Ray Parker Jr.
Ray Erskine Parker, Jr. ( born May 1, 1954 in Detroit ) is an American guitarist, composer and music producer. His fame owes largely the title music for the film Ghostbusters - Ghostbusters.
- 2.1 Studio albums
- 2.2 Compilations
- 2.3 Singles
Musical Career
Early 1970s
Mid-1970s was Parker auxiliary musicians in Barry White's " Love Unlimited Orchestra". In 1976 he joined at the Newport Jazz Festival with Herbie Hancock's Headhunters on ( album VSOP ). In 1977 he founded the R & B band " Raydio " ( see below). He appeared briefly in the movie " Uptown Saturday Night " as a guitarist. Parker also wrote pieces for and worked with the band Rufus, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder, Leon Haywood, the Temptations, The Spinners, Gladys Knight and Rhythm Heritage and the Pips.
Raydio
The group Raydio, founded in 1977, was - in addition to Parker - from Vincent Bohnam, Jerry Knight, and Arnell Carmichael. They landed their first big hit with "Jack and Jill " (1978, Arista Records) from their album Raydio. The song made it to number 8 on the Billboard charts, and she received a gold record
Your next successful play, "You Can not Change That" (1979 ) from the album Rock On reached # 9 on the Billboard charts still in the year of publication.
The group renamed itself in 1980 to Ray Parker Jr. and Raydio, and finally released two more albums, Two Places at the Same Time ( 1980) and A Woman Needs Love (1981).
In the 1980s, Ray Parker Jr and Raydio two more Top 40 hits ( "Two Places at the Same Time" and " That Old Song"), and her last and simultaneously biggest hit "A Woman Needs Love " (1981) had reached even for two weeks # 1 on the R & B charts and # 4 on the pop charts.
Solo work and Ghostbusters
After 1981, the group had disbanded Raydio, Ray Parker Jr. continued his solo career and released six top 40 hits, including the title song for Ghostbusters - Ghostbusters.
"Ghostbusters" was the title song for the soundtrack of the same name hit film with Bill Murray and Dan Aykroyd. The song spent three weeks at # 1 on the Billboard charts and brought Parker a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song a, but the Stevie Wonder for " I Just Called to Say I Love You" received. For the instrumental version of the song got a pop Grammy.
Nils Landgren Funk Unit
After 2005, Ray Parker Jr. worked with the Swedish jazz trombonist Nils Landgren. Ray Parker Jr. first played as a studio guitarist on an album of Landgren and Joe Sample, entitled Creole Love Call, which reached number one in the jazz charts in Germany and has been recognized for its sales with the German Jazz Award.
2007 was Ray Parker Jr. as a guitarist and singer in a band member band Landgren, Nils Landgren Funk Unit. Together, they recorded the album Licence to Funk, published in 2007. In the fall of 2007 was Ray Parker Jr. with the Nils Landgren Funk Unit on tour in Germany.
Film
In 1987, Ray Parker Jr. in the action film Nights Terror Tower in Fear ( Enemy Territory ), the main role of the elevator technician Will.
Discography
Studio albums
Compilations
Other albums:
Singles
- The recordings from 1978 to 1981 were recorded with his band Raydio