Ray Collins

Greatly Appreciated

RAY COLLINS
 
 
Ray Collins  (November 19, 1936 – December 24, 2012) was an American musician.  In 1964, Collins, drummer Jimmy Carl Black, bassist Roy Estrada, saxophonist Dave Coronado, and guitarist Ray Hunt formed The Soul Giants.  Hunt was eventually replaced by Frank Zappa, and the group evolved into the Mothers of Invention.  Ray was the lead vocalist on most songs for their early albums, including Freak Out!, Absolutely Free, We’re Only In It For The Money, Cruising with Ruben & the Jets, and Uncle Meat.  (More from Wikipedia)
 
 

The Pebbles, Volume 4 CD has only about half of the songs that are on the Pebbles, Volume 4 LP; even the title song “Summer Means Fun” by Bruce & Terry was omitted, so there is a different subtitle, “Surf ’n’ Tunes”.  In addition to the head-scratcher “School is a Gas” by the Wheel Men, the CD also includes the original “School is a Drag” by the Super Stocks.  Other highlights include “Move out Little Mustang” by the Rally Packs, a screaming cover of “Shortnin’ Bread” by the Readymen, “Wine, Wine, Wine” by the Bleach Boys (another hot inland surf band, this time from Sioux Falls, SD), and “The Big Surfer” by Brian Lord.  Lord is a San Bernardino DJ who is backed here by Frank Zappa, Ray CollinsPaul Buff and Dave Aemi; the big surfer is evidently President John Kennedy, and the song sounds like it could have been an outtake from the hit comedy album The First Family

 

(December 2014)

 

Last edited: March 22, 2021