A lifetime in the music business has given RayMan Ramsay plenty to write about.

The now-retired South Surrey resident has authored two books about his days as a 鈥淧romo Monkey鈥� who helped sell records, starting in the late-1960s.

The series offers a wide selection of real-life stories and hands-on working experiences documenting Ramsay鈥檚 decades with Quality Records/TPC Distribution and, later, the RCA/BMG record labels, in the B.C. market.

He also includes anecdotal stories and his thoughts of some of the world鈥檚 most famous musicians, including Elton John, KISS, David Bowie, Dolly Parton and others, along with Vancouver-area music-biz insiders.

Full of puns Ramsay is known for in conversation, the two 鈥淧romo Monkey鈥� books are subtitled 鈥淢onkey See, Monkey Two: Personas & Prima Donnas鈥� and 鈥淢y Life as a Bellhop in the Waldorf Hysteria: Friends & Enemas.鈥�

Self-published by Friesen Press, the books kept Ramsay busy during the COVID pandemic, and in the years before that, too.

鈥淭he reason there鈥檚 two books is because they鈥檙e written in different styles, and I just couldn鈥檛 mix them,鈥� Ramsay said over a cup of coffee.

鈥淚 kind of miss the job (as record company promo rep/manager), but writing the book is something I鈥檇 wanted to do,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚n 2013 I realized it was my 45th anniversary in the music business so I wrote a little thing about that and sent it to all my friends. Well, they all came back wanting more 鈥� give us more! So OK, that went on for years, and that鈥檚 where I got the idea to turn these thoughts of mine into a book, or books now. They were enjoying it and I wanted to enjoy something too, before my orbit goes to obit.鈥�

A couple of years go Ramsay and his longtime wife, Lynne, moved from Ladner to a place in South Surrey.

As a young man Ramsay got into the commercial fishing business, following in family footsteps, but eventually put his passion for music to work, as a guy with a creative mind and a way with words and ideas.

On April 1, 1968, Ramsay got his start in the music business when he was hired as a 19-year-old to work as a warehouse 鈥渉ump鈥� for Quality/TPC, and the April Fool鈥檚 joke is not lost on the author.

Later, another landmark day was Aug. 16, 1977, when Elvis Presley died. 鈥淎nother good start,鈥� Ramsay deadpanned about his very first day with RCA, which was Presley鈥檚 record label.

鈥淚 was driving home from signing the deal to work there, and on the radio comes the news that Elvis died,鈥� Ramsay recalled. 鈥淩ecord sales went through the roof, of course.鈥�

鈥淚 did meet Colonel Parker at an Elvis convention centre in Vegas,鈥� continued Ramsay, talking about The King鈥檚 notorious manager. 鈥淗e was sitting there counting stuff, and Ricky Nelson, his latest victim, was sitting next to him. Years later we found out about Parker鈥檚 treatment of Elvis and I thought, you son-of-a-bitch, why didn鈥檛 you look after him?鈥� Taking 50 per cent of what he made was outrageous. I haven鈥檛 seen the movie (Baz Luhrmann鈥檚 biopic, released last summer), and it kind of angers me to see Elvis being used that way. I understand this business is all about money, but look after people.鈥�

Similar tales are told on Ramsay鈥檚 Facebook page, dubbed 鈥淢onkey House: the Written Werd,鈥� and on the website he calls 鈥淎 Lad in Ladner鈥� (aladinladner.simplesite.com).

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

One story involves the night he had some fun with American country artist Charley Pride at Surrey鈥檚 old Newton Inn in the late-1970s.

鈥淗e had a night off and wanted to go to a country club, and I knew that was the one at the time,鈥� Ramsay recalled. 鈥淭he club sent a limo for him, which was cool, he walks in and everyone鈥檚 jaw drops.鈥�

Pride didn鈥檛 perform at the Newton Inn that night, but Ramsay said Kenny Rogers did on another night there.

鈥淚t was just when 鈥楾he Gambler鈥� was coming out and blowing up really big,鈥� Ramsay said. 鈥淚t was called a routing date, and he had an open night, to keep the calendar filled. Kitty Wells played there, too.鈥�

鈥� RELATED: .

Ramsay鈥檚 sense of humour was shaped by 鈥淢onty Python鈥檚 Flying Circus,鈥� the British comedy show.

鈥淚 worked with Monty Python in the 鈥�70s when they were coming through Vancouver,鈥� he said with a smile. 鈥淭he tickets weren鈥檛 selling (for the show), which blew my mind, because who wouldn鈥檛 go see these loons? So I suggested they get a flatbed truck, build a cage and put all the Monty Python signage on it, for the concert, and pay a guy to drive around in rush-hour. The guy putting on the concert, Hugh Pickett, said at that time, it then set a box-office record for sales, because that was outside the box, and different people react to different things.鈥�

For the record labels, Ramsay鈥檚 job involved getting albums noticed and sold.

鈥淚 remember we had The Eurythmics, and Annie (Lennox) had the mask on for that album (鈥淭ouch鈥�), and we were at A&B Sound. For the ad I said, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to put this album in upside-down.鈥� The buyer, we got into it screaming and yelling, he says, 鈥楾hat鈥檚 stupid.鈥� But it was our ad, and he didn鈥檛 get the concept of people reading the Province on the bus and there鈥檚 this upside-down ad, and how people would then get into a conversation going about that.鈥�

In the record business today, digital marketing dominates the streaming world, and there are few CDs, vinyl albums and cassettes to sell.

鈥淏ack then we had to get creative sometimes,鈥� Ramsay said. 鈥淚 really enjoyed the work I did because I was absolutely thrilled by the feeling that I could create an idea and move the thing forward.

鈥淪ome people didn鈥檛 bother, and believe me, I don鈥檛 think I ever did anything special that someone else couldn鈥檛 have done, I just did it because I saw an opportunity and moved with it.鈥�

Ramsay says partial proceeds from sales of his two books will be donated to Wigs for Kids and BC Children鈥檚 Hospital.

tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
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