Green Ray - A History

THE GREEN RAY -A HISTORY OF

In late 1987, Ken Whaley and Simon Haspeck teamed up with U.S. Singer/Guitarist Rene Miller. On Miller’s departure to Paris, Whaley, Haspeck and former YACHTS drummer Bob Bellis carried on as a jamming band before recruiting Richard Treece on Guitar in 1988. Whaley and Treece had previously played together in the much loved band HELP YOURSELF, from which Whaley departed to join MAN.

Treece played with MAN offshoots THE FLYING ACES, THE NEUTRONS, SPENDID HUMANS and DEKE LEONARD’S ICEBURG.  Both had spells with THE TYLA GANG; Whaley made an album with THE FISH’s Barry Melton (Of Country Joe and The Fish fame) in 1974.  Simon, Ken and Richard all had spells working at John Echlers legendary “Hope and Anchor” venue and shared a lot of common musical interests and a band was formed called THE ARCHERS.  A demo was cut at Rob Keylocks studio in The Vortex Jazz club, but unfortunately differences of opinion on how things should proceed and a pressing personal life situation led to Bob Bellis quitting after a few gigs.  Ken’s brother Simon slipped into the drummer slot whilst still being the guitarist of a happening young band called SLITHEY TOVE.  The two bands played several gigs together and after being bombarded with tapes and seeing the band at a MAN convention, Nigel Cross financed a vinyl record to be released on his own SHAGRAT label in October 1993. Engineered by Alec Hawkins and with the late Edward Barker designing the sleeve work, there was a pressing fault in the vinyl and some dissent amongst the band which declined even more when guitarist Haspeck had a traumatic motorbike accident and things went askew.  There followed a distressing schism, a deeply confused and unhappy time fraught with personal issues which led to the band fragmenting.

In 1994 a tentative session was suggested with SLITHY TOVE guitarist Simon Burgin.  It was a different band to the one with Haspeck, the door remaining open for his return upon recovery. The band began to write some new material. A name change was suggested after people confused the bands name THE ARCHERS with the famed Radio programme of the same name. And so THE GREEN RAY was born. Back into the studio with Burgin being a prolific writer and adding a different guitar influence, came a new release on the SHAGRAT label entitled “SIGHS, WHALES and TREES” (a play on band members names if you hadn’t realised). Recorded in 1995 with John Hodgeson and Vernon Cooper engineering together with another Edward Barker sleeve.

In 1995 Richard and Ken also started a collaboration of CD’s with Ron Sanchez of U.S. based Donovans Brain.

1996 saw the second album release by the band, this time on the FATHER YOD/SOFT CLOUD label and for the first time on CD, simply entitled “THE GREEN RAY”. Many gigs were to follow, playing with old friends MAN and an appearance at The Terrastock Festival. But tragedy was to hit the band again………….

Simon Burgin sadly died of a brain haemorrhage at a tragically young age in late 2000. There followed a long period of inactivity in trying to come to terms with this loss and after a while it was decided to keep the band running with Simon Haspeck rejoining the fold.  After a healthy spell of gigging, the time was right to record again. The summer of 2004 saw the band back in the studio recording new material at ANT FARM Studios with Paul Newman engineering. The results of this, “FRAGILE WORLD” was released on CD in December 2004 .  E-Mail manredlady@btinternet.com for details of how to obtain.
The band continues to gig, having recently supported THE ELECTRIC PRUNES and will be supporting MAN in February 2005, plus playing its own gigs. Although compared to West Coast U.S. music, THE GREEN RAY’s influences incorporate Blues, Jazz, Folk, Soul, Punk, Movies, Sci-Fi, Uncle Tom Cobley and Eastern Music. But more important than that...................they just love to play.

THE GREEN RAY are:  Richard Treece (Lead Guitars) Ken Whaley (Bass and vocals), Simon Whaley (Drums, vocals and guitar) and Simon Haspeck (Guitar and Vocals).

Richard Treece - January 2005.


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