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{{more citations needed|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox Album <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Albums -->
{{Infobox album
| Name = This Is Ray Stevens
| Type = studio
| name = This Is Ray Stevens
| Artist = [[Ray Stevens]]
| type = studio
| Cover =
| artist = [[Ray Stevens]]
| cover = This Is Ray Stevens.jpeg
| Released = 1963
| Recorded =
| alt =
| released = 1963
| Genre = [[Country music|Country]]
| Length =
| recorded =
| Label =
| venue =
| Producer =
| studio =
| genre = [[Pop music|Pop]], [[Comedy music|comedy]]
| Reviews =
| Last album =
| length =
| label = [[Mercury Records|Mercury]]
| This album =
| Next album =
| producer =
| prev_title = [[Ray "Ahab the Arab" Stevens and Hal Winters]]
| prev_year = 1963
| next_title = [[The Best of Ray Stevens (1967 album)|The Best of Ray Stevens]]
| next_year = 1967
}}
}}


'''''This Is Ray Stevens''''' is the second [[album]] by [[Ray Stevens]]. It was released in [[1963 in music|1963]] by [[Mercury Records]] on the catalog numbers of MG 20828 ([[Monophonic sound|Mono]] LP) and MG 60828 ([[Stereo]] LP).<ref>{{cite web|title=This Is Ray Stevens - Ray Stevens {{!}} Songs, Reviews, Credits {{!}} AllMusic|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/this-is-ray-stevens-mw0000858727|website=AllMusic|accessdate=21 November 2016}}</ref> Like Stevens' previous album, ''[[1,837 Seconds of Humor]]'', all of the songs were written by [[Ray Stevens]] and published by Lowery Music Company, Inc. (BMI). The differences between both albums is that Stevens makes an attempt to prove his artistic versatility on this album by including six comical novelty songs and six ballads of serious music.
'''''This Is Ray Stevens''''' is the second [[album]] by [[Ray Stevens]]. It was published in 1963.

The back of the album cover gives a description of Stevens' versatility as an artist and adds that a better title for the album would be ''Both Sides of Ray Stevens''. Ironically, 13 years after this album's release, a collection of previously recorded songs entitled ''Both Sides of Ray Stevens'' was released. The album then provides information on the themes of the comedy songs and then information on the dramatic ballads.

"Harry the Hairy Ape" is a tale of an escaped ape who likes to scare people in a park, is mistaken by a near-sighted DJ for a rock-and-roll singer, and then begins a music career. "The Weekend" is a song that satirizes how short a weekend is compared with other days; according to the album, Stevens sings it "to the tune of [[The Whiffenpoof Song]]." "The Deodorant Song" satirizes commercials about how to "smell pretty." "The Great Sebastian" is a tale of a tight-rope walker of a circus. "Speed Ball" is a tale of a motorcycle rider. "Soap Opera" is a satirization of the tragic, twisted stories in the typical American soap operas and how people can get carried away with them; Stevens acts out all of the roles in the song, which are described in the album as "Nashville's answer to [[Abe Burrows]], [[Victor Borge]] and [[Steve Allen]], all rolled into one."

"Funny Man," the first serious song on this album, is described as "[[Pagliacci]] and [[Laugh, Clown, Laugh]] done in Ray's inimitable style...laughing on the outside and crying on the inside..." and tells the tale of a man who has a reputation for providing laughable entertainment but is heartbroken over being rejected by the woman he loves. "Just One of Life's Little Tragedies" and "Loved and Lost" contains themes of lost love. "Little Stone Statue" tells the tale of a man who knows that his girlfriend now has feelings for another man and he'll lose her soon but will never reveal any emotions. "Teen Years" gives descriptions of meaningful events that make teenagers' lives (from the ages of 13 to 19) so special. "It's Been So Long" tells the tale of a man who regretted breaking up with his girlfriend and living without her causes time to go very slowly.

Three singles were lifted from the album: "Funny Man," "Harry the Hairy Ape" and "Speed Ball." Of the three, "Funny Man" and "Harry the Hairy Ape" proved the most successful chartwise, the former in Canada and the latter in America.

On an interesting side note, Stevens left Mercury in [[1965 in music|1965]] and signed with [[Monument Records]], where he re-recorded "Funny Man," "Harry the Hairy Ape" and his previous hit "[[Ahab the Arab]]." His re-recording of "Funny Man" was included on his third album, ''[[Even Stevens (album)|Even Stevens]]'' (released in [[1968 in music|1968]]), while the re-recordings of the last two songs were included on his fourth album, ''[[Gitarzan (album)|Gitarzan]]''.


==Track listing==
==Track listing==
{{tracklist
#"Harry The Hairy Ape"
| headline = Side 1
#"Just One Of Life's Little Tragedies"
| title1 = Harry the Hairy Ape
#"The Weekend"
| length1 = 2:47
#"Funny Man"
| title2 = Just One of Life's Little Tragedies
#"Loved And Lost"
| length2 = 2:26
#"The Deodorant Song"
| title3 = The Weekend
#"The Great Sebastian"
| length3 = 2:29
#"Little Stone Statue"
| title4 = Funny Man
#"Speed Ball"
| length4 = 2:33
#"Teen Years"
| title5 = Loved and Lost
#"Soap Opera"
| length5 = 1:32
#"It's Been So Long"
| title6 = The Deodorant Song
| length6 = 2:15
}}
{{tracklist
| headline = Side 2
| title1 = The Great Sebastian
| length1 = 3:01
| title2 = Little Stone Statue
| length2 = 2:53
| title3 = Speed Ball
| length3 = 2:40
| title4 = Teen Years
| length4 = 2:39
| title5 = Soap Opera
| length5 = 3:00
| title6 = It's Been So Long
| length6 = 2:03
}}


==Charts==
The album was released by [[Mercury Records]]
'''Singles'''&nbsp;– ''Billboard'' (North America)
MG 20828 ([[Mono LP]])
{| class=wikitable width="550px"
MG 60828 ([[Stereo LP]])
!align="left"|Year
!align="left"|Single
!align="left"|Chart
!align="left"|Position
|-
|align="left"|1963
|align="left"|"Funny Man"
|align="left"|[[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]
|align="left"|81
|-
|align="left"|1963
|align="left"|"Funny Man"
|align="left"|[[Canadian RPM Top Singles]]
|align="left"|14
|-
|align="left"|1963
|align="left"|"Harry the Hairy Ape"
|align="left"|[[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]
|align="left"|17
|-
|align="left"|1963
|align="left"|"Harry the Hairy Ape"
|align="left"|[[Billboard R&B Singles]]
|align="left"|14
|-
|align="left"|1963
|align="left"|"Harry the Hairy Ape"
|align="left"|[[Canadian RPM Top Singles]]
|align="left"|30
|-
|align="left"|1963
|align="left"|"Speed Ball"
|align="left"|[[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]
|align="left"|59
|-
|align="left"|1963
|align="left"|"Speed Ball"
|align="left"|[[Billboard R&B Singles]]<ref>{{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |author-link=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=551}}</ref>
|align="left"|29
|-
|}


==References==
[[Category:1963 albums]]
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Ray Stevens albums]]


{{Ray Stevens}}


{{Authority control}}
{{This is Ray Stevens album}}

[[Category:1963 albums]]
[[Category:Ray Stevens albums]]
[[Category:Mercury Records albums]]

Latest revision as of 04:27, 25 January 2021

This Is Ray Stevens
Studio album by
Ray Stevens
Released1963
GenrePop, comedy
LabelMercury
Ray Stevens chronology
Ray "Ahab the Arab" Stevens and Hal Winters
(1963) 		This Is Ray Stevens
(1963) 		The Best of Ray Stevens
(1967)

This Is Ray Stevens is the second album by Ray Stevens. It was released in 1963 by Mercury Records on the catalog numbers of MG 20828 (Mono LP) and MG 60828 (Stereo LP).[1] Like Stevens' previous album, 1,837 Seconds of Humor, all of the songs were written by Ray Stevens and published by Lowery Music Company, Inc. (BMI). The differences between both albums is that Stevens makes an attempt to prove his artistic versatility on this album by including six comical novelty songs and six ballads of serious music.

The back of the album cover gives a description of Stevens' versatility as an artist and adds that a better title for the album would be Both Sides of Ray Stevens. Ironically, 13 years after this album's release, a collection of previously recorded songs entitled Both Sides of Ray Stevens was released. The album then provides information on the themes of the comedy songs and then information on the dramatic ballads.

"Harry the Hairy Ape" is a tale of an escaped ape who likes to scare people in a park, is mistaken by a near-sighted DJ for a rock-and-roll singer, and then begins a music career. "The Weekend" is a song that satirizes how short a weekend is compared with other days; according to the album, Stevens sings it "to the tune of The Whiffenpoof Song." "The Deodorant Song" satirizes commercials about how to "smell pretty." "The Great Sebastian" is a tale of a tight-rope walker of a circus. "Speed Ball" is a tale of a motorcycle rider. "Soap Opera" is a satirization of the tragic, twisted stories in the typical American soap operas and how people can get carried away with them; Stevens acts out all of the roles in the song, which are described in the album as "Nashville's answer to Abe Burrows, Victor Borge and Steve Allen, all rolled into one."

"Funny Man," the first serious song on this album, is described as "Pagliacci and Laugh, Clown, Laugh done in Ray's inimitable style...laughing on the outside and crying on the inside..." and tells the tale of a man who has a reputation for providing laughable entertainment but is heartbroken over being rejected by the woman he loves. "Just One of Life's Little Tragedies" and "Loved and Lost" contains themes of lost love. "Little Stone Statue" tells the tale of a man who knows that his girlfriend now has feelings for another man and he'll lose her soon but will never reveal any emotions. "Teen Years" gives descriptions of meaningful events that make teenagers' lives (from the ages of 13 to 19) so special. "It's Been So Long" tells the tale of a man who regretted breaking up with his girlfriend and living without her causes time to go very slowly.

Three singles were lifted from the album: "Funny Man," "Harry the Hairy Ape" and "Speed Ball." Of the three, "Funny Man" and "Harry the Hairy Ape" proved the most successful chartwise, the former in Canada and the latter in America.

On an interesting side note, Stevens left Mercury in 1965 and signed with Monument Records, where he re-recorded "Funny Man," "Harry the Hairy Ape" and his previous hit "Ahab the Arab." His re-recording of "Funny Man" was included on his third album, Even Stevens (released in 1968), while the re-recordings of the last two songs were included on his fourth album, Gitarzan.

Track listing

[edit]
Side 1
No.TitleLength
1."Harry the Hairy Ape"2:47
2."Just One of Life's Little Tragedies"2:26
3."The Weekend"2:29
4."Funny Man"2:33
5."Loved and Lost"1:32
6."The Deodorant Song"2:15
Side 2
No.TitleLength
1."The Great Sebastian"3:01
2."Little Stone Statue"2:53
3."Speed Ball"2:40
4."Teen Years"2:39
5."Soap Opera"3:00
6."It's Been So Long"2:03

Charts

[edit]

Singles – Billboard (North America)

Year Single Chart Position
1963 "Funny Man" Billboard Hot 100 81
1963 "Funny Man" Canadian RPM Top Singles 14
1963 "Harry the Hairy Ape" Billboard Hot 100 17
1963 "Harry the Hairy Ape" Billboard R&B Singles 14
1963 "Harry the Hairy Ape" Canadian RPM Top Singles 30
1963 "Speed Ball" Billboard Hot 100 59
1963 "Speed Ball" Billboard R&B Singles[2] 29

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "This Is Ray Stevens - Ray Stevens | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  2. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 551.
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