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Hrvoje Bubić: RAY PHILLIPS INTERVIEW
Hrvoje Bubić
Ray Phillips je bubnjar velškog rock sastava Budgie. Za SolinLive će nam reći o ovom kultnom bendu, kako mu je Metallica spasila život i suradnji s čuvenim producentom Rodger Bainom
To begin with, can you introduce yourself to our readers and say something about yourself?
Hi, its Ray Phillips here; I was asked if I would be interested in doing an interview for this portal and as I’m always happy to get to talk to the Budgie fans around the world here I am once again. I was a founder member and drummer of the Welsh rock band Budgie ‘the now world famous Budgie’. I played on the first three albums / Budgie, Squawk and Never Turn Your Back on a Friend.
Together with Shelly Burke and Tony Bourge, you formed the band Budgie. How did you meet and come up with the name of the band? What it was like to work with a producer Rodger Bain? And what was reason for leaving the bend?
Burke Shelly came to my house one sunny day he was looking for a drummer to join the band he was in a bands the name was Hills Contempery grass so I joined that band . That was our first meeting. A few months later we met up with Tony Bourge after the lead left that band. The name Budgie came from Burke he was quit chirpy about it I seem to remember.
I remember the first we me Roger Bain it was at Rock field recording studio I’m Monmouth Wales. He seemed a nice enough chap at first but when I look back I realize it was not all as it seemed. The company he was part of was out to rip bands off. Budgie became a victim of the times in the music business. It was the same lots of bands in those days. He stayed at my house in Cardiff for a few days.
I was in Budgie as I said for the first three albums and a total of six and a half years. I left Budgie for personal reasons in the end.
After leaving Budgie I put together a new band and called it Ray Phillips Woman. The lead guitarist was Ned Edwards; he went on to play with Van Morrison for more than seven years. He was the main musician in the band at that time. Ray Phillips Women was a rock and roll sort of band and we played all over the UK.
You reunited with guitarist Tony Bourge as the band Trebezan. Could you tell us more about Trebezan? And you once mentioned how Metallica saved your life. Please tell us more about it as well as the whole situation?
Some years later after that I had a visit from Tony Bourge, he told me that he was leaving Budgie we decided get together and form Tredegar after that meeting.
After a while with Tredegar My wife and I took out a loan from the bank to promote and to record an album and a video for the band. It proved to be somewhat of a disaster in the end as the band members jumped ship and left Tredegar one by one. It left me and my wife with a bill of 30,000 pound to pay back to the bank. It took about fifteen years to pay that bill off. But we did it in the end with no help from the Tredegar band members. It was thanks to Metallica recording Budgie’s Bread Fan and Crash Course In Brain Surgery that give us the chance to pay the bank off. It was said in an interview for Wales on line that Metallica saved my life. They did not save my life but they did save our home. We paid the 30.000 bank loan off in the end. Needless to say I’ve not had contact with the Tredegar members for a long time now.
The Tredegar albums are now due to come out sometime in 2022 as a box set via High Rolla Records in the form of a four Album box set and a four album CD set as well.
Budgie was cited as the influence from the names like Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Soundgarden. In addition, drummer Cirith Ungol told me that the song Fractus Promissum is a tribute to you.I would love to know, what your opinion is about Budgie and his legacy?
We all worked so hard in Budgie to be the best we could, and it paid off in the end. That shows in the fact that all the bands mentioned here recorded our music / songs. Metallica, Megadeath, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Soundgarden and the connection to Cirith Uncol saying that they wrote a song, Fractus Promissum as a tribute to Budgie. So I think it is fair to say that Budgie was a big influence on all these bands and rock music around the world and of rock music.
So far, three books about Budgie have been published, in collaboration with Chris Pike. Tell us more about the books and the writer himself, Chris Pike?
The Budgie books came about after Chris Pike and I had lots of phone chats, one call lasted four hours. After some months of talking to each other Chris asked me if I would be happy to let him put the first Budgie book out for sale to the Budgie fans around the world. I had no problem in saying yes to his request.
The first book was Budgie the First Three Albums. That book took in articles from Budgie member’s road crew and a manager and fans. It was great fun working on that first book with Chris. I took on the task of posting that firs book around the world from my home in Wales UK. That was a lot of work for me and my wife and family. It was sometime after that we had the first wave of covid 19. That made things very hard getting those books out to the fans. The second print was also sent from my home.
The second Budgie book was, In Pecking Order: Budgie 1974-79. The next book was Time to Remember, Budgie’s Heavy Revolution. 1980-2021. I personally had very little to do with second and third book.
I said to Chris after we finished the first book that I would like to do an Autobiography. He didn’t have to help me at that time. BUT. A few years later he came back to me on my birthday and said what about your auto Biography Ray. That took about four years to put together; it came out In March 2018 under the name of, The Ray Phillips Story: An Awful Biography of a Great Life- from Budgie to Tredegar and beyond. It was so hard for me to write as it took me through some sad and bad times in my life. When I read the first draft copy I didn’t like it so I re did the whole thing again. I wanted it to be happy and funny the book covers 496 pages lot and lots of photos. It’s more like a Diary I think but very funny very sad and very happy stories.
Again the first print was posted from my home in South Wales and the second print was from Chris’s home in New Zealand. Chris went on to publish another Budgie book, Back to the Egg, Budgie’s Influential Early Years 1967 – 73. Lastly he did a book with and for Tony Bourge.
It was Chris and Daphne’s (his wife) plan to come to my home in South Wales, UK. It sadly didn’t happen as he was taken ill. He confided in me from the very begging of his illness and right up to the last weeks before he passed away. It left feeling so sad and upset but also feeling blessed to have done so much with him.
Chris also did a lot of work to put a deal together with High Rolla Records and myself to bring about the release of the Tredegar album. He put all the art work for the Tredegar box set of albums and CDs as well. He has done a first class job I must say. Chris was a big Budgie fan and a good person, a person you could trust. It was a great loss to me and Budgie and the entire Budgie fans around the world when he passed away. He will be greatly missed by one and all. Rest in Peace Chris. X
For the end, what would you say to our readers? Will we see you in Croatia, Split?
To all the Budgie fans in Croatia, Split I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for all the kind words and thoughts that have come from you all. Peace to you all from me. Ray Phillips Drummer and founder member of Budgie.
HRVATSKI PRIJEVOD
Za početak, možeš li se predstaviti našim čitateljima i reći nešto o sebi?
Bok, ovdje je Ray Phillips; Pitali su me hoću li biti zainteresiran za intervju za ovaj portal i uvijek sam sretan što mogu razgovarati s obožavateljima Budgieja diljem svijeta, evo me opet. Bio sam član osnivač i bubnjar velške rock grupe Budgie ‘sada svjetski poznati Budgie’. Svirao sam na prva tri albuma / Budgie, Squawk i Never Turn Your Back on a Friend.
Zajedno sa Shelly Burke i Tonyjem Bourgeom osnovali ste bend Budgie. Kako ste se upoznali i smislili naziv benda? Kako je bilo raditi s producentom Rodgerom Bainom? A koji je bio razlog napuštanja benda?
Burke Shelly(basist/vokalist,op.prev.) je došao u moju kuću jednog sunčanog dana i tražio je bubnjara da se pridruži bendu. Bio je u bendovima koji su se zvali Hills Contempery Grass pa sam se pridružio tom bendu. To je bio naš prvi susret. Nekoliko mjeseci kasnije susreli smo se s Tonyjem Bourgeom (gitarist, op.prev.) nakon što je vođa napustio taj bend. Ime Budgie potječe od Burkea, on je bio prestao cvrkutati zbog toga, čini mi se da se sjećam.
Sjećam se da smo prvi put s Rogerom Bainom bilo u Rockfield studiju za snimanje I’m Monmouth Wales. U početku se činio dovoljno simpatičnim momkom, ali kad pogledam unatrag, shvaćam da nije bilo sve kako se činilo. Tvrtka u kojoj je on bio bio je htjela zakinuti bendove. Budgie je postao žrtva vremena u glazbenom poslu. Bilo je to isto puno bendova tih dana. Ostao je u mojoj kući u Cardiffu nekoliko dana.
Bio sam u Budgieu kao što sam rekao tijekom prva tri albuma i ukupno šest i pol godina. Budgie sam na kraju napustio iz osobnih razloga.
Nakon što sam napustio Budgie sastavio sam novi bend i nazvao ga Ray Phillips Woman. Glavni gitarist bio je Ned Edwards; nastavio je svirati s Van Morrisonom više od sedam godina. On je u to vrijeme bio glavni glazbenik u bendu. Ray Phillips Women je bio rock and roll bend i svirali smo po cijeloj Velikoj Britaniji.
Ponovo ste se okupili s gitaristom Tonyjem Bourgeom kao bend Trebezan. Možete li nam reći nešto više o Trebežanu? I jednom ste spomenuli kako vam je Metallica spasila život. Recite nam više o tome kao io cijeloj situaciji?
Nekoliko godina kasnije nakon toga posjetio sam Tonyja Bourgea, rekao mi je da napušta Budgie, odlučili smo se okupiti i osnovati Tredegar nakon tog sastanka.
Nakon nekog vremena s Tredegarom, moja supruga i ja podigli smo kredit od banke za promociju i snimanje albuma i spota za bend. To se na kraju pokazalo kao katastrofa jer su članovi benda skočili s broda i jedan po jedan napuštali Tredegara. Ostalo je meni i mojoj ženi račun od 30.000 funti koji trebamo vratiti banci. Za otplatu tog računa trebalo je petnaestak godina. No, na kraju smo to učinili bez pomoći članova Tredegar benda. Zahvaljujući Metallici koja je snimila Budgie’s Breadfan i Crash Course In Brain Surgery , dobili smo priliku da isplatimo banku. Rečeno je u jednom intervjuu za Wales na internetu da mi je Metallica spasila život. Nisu mi spasili život, ali su spasili naš dom. Na kraju smo otplatili 30.000 bankovnog kredita. Nepotrebno je reći da već dugo nisam imao kontakt s članovima Tredegara.
Tredegarovi albumi sada bi trebali izaći negdje 2022. kao box set preko High Rolla Recordsa u obliku box seta od četiri albuma i CD seta od četiri albuma.
Budgie je naveden kao utjecaj od imena poput Metallica, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Soundgarden. Osim toga, bubnjar Cirith Ungol rekao mi je da je pjesma Fractus Promissum posveta Vama . Volio bih znati, koje je vaše mišljenje o Budgieju i njegovoj ostavštini?
Svi smo se toliko trudili u Budgieju da budemo najbolji što smo mogli, i to se na kraju isplatilo. To pokazuje i činjenica da su svi ovdje spomenuti bendovi snimili našu glazbu/pjesme. Metallica, Megadeath, Iron Maiden, Van Halen, Soundgarden i veza s Cirithom Ungolom govoreći da su napisali pjesmu Fractus Promissum kao posvetu Budgieju. Stoga mislim da je pošteno reći da je Budgie imao veliki utjecaj na sve ove bendove i rock glazbu diljem svijeta i rock glazbu.
Do sada su objavljene tri knjige o Budgieju, u suradnji s Chrisom Pikeom. Reci nam nešto više o knjigama i samom piscu, Chrisu Pikeu?
Knjige o Budgieju nastale su nakon što smo Chris Pike i ja imali puno telefonskih razgovora, jedan poziv je trajao četiri sata. Nakon nekoliko mjeseci međusobnog razgovora, Chris me pitao bih li mu bio sretan dopustiti mu da stavi prvu knjigu o Budgieju na prodaju obožavateljima Budgieja diljem svijeta. Nisam imao problema s potvrdom na njegov zahtjev.
Prva knjiga bila je Budgie the First Three Albums. Ta je knjiga obuhvatila članke road crew (tehničari ili pomoćno osoblje koji putuju s bendom na turneju, op. prev.) Budgieja, menadžera i obožavatelja. Bilo je jako zabavno raditi na toj prvoj knjizi s Chrisom. Preuzeo sam zadatak objavljivanja te prve knjige diljem svijeta iz svog doma u Walesu u Ujedinjenom Kraljevstvu. To je bio veliki posao za mene i moju suprugu i obitelj. Bilo je to negdje nakon toga imali smo prvi val covida 19. To je otežalo stvari da se te knjige iznesu do obožavatelja. Drugi tisak je također poslan iz moje kuće.
Druga knjiga o Budgieju bila je In Pecking Order: Budgie 1974-79. Sljedeća knjiga bila je Time to Remember, Budgie’s Heavy Revolution. 1980-2021. Osobno sam imao jako malo posla s drugom i trećom knjigom.
Rekao sam Chrisu nakon što smo završili prvu knjigu da bih želio napraviti autobiografiju. U tom trenutku mi nije morao pomoći. ALI. Nekoliko godina kasnije vratio mi se na moj rođendan i rekao što je s tvojom autobiografijom Ray. Za to je trebalo oko četiri godine; izašao je u ožujku 2018. pod nazivom, Priča o Rayu Phillipsu: Užasna biografija sjajnog života – od Budgieja do Tredegara i dalje. Bilo mi je tako teško pisati jer me to vodilo kroz neke tužne i loše trenutke u mom životu. Kad sam pročitao prvi nacrt, nije mi se svidio pa sam ponovio cijelu stvar. Htjela sam da bude sretna i smiješna knjiga ima 496 stranica i puno fotografija. Mislim da je to više kao dnevnik, ali vrlo smiješne, vrlo tužne i vrlo sretne priče.
Opet je prvi otisak objavljen iz moje kuće u Južnom Walesu, a drugi otisak iz Chrisovog doma na Novom Zelandu. Chris je objavio još jednu knjigu o Budgieju, Back to the Egg, Budgie’s Influential Early Years 1967 – 73. Na kraju je napravio knjigu sa i za Tonyja Bourgea.
Chris i Daphne (njegova supruga) planirali su doći u moj dom u Južnom Walesu u Velikoj Britaniji. To se nažalost nije dogodilo jer se razbolio. Povjeravao mi se od samog početka svoje bolesti pa sve do posljednjih tjedana prije nego što je preminuo. Osjećao sam se tako tužan i uzrujan, ali i blagoslovljen što sam toliko toga učinio s njim.
Chris je također puno radio na sklapanju dogovora s High Rolla Recordsom i mnom kako bismo doveli do izdavanja albuma Tredegar. Također je stavio sve umjetničke radove za Tredegar box set albuma i CD-a. Moram reći da je odradio prvoklasni posao. Chris je bio veliki obožavatelj Budgieja i dobra osoba, osoba kojoj možete vjerovati. Bio je to veliki gubitak za mene i Budgieja i čitave obožavatelje Budgieja diljem svijeta kada je preminuo. Svima će jako nedostajati. Počivaj u miru Chris. x
Za kraj, što biste poručili našim čitateljima? Hoćemo li se vidjeti u Hrvatskoj, Split?
Svim obožavateljima Budgieja u Hrvatskoj, Split, zahvaljujem svima od srca na svim lijepim riječima i mislima koje su stigle od vas svih. Mir vam svima od mene. Ray Phillips Bubnjar i član osnivač Budgie.
