Ken White on bass guitar. They were signed to
His Master's Voice His Master's Voice is an entertainment trademark featuring a dog named Nipper, curiously peering into the horn of a wind-up gramophone. Painted by Francis Barraud in 1898, the image has since become a global symbol used across consumer elect ...
which issued two singles, "Skip to My Lou" (1961) and "San Fernando Valley" (1962) before disbanding early in the next year. Burton on lead guitar formed his own instrumental group, the Telstars, and issued a single, "Reef Ride" (December 1963). He joined vocal harmony, rock 'n' roll group, the Delltones, for a year from 1965 to 1966. In 1967 Burton (under the name Raymond Doughty) was enlisted by pop group, the Executives, on lead guitar. According to Australian musicologist,
Ian McFarlane Ian McFarlane (born 1959) is an Australian music journalist, music historian and author, whose best known publication is the ''Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop'' (1999), which was updated for a second edition in 2017. As a journalist ...
, they had, "scored a run of hit singles" in Sydney with "My Aim Is to Please You'" (June 1967), "Sit Down I Think I Love You" (August), "It's a Happening World" (March 1968), "Windy Day" (June) and "Summerhill Road" (December). The group toured the United States in 1968 and again in the following year (under the name Inner Sense), McFarlane observed, "by that stage, however,
heir Inheritance is the practice of receiving private property, titles, debts, entitlements, privileges, rights, and obligations upon the death of an individual. The rules of inheritance differ among societies and have changed over time. Offi ...
breezy pop had become outmoded in the face of rock's new progressive phase and the band quietly folded." Most of the members returned to Australia. While in the US Inner Sense had worked with the talent management company, DiBlasio, Wald & Day, in Los Angeles, which led to Burton collaborating with fellow Australian,
Helen Reddy Helen Maxine Reddy (25 October 194129 September 2020) was an Australian-American singer, actress, television host, and activist. Born in Melbourne to a show business family, Reddy started her career as an entertainer at age four. She sang on ra ...
(her then-husband and manager was Jeff Wald), in early 1971. Two of their co-written tracks, "
I Am Woman "I Am Woman" is a song written by Australian musicians Helen Reddy and Ray Burton (musician), Ray Burton. Performed by Reddy, the first recording of "I Am Woman" appeared on her debut album ''I Don't Know How to Love Him (album), I Don't Know H ...
" and "Best Friend", appeared on her debut album, ''
I Don't Know How to Love Him "I Don't Know How to Love Him" is a song from the 1970 album and 1971 rock opera ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' written by Andrew Lloyd Webber (music) and Tim Rice (lyrics), a torch ballad sung by the character of Mary Magdalene. In the opera sh ...
'' (May 1971). Burton's work permit had expired and he returned to Australia. By December 1972 "I Am Woman" had become a number-one hit on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. In February of the following year it peaked at No. 2 on the ''Go-Set'' Australian National Charts top 40. Burton travelled to Melbourne where he joined funk, soul and country music group, Leo de Castro and Friends, in April 1973 on guitar, alongside de Castro on lead vocals, Mark Kennedy on drums and Duncan McGuire on bass guitar. Burton McGuire & Kennedy formed their own
eponym An eponym is a noun after which or for which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. Adjectives derived from the word ''eponym'' include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Eponyms are commonly used for time periods, places, innovati ...
ous group in June and added Jimmy Doyle (ex-the Delltones,
Dig Richards Digby George "Dig" Richards (12 September 194017 February 1983) was an Australian rock and roll singer, songwriter, instrumentalist, musical theatre actor and television presenter, active during the late 1950s and early 1960s as lead singer wit ...
) on guitar in August. In September they were renamed, Ayers Rock, as a jazz fusion, progressive rock group and in the next month,
Col Loughnan Colin John Loughnan (; born 26 October 1942) is an Australian jazz saxophonist, teacher, and composer, best known as a member of the Delltones, Ayers Rock (band), Ayers Rock, Judy Bailey quartet, and as a teacher of saxophone at the Sydney Cons ...
joined on saxophones. Burton left the group in March 1974 and travelled to the US, "to push his claim for unpaid royalties due from the sales of 'I Am Woman'." In the US he worked as a session musician for
Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...
, Dave Mason and
Jimmy Webb Jimmy Layne Webb (born August 15, 1946) is an American songwriter, composer, and singer. He achieved success at an early age, winning the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the age of 21. During his career, he established himself as one of Am ...
. He returned to Australia in 1977 where he formed a rock group, the Nightflyers, with Rex Bullen on keyboards (ex-Bakery, Jim Keays' Southern Cross), Ian Davidson on guitar and synthesiser, Gus Fenwick on bass guitar (ex- Pleazers, Band of Talabene, Healing Force), Steve Hopes on drums and John Pugh on guitar (ex-Eighteenth Century Quartet, Cam-Pact, James Taylor Move, Healing Force). They recorded his debut solo album, ''Dreamers and Nightflyers'', and two associated singles, "Too Hard to Handle" and "Paddington Green", in 1978, which was produced by Charles Fisher via
Warner Records Warner Records Inc. (known as Warner Bros. Records Inc. until 2019) is an American record label. A subsidiary of Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division ...
. He returned to the US where he worked as a song writer. As of June 2003 Burton was living in Queensland's Gold Coast, where he would occasionally perform at local venues.


Discography


Studio albums


Singles


References

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External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Burton, Ray 1945 births Living people Australian guitarists