As you might have seen in the last couple of days, lead guitarist Ray Monette has sadly announced his retirement from Rare Earth. Ray joined Rare Earth the start of the 1970s along with keyboard player Mark Olson. Their arrival was soon followed by the release of the excellent One World album and the single "I Just Want to Celebrate" which became something of an anthem and still reaches out across the airwaves all across the world today.
No disrespect to Rod Richards or Kenny James, who undoubtedly played their part in putting Rare Earth on the map, Ray and Mark went on to make significant contributions in the following years. Sadly Mark left the band a decade or so later and shortly after sadly passed away, but Ray has pretty much stayed on board until recently.
Outside of Rare Earth, Ray has contributed to a catalogue of songs via his session work, notably with Motown Records and Holland-Dozier-Holland's Invictus Corporation. He played on many hits that still get frequently played today. More recently when Phil Collins decided to fulfil an ambition of recording a collection of Motown songs, his attention to detail and a desire to achieve that authentic Hitsville sound led to a call to the surviving Funk Brothers and Ray was soon on a flight to Switzerland with the late Bob Babbitt.
It's no secret that Ray has suffered with back problems for some time, and this has contributed towards his enforced retirement from the road. However, despite the passing of several of his former colleagues, Ray is alive and well, although clearly not as well as he or we would wish. As Ray himself says, his fingers are still working. That is something to celebrate. Hopefully his lack of mobility won't prevent him doing what he does best....playing guitar. As a frequent contributor to this forum hopefully Ray will continue to join in our conversations. His input has always been interesting and enlightening and never disrespectful towards his former colleagues.
I'm certain that fans and fellow musicians across the world will have lots of happy memories of listening or working with Ray. It would be great to collect some tributes, memories and well wishes and post them in this thread. A chance to express our gratitude for all those songs and performances over half a century. I'm sure it will be of little consolation to Ray that he's had such a long career. I'm sure he'd much prefer to be out there still playing to his army of admirers. All good things come to an end. Sadly I never had the chance to see or meet him but I feel honoured to have discovered his playing through his recordings with Rare Earth. Hopefully fans, friends, fellow musicians and colleagues from the industry will take this opportunity to pay tribute to a true great.
About 10 years ago myself and a good friend (who was a guitar player) were doing The Woodward Cruise. I decided to treat him to "Live In Concert". After about 10 minutes he turns to me and says "Who the hell is that guitar player" ??? Funny enough, my buddy was also a Farmington High grad, so imagine his surprise when I told him about Ray.
One other funny story...This was probably around 15 years ago. I was working at a Mortgage Co. and I took a call from a Ray Monette, and I'm thinking, "Nah, couldn't be". After we discussed business for a few minutes I asked him "Are you Ray Monette from Rare Earth"? After he told me he was, I started cracking up and said "You aren't going to believe who you're talking to" LOL Imagine the odds of that.
Ray, Congratulations on a fantastic career. Try to enjoy retirement and please continue to contribute to this board.
One of my jobs was a DJ for our local radio station back in the late 90's it ran every Saturday night from 6 to midnight...We was a Request station and we plugged Rare Earth many times...We had a segment at 10pm called classic cut...so one day I put on The Ray Charles cover What I'd I say and the phone lines lit up wondering who that band was...the real RE fans knew but other listeners didn't know so I informed them the band and were blown away by the song and were asking Who is their guitar player?? and of course I proudly told them it is Ray Monette....Thank you Ray for all the memories and it was an honor to meet you at one of the gigs and will never forget that...
When I first started buying records as a 10 year old at the end of the 60's some of those tunes included the likes of Chairman Of The Board, Freda Payne and the Jackson 5.
I carried on buying singles with my pocket money earned from various sources until 1971 and then I heard something special on the radio which made me want to buy an album.
Radio Luxembourg had an 8 million figure audience in Europe and each night they had a powerplay where a particular song would be heard every hour over a whole week.
All of a sudden this fantastic guitar intro changed everything, it was I Just Want To Celebrate and it made my ears spin with excitement. The next day I bought One World in my local record shop and discovered Rare Earth.
The whole album was a revelation i had never heard anything like that guitar and it still gives me a great feeling hearing it today.
Later on I found out that Ray Monette featured on many of the Northern Soul records I owned as well as a few famous chart hits recognisable to everyone.
That virtually mirrors my introduction to Rare Earth. I bought those same Chairmen of the Board, freda Payne, Jackson 5 records. I became an avid Tamla Motown / Invictus collector hence I used to pick up many singles in the bargain bins after they fell out of the charts. I was on holiday in Ireland and found a reduced price Motown single by a band unknown to me. I recognised the title, Get Ready, but that was my introduction to Rare Earth. Peter's snare drum was so crisp and precise and I loved that single. Not long after I saw the One World album and decided to buy it. I knew enough from studying sleeve notes in the shops that Ray and Mark had joined. I instantly took a love to the whole band and Ray's playing in particular. It was amazing when Ray revealed on this forum that he'd played on many of those Motown / Invictus records. In fact I was playing the Invictus box set the other day in my car and I suddenly heard a guitar passage that really must have been Ray.
Hopefully I'll go on playing and enjoying those records for many years to come.
as i wonder who is big brother i can't help but think its me, this has been dead so long now, i do not know what to do, i been flashing back for 30 years, if i am not in the psyche ward, i get violent at the sqares... ty for the wonderful songs
You have no idea who I am, but you taught me how to play guitar at Andersons Music on Telegraph - I still have the sheet music lessons you wrote and still practice them. I remember your beautiful red SG standard (which is still my dream guitar) and was amazed as you played what you were practicing for session work. You put me on to an Ampeg B10 and some Shure mics that we beat up and followed Scorpion and Rare Earth and whatever else we could find out about your incredible guitar playing and musicianship. I can say with great pride that I was blessed to have Ray Monette teach me first hand what it meant to truly understand the underlying foundation of the guitar work that leads the soul of Motown. I cant thank you enough for enlightening me to the boundless wonders of what a guitar can do for and to the heart.
i hope you are doing well and am wondering if I can re-up on lessons.
It's a while ago since I posted this as Well Wisher in honour of the friend I never got to meet. Ray, I hope you are doing OK. I often think about you and hope that you are relaxed and looking after yourself. Earlier this week I heard a Freda Payne album track and thought...yep, that's Ray on guitar!
