Ray Mckee’s Regular Playlist Spot

We would like to introduce a regular playlist spot curated by Ray McKee, coming to you all the way from the North East of England.  

For this first playlist, I’ve written a little intro about meeting Ray when we worked together back in the day and how, after first shattering my musical self-esteem, he opened me up to a huge amount of great music I would probably never have listened to had I not met him. 

I want to take you back to a time in my early twenties over in the UK where I was working in a government job. It was a time of change for me.  I’d decided that I probably wasn’t ever going to make it as a musician, mainly because I wasn’t really practicing or playing any music at the time due to the fact that I had such a busy life. With all the time spent either at work, getting drunk with friends or sleeping, there just didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day…. I’d also finally given up on the musician type long hair experiments.  The result of each of these being a curly mullet of epic proportions.  I realized that I simply hadn’t been gifted hair that would grow into a rock and roll musician style that I could flail around and headbang with.  Instead, I’d been provided with hair that, when I did grow it out, made me look like the sickly b*stard son of a redneck. So……. shorn and guitarless I settled into the 9 to 5 world………. Bad times……..

With all this going on, however, I still clung to the fact that I considered myself as a bit of a music connoisseur with relatively broad musical tastes.  I prided myself on the fact that I felt I could hold an informed conversation with musicians and music fans around bands and musicians past or present.  Then I met Ray and all that went out the window as well.

Ray and his musical knowledge and taste were like nothing I’d ever come across before.  I’m not going to spend time here listing the various bands and musicians that he turned me on to back then but safe to say it was like a musical awakening for me.  Fast forward to now and Ray is still making playlists that surprise and delight.

With that in mind, I asked Ray if he would mind doing some curated playlists for Loud Hailer from time to time so you can all benefit from his taste.  This is the first one which is Fall themed.  Ray provided it ages ago but with everything going on it’s taken us until now (almost winter) to get it posted.

Anyway without further ado, here are a few words from Ray and the link to playlist number 1 – Smashing Pumpkin Spice/Cynical Autumn Playlist. Enjoy!!!