DESCRIPTION:
RAY CAMPI
02 Hollywood Cats

Ray Campi formed his first band - Ramblin' Ray & The Ramblers, way back in 1949. He has been playing his brand of American Roots Music on stages all over the world ever since. Though his repertoire includes a substantial dose of Country and Western Swing, it is among Rockabilly enthusiasts that Ray has gained his legendary status. Not only did he cut records which are now regarded as Rockabilly classics in the genre's 1950s heyday, he was partly responsible for sparking the 1970s/80s Rockabilly Revival via his releases on Ronny Weiser's infamous Rollin' Rock Records.

"Rollin' Rock" was founded as a magazine in 1970, with the record label being formed the following year. Weiser's limitless enthusiasm for Rockabilly music led to him rediscovering and recording numerous artists of the original Rockabilly era including Gene Vincent, Mac Curtis, Charlie Feathers, Jackie Lee Cochran and Johnny Carroll. He also unleashed a whole roster of new young artists to keep the Rockabilly flame burning.

The most prolific artist on Rollin' Rock was Ray Campi. Not only did Campi release a string of singles, EPs and albums, many of which were licensed and distributed world-wide, his multi-instrumental talents can be heard providing guitar, slap-bass and percussion on many releases by the label's other artists. The Rollin' Rock Tour on 1977 was a phenomenal success in Europe, and headliners Campi and Mac Curtis became cult figures.

In the mid 1980s Rollin' Rock ceased issuing new material, but Campi's profile was maintained via live appearances, such as the show captured on this film, and with archive material being leased to specialist labels world-wide. The 90s saw several new releases, often in collaboration with other Roots & Rockabilly artists including Rose Flores and Dave Alvin, and in Europe with The Bellhops, The Lennerockers and the Hal Peters Trio. In fact, at the time of writing, his latest album "One More Hope" is his second collaboration with Rockabilly trio The Bellhops.

Campi has been performing and recording first class Roots and Rockabilly music for almost 50 years now, and with more festival dates lined up, shows no sign of giving up.

Howard Raucous

www.cherryred.co.uk