Ray Martinez: an update

[remicks]

*****



While playing I'M FREE by Celi Bee produced by Ray Martinez , it occurred to me that I thought there was another version of that song ......

Yep , previously done by Ray Martinez himself .... a part of his LADY OF THE NIGHT release.
So, it got me interested , and I thought I'd try to learn a bit about him .

While not real prolific ..... Ray's limited releases punctuated the clubs' playlists with some of the era's best , including the two mentioned above and particularly Amant's IF THERE'S LOVE . Ray also worked on early FOXY releases ... (although I don't know which ones :-? ) .

Anyway, it's good to be able to relate that Ray is alive and well and living in Florida. :D

Here's an interview he did in 2005 ...

http://www.djsportal.com/en/pioneer/...hp?id=martinez

And some highlights from it :
I find his take on the scene he was providing the music for to be reaffirming ....

Y@HU - since you're one of the pioneers of disco music - how was the dance music regarded in the beginning and how has it changed during the years?

RAY MARTINEZ - Disco really started "underground". It was a different, but a great "culture". The DJ was in control of the crowd. The "captains of the ship". The "Great" ones knew how to keep the pulse going, and they controlled the "climax" of the evening. It was very sexual, and energetic. It was a "Life Style", a way of life. It was not just the music. It was the atmosphere, the dressing up, and dressing down, the dancing, the crowd. The industry was runned by the small independent labels. When the big companies saw the potential, they got in, and it went commercial. That is when I think that it started going downhill. When it became commercial, that "aura", and "magic" died. It was not a "life-style" anymore. It became the "let's see how many records, and how much money we can make" syndrome. It was the company #1, and the crowd became secondary.Today, the music is good. The beats are there, but I believe that we lost the main essence of what "disco" is, a way of life. It is only music now

When asked about favourite clubs of the day :

RAY MARTINEZ - They were all "GREAT"!
Studio 54 - Music was excellent. One of my biggest records, AMANT, was actually debuted here. You never knew who you were going to run into, or meet. Whether a person was wild and crazy, or completely serious, they always had fun here. Sanctuary - Craaaazzzyyyy, and fffffuuuunnnnn!! Limelight - Very impressive, and reminded me a little of Studio 54. Funhouse - The name says it all. Gallery - Went there, but not as often as the others. Still a great place. Palladium - Very, very nice!. Great mixed crowd. Broke some of my records in there. Paradise Garage - What a place !!!!! Always on top of the cutting edge. Larry, we miss you! The Loft - Good music, and wild crowd. Let us not forget another great club in San Francisco, Trocadero. A great, great place, where I performed live "Lady Of The Night" for the first time ever.

About Ray Martinez :

RAY MARTINEZ - Music has been my primary activity. I studied music, architecture/engineering, and airline pilot, in college/university. My degree was in music. My hobby is automobiles, and I have always had a very interesting automobile collection (I currently own 12 cars). Since I am 12 years old, I have been a student, practitioner, and teacher of metaphysics, and theology. I have always stayed invested in real estate, and own several properties in Miami. When I retired from music in 1991, I did a lot of music, and legal consulting in the industry, and concentrated in my car collection, and spiritual life.

*****

[SandraDee]

Much as i like Amant's 'If Theres Love' I always think that it borrows very heavily from Alec Costandinos' stuff like 'I Found Love'.

[Mixmachine]

Ray also worked on early FOXY releases ... (although I don't know which ones :-? ) .

http://www.discomusic.com/records-more/7038_0_2_0_C/

the interview link is very interesting and I'm glad to read that that Ray is doing fine, I remember someone looking for a pic of Ray on the forum a few years back and I did a search and there was none to be found :o

The last time I saw Ray was in '85 when he brought over to the club a copy of his Paris International release by Maga called "By Pushing" this one was more in the latin "freestyle" mold, I remember it worked pretty well.

[Ray Martinez]

Hi everyone !!!

Thanks for still remembering me, and caring. I am doing very well. I am back in Miami, Fl.

I came out of retirement and opened up Paris Recording Studios. Please, go to my web site and check it out, www.parismusicgroup.com . I believe that you all will be pleased. I will be re-opening my label, Paris International, and I am currently recording a couple of project with some of today's top R & B writers/producers and artists. I am also finishing a new 'Amant' project. It will be called "Amant - after 25 years". I am writing new material, and looking for new projects.

Please, feel free to stay in touch with me, via this forum, or through my web site. I would love to hear from all of you.

Love you all, and never stop dancing !!!!

:p :D :p :D :p :D :p :D

[Videoskooter]

Hi Ray, glad to hear that you are still groovin'. Very curious about that Amant-project. Keep in touch

[Ray Martinez]

Thanks !!!!! and , make sure you check out my web site www.parismusicgroup.com . Enjoy it, and feel free to communicate with me any time.

Regards,

Ray

[remicks]

*****

Ray Martinez !! 8)8)

How terrific of you to reach out here at discomusic.com and to join the group! Welcome ! :D

You are amongst the most earnest of friends here ! We love our disco , so we love you ! I have wonderfully vivid memories especially of AMANT 's massive dance floor popularity . And now you are working on a new AMANT ! That's really something to look forward to ! Will be interesting as to how identifiable it will be to the original sound ... yet still fit in present day .....

Feel free to share here all that is going on ... on it and your other projects. It's wonderful that this music still moves you ...and like all of us here .... that your interest remains strong.
Would also love to hear about any and everything you feel like recalling. Why did you get involved? What was the appeal for you ? How did you decide on what sound to pursue .... what instruments to use ... the lyrics .... deciding how long (time length ) to make them ....how much remixing .....How long did these projects take ? (I don't ask much :roll: )

What it was like at TK ... & what was the process that resulted in Amant? How you came to work on it and the other projects that you did . Was the tune completed first and then you shopped it at TK? Or was it made there ? You must have had a relationship with the label since you also worked on earlier FOXY material .

I mentioned that your output was not extensive ( and yes, I'm complaining !! :-) ) .... so, why was that ???
But then , let me also say , the music you did release was always way above par ( you're likely a Florida golfer ) .... stand out home runs in fact ... to mix up sports metaphors ... (since "hole in ones" doesn't sound quite right ).

LADY OF THE NIGHT ... I consider one of the last great disco records .... so thoughtfully crafted ( yes it shows ) with a wonderful usage of strings and horns punching away in true disco fashion .... Very Dr. Buzzard in its rumba style ( intentional? ) It's a beautiful record (with just a tinge of sadness ?) and it would be very interesting to hear the details of its development . I hope it was as pleasurable in its making as it was to receive . You found just the right voice to perform it too.

I could go on .... (:oops::roll:) ... because this is quite wonderful of you to come forward ..............:-)
but instead ...
let me be one of the first to welcome you here .... and to THANK YOU for the riches you've given to the ongoing disco community. And to assure you that you have an eager receptive audience of friends here that wants to know everything ....
past, present, and in the future .



best regards
remicks


*****

[Ray Martinez]

Hi Remicks,

What can I say, but thanks! again. It is a pleasure being here with all of you. After all, if it wasn't because of you and others that love disco music, I would have never made all the records that I did.

I'll try to answer your post in some sort of logical order:

1. The new Amant will be, and is very much indeed identifiable to the original sound. It will have today's sound, but with the original feel and production. In fact, some of the original musicians will be on it, including the vocals, that will be Richard, along with me.

2. I will be sharing more on what I am working on, but today is really impossible. There is soooooooo much to tell, and about remembering the "Good Old Days", that I can go on forever, and I have to be in a session in about two hours, so, I owe you on this one.

3. Multi question paragraph -
T.K. was 'Wonderful'. It was home to me. I would actually be there for days at a time. If I went home, it was after a full 12-15 hour day. I was the main staff producer, and chief engineer. In reference to 'Amant'. The previous night, I had the melody, and the piano part in my head. So as I would usually do, I scheduled the musicians, and went in the following morning and laid down the basic tracks. It was myself on the piano, Gus on drums and Arnold on bass. Later, in the days that followed, I had all the overdubs done, guitar, percussion, etc. The actual album probably took, if I recall correctly, about three weeks from start to finish. It was completely done in Miami, at T.K. with me engineering. Then I went up to New York, and mixed it with Jim Burgess at Sigma Sound Studios. We used Michael Hutchinson as the engineer.
I worked with almost all of the T.K. artists. I engineered for almost all the artist, played keyboards on sessions, and also produced many of them. Some that come to mind are, Foxy, Betty Wright, Blow Fly, Clarence Reid, Bobby Caldwell, Timmy Thomas, and many more. The beauty about T.K. was that we were a family. Everybody played and contributed on everybody's records. Henry Stone was, or should I say is, like a father to me. He was my mentor. In fact, now that I am re-opening Paris International, the label and studio, I will be running it very much like T.K. I really miss those days.
4. As far as my output not being extensive, you can see above. Many times names were not put as credits. I also did Passion for Prelude, Ray Martinez and Friends for Importe 12, and my releases on Paris International with Jill's Match Made Up In Heaven my last release for my label. I also did a lot of work for overseas.
By the way, I do not play golf. I am terrible at it. My interests are cars, which I collect, and boating/fishing. I have a three year old son, Lea Paris, who takes up 100% of my time, and is always with me.
5. Lady Of The Night is still being played all over. It was one of my favorites. I was putting a very well known international female singer (it wouln't be proper to mention her name) on it, but her boyfriend, now her husband who is also an artist got jealous and didn't allow her. She loved it though. I ended up putting my voice as a demo with that old megaphone type of sound, sort of like a fun inspiration, and Mike Wilkinson from Disconet/Import 12 wanted to keep it like that, so it stayed.
It was probably the most fun record that I ever made. The party noises at the intro was actually a party at the studio. It was very late one evening, and after a club, I invited about 20 people or so to the studio just for fun. I had the idea of the song right then, and set up the microphones, just as a joke, turned the tape machine on, and started recording. It was all one take, the basic tracks that is. Then I stayed and finished the overdubs. With the exception of the strings which were done about a week later, the song was done in one evening. Very, very crazy. If the studio could only talk, or perhaps the fly on the wall ..... uuuhhhmmm !!!!


Sorry I don't have more time, but by now, I am really late. Have to go on making music. I will be happy to share my experiences with all of you.

Again, thank you.

Ray

[Bernie]

Ray,
We've spoken a number of times over the years so I'm delighted that you have chosen to join us and speak with all your fans. It's a great way to get to know how much your music means to so many. Thank you. Look forward to your new projects so keep us posted.

[Ray Martinez]

Hi Bernie,

It is my pleasure to join the group, and share my wonderful experiences that life has given me, specially my "disco" days.

Thanks to you and everyone for your support and love for my music.
I will try to keep all of you up to date on my projects.

Ray

[remicks]

*****

There is soooooooo much to tell, and about remembering the "Good Old Days", that I can go on forever,

8)8)8)

...............I hope that means you'll indulge me (a little) more ...:D

T.K. was 'Wonderful'. It was home to me. I would actually be there for days at a time. If I went home, it was after a full 12-15 hour day. I was the main staff producer, and chief engineer.
I worked with almost all of the T.K. artists. I engineered for almost all the artist, played keyboards on sessions, and also produced many of them. Some that come to mind are, Foxy, Betty Wright, Blow Fly, Clarence Reid, Bobby Caldwell, Timmy Thomas, and many more. The beauty about T.K. was that we were a family. Everybody played and contributed on everybody's records.

Is that how you began , Ray? .... playing keyboards ? Do you remember the first project you were involved with ?

I hope you'll add more details as to how TK functioned ...with all their output , it must have been a beehive of activity ........ whatever you feel like elaborating on8) .....Info like ...how big was the building itself ( where was it ?) and the staff ? How did things come to happen??
What percentage of TK's releases were actually recorded there ?
T-Connection , for example .... did they record all their music in TK's studios (how many were there..... studios ? )
....
Can you tell us anything more about the group FOXY ? Did you work on their entire first album? What was your input ?Can you share why did you not continue working with them ?
How present were Casey and Finch ? Did you work much with them .... associate with them ? Did various combinations of you all go out to lunch together ... or to clubs ? Talk to each other about each other's projects .... share ideas ?

How did that work exactly ? Being TK's main staff producer ?
Did you have your own office ....were you on call ? Did you choose which projects to work on ...or were they assigned ?
You said "If " you went home, so other times you slept there ? On a cot ??

5. Lady Of The Night is still being played all over. It was one of my favorites. I was putting a very well known international female singer (it wouldn’t be proper to mention her name) on it, but her boyfriend, now her husband who is also an artist got jealous and didn't allow her.

Hmmm ...well......Bobby Brown gets very jealous .... is an artist and is still a husband ... :roll::D:p.......

I ended up putting my voice as a demo with that old megaphone type of sound, sort of like a fun inspiration, and Mike Wilkinson from Disconet/Import 12 wanted to keep it like that, so it stayed.

8)
This is very interesting .... so it's Ray Martinez singing on his own record ! Was it at this point that you decided to credit yourself as its artist ?

Why hadn't you released anything under your own name until then ? And then you only did so this once and never again ... this is a curious thing , especially since it was so successful ? Surely others were urging you to please write more ....
but Instead of a follow up to a smash, Ray .... you seemed to have vanished for a bit ??? .......

It was probably the most fun record that I ever made. The party noises at the intro was actually a party at the studio. It was very late one evening, and after a club, I invited about 20 people or so to the studio just for fun. I had the idea of the song right then, and set up the microphones, just as a joke, turned the tape machine on, and started recording. It was all one take, the basic tracks that is. Then I stayed and finished the overdubs. With the exception of the strings which were done about a week later, the song was done in one evening.

That really surprises me that that song came together for you so quickly.
In the case of LADY OF THE NIGHT ... you accomplished it very quickly ... while it sounds as though your new Amant project is taking much longer. It's curious to me … how does one "know" when a record is finished ? I'd have probably sat on LOTN for quite awhile not convinced I had put it together so completely so quickly..... then have ended up reworking it until I'd probably have over-produced it . But you determined that all the song needed additionally were the strings ....
I have to say that those added strings were vital. They give the tune those terrific bursts of exclamation points .
There must have been reasons that you didn't release this song on TK, Ray (?).... if you choose to comment ....

1. The new Amant will be, and is very much indeed identifiable to the original sound. It will have today's sound, but with the original feel and production. In fact, some of the original musicians will be on it, including the vocals, that will be Richard, along with me.

Can't wait !!!8)8)8)

This is fascinating ... All you have to share , Ray.

I hope particularly sometime you'll address the idea of disco music specifically :
Why of all the various types of music around then , did disco have its appeal to you ... (did you go to it , or did it come to you ?) I think that'd be most interesting to elaborate on ....



Thanks Ray for your previous post with so much info. I hope you'll feel like sharing even more & can find the time .....

remicks

*****

[Ray Martinez]

quote=remicks]*****
8)8)8)


Remicks - Is that how you began , Ray?

Ray - I started playing piano at the age of five ... always hated it! Quit in my middle teen years and got into sports. Baseball actually. Good enough to have been scouted by several big league teams. Then .... I realized that all my musician friends and party goers were having ALL the fun .. so guess what? ..... bye, bye baseball, and went back to the piano. We started a local band (circa 1969), and claimed that we were from New York. Called it "The Queens' Kids" (Queens, N.Y. ... get it?) We were the top local band. From there I formed my own band, always playing "R & B", and later own, blues. When "Fabian", the singer, played in Miami, his musical director couldn't make it, and then I stepped in for the Miami gig. Later "The Platters" were in town, and used me and my band as their back up band. Later I was asked to play with "Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons", did a short stint with them and got a taste of the "Big Times" very professional people. After, I formed another band, "Flavour", and toured the N.E. (always R & B and blues/jazz). I started writing material and recorded it in my small home-made studio. Traveled on my own to Philadelphia to get involved with the Gamble & Huff crowd. Came back to Miami, and knocked on T.K.'s door and started as a session piano player. Did everything in the studio to learn, became and engineer, then a producer.


Remicks - .... playing keyboards ? Do you remember the first project you were involved with ?


Ray - My first project was "Foxy". The bass player was the bass player in my band, and my room mate. I brought them to T.K. and recorded them. Presented the project to Henry Stone, and they signed as a group. We released "Get Off Your Aaahhh and Dance". It was successful. At the same time, I wrote, and produced "Winners Together and Losers Apart". Needing a voice we put George and Gwen McRae. It was also successful, so I was blessed, my first two project were hits.



Remicks - I hope you'll add more details as to how TK functioned .... whatever you feel like elaborating on8)


Ray - T.K. was like a family. Everyone helped each other with Henry Stone having the final word. He gave everyone a chance. It will take forever to describe what it was like everyday, but I'll do that at another time.


Remicks - .....Info like ...how big was the building itself ( where was it ?) and the staff ? How did things come to happen??


Ray - It was in Hialeah, five minutes from Miami airport, in an industrial area. The building was a city block big. It was divided in three. The front had the offices and the record distributor (Tone Distributors). In the middle was the main 24 tracks studio. In the rear was just storage but, ..... upstairs was where it all began ... the old funky 8 track. Describing it will take too long. It is actually a complete story in itself. Actually, someone should write a book about it because it was "magic".
What really hurts is that the building has been demolished, and now it is just an empty lot. It is very sad to drive by. I do it pretty often, but I am the sentimental type. A friend of mine suggested trhat a plaque should be put in there.



Remicks - What percentage of TK's releases were actually recorded there ?
T-Connection , for example .... did they record all their music in TK's studios (how many were there..... studios ? )
....


Ray - At the beginning, almost 100% was done there. Later, many projects came from outside studios. I do not recall T-Connection ever recording in Miami's studio.



Remicks - Can you tell us anything more about the group FOXY ? Did you work on their entire first album? What was your input ?Can you share why did you not continue working with them ?


Ray - Foxy is no longer together. I did the complete first album, produced it and did the arrangements. Also co-wrote a couple of songs on it. As far as my input, I humbly feel my input was very strong, you can compare the sounds and arrangements. Why didn't I continue working with them? ... well ...... let's just say that there were conflicting differences, however, I would have like to have continued.


Remicks - How present were Casey and Finch ?


Ray - Casey and Finch practically lived there at the very beginning. After their beginning success, they built their own studio, a wonderful facility, and didn't come around much. They were always working and traveling.



Remicks - Did you work much with them .... associate with them ?

Ray - I didn't have the pleasure to actually work with them. Today, Rick Finch is a very close friend of mine. In fact, he has recorded at my studio, and we are planning several projects together ... a separate production company.


Remicks - Did various combinations of you all go out to lunch together ... or to clubs ? Talk to each other about each other's projects .... share ideas ?


Ray - It was difficult to go hang out when you are recording ... time is always a factor. The people involved in the actual session usually went to eat together. Like I mentioned before, the artists were like a family, and we all shared and played on each other's records.


Remicks - How did that work exactly ? Being TK's main staff producer ?
Did you have your own office ....were you on call ? Did you choose which projects to work on ...or were they assigned ?
You said "If " you went home, so other times you slept there ? On a cot ??

Ray - I was always there. I had my office some place else. I would write my name on the schedule board as to my studio hours, and took it from there. Usually I would record at night. We picked our own projects, very rarely were we assigned. I would sleep in the studio's couch. Once used to it, it was very comfortable.



Remicks - Hmmm ...well......Bobby Brown gets very jealous .... is an artist and is still a husband ... :roll::D:p.......

Ray - No. I was not them.


8)
Remicks - This is very interesting .... so it's Ray Martinez singing on his own record ! Was it at this point that you decided to credit yourself as its artist ?

Ray - That was Mike Wilkinson's idea. I never credited me as an artist for it was pretty much known that I was 'Amant" and "Passion". I was never into the "ego" thing, and always gave the right credit to my artists. I sing in almost all my projects.


Remicks - Why hadn't you released anything under your own name until then ? And then you only did so this once and never again ... this is a curious thing , especially since it was so successful ? Surely others were urging you to please write more ....
but Instead of a follow up to a smash, Ray .... you seemed to have vanished for a bit ??? .......


Ray - To be honest, I was working too hard, and my first son Alex, was born in 1979. I wanted to give him the time and attention and became a "Mr. Mom". I am blessed that the calls never stopped to continue working, that is why I am back.


Remicks - That really surprises me that that song came together for you so quickly.
In the case of LADY OF THE NIGHT ... you accomplished it very quickly ... while it sounds as though your new Amant project is taking much longer.

Ray - I am blessed that songs come to me pretty spontaneously. If I can't write a song within a couple of hours, then I drop it, feeling that it was not good enough. However, with projects like "Amant" they are more of a concept. The ideas come quickly, but the development of the concept takes a lot of time. With the studio, and a new family, I re-married five years ago, and now have a beautiful three years old son named Lea Paris, it is hard to find time. The time that I have I usually put it into outside project feeling that I can do mine at anytime ..... ohhh, how wrong I am.


Remicks - It's curious to me … how does one "know" when a record is finished ? I'd have probably sat on LOTN for quite awhile not convinced I had put it together so completely so quickly..... then have ended up reworking it until I'd probably have over-produced it . But you determined that all the song needed additionally were the strings ....
I have to say that those added strings were vital. They give the tune those terrific bursts of exclamation points .
There must have been reasons that you didn't release this song on TK, Ray (?).... if you choose to comment ....


Ray - I feel that a record is never finished. You just have to make a commercial/finacial decision as to when it is done. Also, timing is very important. The song has a life time factor, and if you spend too much time with it, without putting it out, then it just passes by and the song is not as succesful.
I love to write for string. You can see that many of my productions have prominent strings.
I wanted to branch out as an independent producer, and Mike Wilkinson/Disconet/Import12 wanted the song. He did the right promotion.


Remicks - Can't wait !!!8)8)8)

This is fascinating ... All you have to share , Ray.

I hope particularly sometime you'll address the idea of disco music specifically :
Why of all the various types of music around then , did disco have its appeal to you ... (did you go to it , or did it come to you ?) I think that'd be most interesting to elaborate on ....


Ray - I would love to elaborate on all this at a later time. Time is short today. I cancelled today's recording session, and I am spending time with my family.

This is a pleasure to me because as I am writing, I am actually going back in time and reliving those moments. In short disco just came to me. I feel that it is inside me.


Thank you for all your interest.

Ray

Thanks Ray for your previous post with so much info. I hope you'll feel like sharing even more .

remicks

*****[/quote]

[SandraDee]

Wow! THE Ray Martinez! What an honour. Was it Marky's punch & pie that tempted u here?:lol: ;-) Joking aside, it's great to see u joining 'the family'.

[Ray Martinez]

Thanks, it is great to be here and recall the "Great" days !!

[SandraDee]

My personal favourite production of yours Ray is 'Dancing & Romancing' by Passion; it really makes me want to go out & paint the town red whenever I play it!:lol: . Were Passion a proper band as they went on to do other stuff without you producing didn't they?