first, a
bulletin
We believe—very strongly—that Link
Wray should be inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Not only that, but
his band, The Raymen, should be granted admissions as well. Two-thirds of the
Raymen are Wray men, plus a bass player named “Shorty,” plus an occasional
saxophonist named “Switchy,” plus an occasional pianist named “Unknown.” When
we consider that noodle-y groups like ABBA, the Bee Gees, and ELO have been
enshrined in that there Hall, but not Link Wray, we want to don the hairshirt,
wave the censer, kindle the frankincense, and self-flagellate our bosoms (in
the biblical sense). In short, we want to complain.
but this post
isn’t entirely about fred lincoln “link” wray jr.
This here article also concerns
Link’s older brother, Vernon Wray, who has a few alternative (“aka”) monikers
of his own: Lucky Wray, owing to gambling prowess, and Ray Vernon: his given
name, inverted and deducting a “W,” thereby achieving a stage name. To wit, as
Ray Vernon, Vernon Wray recorded a fair amount of his own—on labels like Cameo,
Liberty, and Mala—before he switched to managing and producing roles. He
founded Rumble Records, which was named after Link Wray’s iconic hit, a song
that altered the trajectory of rock music. The Wrays hailed from a humble
background and were part Shawnee Indian.
what we know and
what we don’t know about bunker hill
Vernon Wray seems to have been the
bloke who convinced a man named David Walker, a gospel singer with the Mighty
Clouds of Joy, to record a few R&B numbers as “Bunker Hill.” Why “Bunker
Hill?” We don’t know. Maybe Mr. Walker was fond of the famous battle in
Massachusetts. He didn’t record as David Walker, since he didn’t want the
Mighty Clouds of Joy to discover this little treachery, but discover they did,
after “Hide and Go Seek, Part 1” climbed both the R&B and Hot 100 charts in
1962. The Mighty fired him, leaving relatively little Joy in Cloudsville. What
happened to Mr. Walker after that? We don’t know. But those R&B records
were indeed hot, and the band that
backed him was no other than the Raymen, probably including Link. The drummer
on those records is none other than Doug Wray, the youngest of the three Wray
brothers, and anyone can tell just how much he’s thumping those drums within an
inch of their lives.
Ray Vernon recorded “Roughshod” in
1959 or 1960. It was bundled with “Vendetta” on the B-side, and released in
1960, as Scottie 1320. The likely personnel include: Link Wray (lead guitar); Vernon Wray aka Ray Vernon (rhythm guitar); Brantley
Moses “Shorty” Horton (bass); Doug Wray (drums); “Switchy” (saxophone); piano
player and other musicians, if any, unknown. Vocals likely attributed to Vernon
Wray.
whoa-oh!
Whoa-oh!
Whoa-oh!
Whoa-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-ohhhhh!
sources of
information
Discogs page
for Roughshod
National Museum of the American Indian
(various website and blog posts)
Tanka article
on the Wray brothers
Way Back Attack article on Link Wray
Wikipedia article for
Bunker Hill
this post is part of a triple issue. also see:
got you on my mind
open the door,
richard!
2 comments:
A heartbreaker, & an excavation of a very Carolina story, with elements of race under erasure. If art doesn't lift people out of poverty or anonymity, it at the very least counters the endemic reactionary narrative and accords the marvel of survival in a milieu of wretchedly over-transcribed over-writes of commercial cookie cutouts. If I did not hear that dominant guitar chord in my childhood, then it must sound like home because of a sort of cultural DNA. Very fine research as always, grtstn.
The Wrays were fiercely original and fiercely "other" in their origins, perhaps just the separation they needed (from the dominant cultural forces) that allowed them to create the sound that would wrench rock 'n' roll -- and keep wrenching it -- for good. I find the story of Bunker Hill to be further illustrative; the R&B produced in that effort is sweat-soaked mayhem. No matter the idiom, the Wrays were at home with it, and by that I mean rock 'n' roll as well as the chief suppliers (country, R&B) of its sound. Plus the power chord. Yes, that little thing, hahahaha. Thanks for taking a look and for your kind words, htrh. xo B.A.
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