Jimmy Ray (album) explained

Jimmy Ray
Type:	studio
Artist:	Jimmy Ray
Cover:	Jimmy Ray LP.jpg
Alt:	The cover features the artist at a diner, wearing a light orange t-shirt with the buttons open, showing a brown shirt under it. He has his left hand on the side of his forehead and his right hand next to a coffee cup on a saucer plate. The artist's name appears on the left side of the cover.
Recorded:	1997
Studio:	Bunk Junk & Genius, Eden Studios, Metropolis Studios, Strongroom, The Church, Trident Studios (London, England)
Genre:	Rockabilly pop hip hop alternative rock
Length:	35:15
Label:	Epic
Next Title:	Live to Fight Another Day
Next Year:	2017

Jimmy Ray is the debut album by British singer Jimmy Ray, released on 10 March 1998. He wrote or co-wrote every song on the album. It debuted at No. 112 on the Billboard 200, and also reached No. 2 on the Heatseekers Chart. Its only successful single, "Are You Jimmy Ray?", made the album a substantial success. "Goin' to Vegas" and "I Got Rolled" did not chart in the US, but had some minor success in Ray's native UK.

Musical style

The sound of Jimmy Ray is a fusion of rockabilly,^[1] pop, hip hop^{[2] [3] [1]} and alternative rock.^[4]

Critical reception

The Edmonton Journal wrote that Ray "cops Danny Zuko's greased stud looks, Michael Hutchence's white-funk hooks, Brian Setzer's '50s rocker riffs and the programming talents of Britain's best DJs."^[5]

Personnel

Credits adpated from the album's inlay and liner notes.^[6]

Vocals

• Jimmy Ray – lead vocals, backing vocals, drum vocals
• Katy Kisoon – backing vocals
• Con Fitzpatrick – backing vocals
• Chyna Gordon – backing vocals
• Lance Ellington – backing vocals
• The Real People – backing vocals
• Jason Christian – backing vocals

Instrumentation

• Jimmy Ray – acoustic guitar, programming
• Con Fitzpatrick – acoustic guitar, slide guitar, programming
• Rich King – lead guitar, programming
• Rob Tidd – rhythm guitar
  • Nick Nasmyth – keyboards, Hammond organ Nick Plytas – Hammond organ
• John Thirkell – horns, trumpet
• Gary Barnacle – saxophone
• Phil Smith – saxophone
• Fayyaz Virji – trombone
• Brendan Power – harmonica
• Mark Seltham – harmonica
• The Real People – percussion

Technical

• Finn Steele – engineering, mixing
• Connagh MacLean – assistant engineering
• Richard Hinton – assistant engineering
• Pat McGovern – assistant engineering
• Ron Warshow – assistant engineering
• Matt & Matt – assistant engineering
• Con Fitzpatrick – mixing
• Jimmy Ray – mixing

Imagery

• Rick Guest – photography

Notes and References

1. Web site: Jimmy Ray's first visit to Hollywood . Willmam . Chris . April 17, 1998 . Entertainment Weekly . 2022-06-14.
2. Web site: Crowe . Jerry . Looking for Respect . Los Angeles Times . March 25, 1998 . April 15, 2021.
3. Web site: Jimmy Ray . Jacobs . Jay S. . May 1998 . Pop Entertainment . 2022-06-14 .
4. Web site: Are You Jimmy Ray?: How a Rockabilly Jam Made Its Way Onto '90s Mainstream Charts . Partridge . Kenneth . July 18, 2017 . Mental Floss . 2022-06-14.
5. News: Ohler . Shawn . Jimmy Ray: Jimmy Ray . Edmonton Journal . 14 Mar 1998 . C3.
6. Jimmy Ray. Jimmy Ray. Epic. 1998. booklet, inlay cover. EK 69104.