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RAY MAJORS discography

Since the demise of British Lions, Ray Majors has worked with John Fiddler, Box of Frogs and the Yardbirds - he formed Partners In Crime with John Coghlan (ex-Status Quo) - he has toured with members of the Kinks, the Downliners Sect and the Artwoods - and the last few years has seen him collaborating with Sandy Dillon. Ray released his debut solo album "First Poison" in 2000, and follow-up with "The 7% Solution" in 2014.

This discography details Ray Majors' solo releases plus his collaborations and session work. His work with Mott, British Lions and Partners In Crime have separate entries in the main site index.

Quick links: solo releases | Opal Butterfly | Hackensack | Sandy Dillon | Quiet Melon | Downliners Sect | The Paper Bags | John Fiddler | Medicine Head | Box Of Frogs | The Yardbirds | Mott The Hoople | Steve Hyams | Kinobe | Dave Walker | Jim McCarty | Sisters Euclid


RAY MAJORS solo releases

Highslide JS "THE 7% SOLUTION" UK CD | 2014
(Angel Air SJPCD425)

Tracklisting: I'm Alive /Fire On The Mountain / 14 Hours / Pop Goes The Weezal / Deadzone / Users And Loozers / Dressed In Black / Palisades / Stay Home Tonight / Riptide-Landslide / The 7% Solution / All Been Done / Scarlet Ribbons / It Ain't A Problem / In The Now

Ray Majors is now celebrating his fifth decade in music having served with HACKENSACK, MOTT, BRITISH LIONS, BOX OF FROGS and The YARDBIRDS. He is also celebrating the fact he is still alive, against tremendous odds having fought successfully Stage 3 throat cancer. Fans will immediately notice on this album that his voice has changed but will recognise his exemplary and stunning guitar playing and song writing skills for which he is renowned. "The 7% Solution" is an album of self-discovery blues and rock and he is aided by his wife SANDY DILLON who also takes lead vocals on one of the tracks. Enjoy the man at his peak!

Highslide JS "FIRST POISON" UK CD | 2000
(Angel Air SJPCD057)

Tracklisting: Leave Me Be / The Killing Time / I'll Never Leave You / Love That Burns / Writing On The Wall / Soon / Errant Magic / Dangerous Liaison / Jam Rag / Driftin' / Nobody Home / The Dawning (Harry's Theme) / Back Door Friend / Walk The Line / Carrie

Ray recorded this album in 2000 with Sandy Dillon and Steve Bywater, with the exception of "Love That Burns" and "Back Door Friend" (recorded in 1995, during sessions for Sandy Dillon's "Skating" album) and "Driftin" and "The Dawning - Harry's Theme" (recorded in 1998, during sessions for the Quiet Melon album). Joe Elliott from Def Leppard is lead vocalist on "Leave Me Be".

Highslide JS "THE SWEDISH SESSIONS" Sweden CD | 1999
(BMA Records)

Tracklisting: STUDIO: Gypsy Tricks / Lawyers & Guns and Money / Driftin' / Only If You Want / Framed / Love That Burns / LIVE: Under My Thumb / Mona / International Heroes / All The Way From Memphis / Walking The Dog / All The Young Dudes / Money

This album was recorded in Sweden in 1995 and 1999 for BMA Records and has a mix of live and studio recordings. Ray Majors was backed by the BMA house band Wayne Dexter, who also have backed the Eric Bell Band, The Pirates and Huw Lloyd-Langton, among others. The Ray Majors album was sadly never released but promotional copies does exist.

Highslide JS MOTT THE HOOPLE - "Friends And Relatives" UK 2CD | 1999
(Eagle EAGCD 104)

Tracklisting: Ray Majors - "Walk The Line". Also British Lions' "One More Chance To Run" (demo) and "Wild In The Streets" (demo). Other artists: Mott The Hoople, Mott, Verden Allen, Mick Ralphs, Morgan, The Silence, The Rats, John Fiddler, Overend Watts, Steve Hyams and Doc Thomas Group.

This excellent 2CD set has 25 tracks licenced from Angel Air's catalogue. At the time of release, Ray Majors had not yet released his solo album "First Poison".

Highslide JS "FAMILY ANTHOLOGY" UK 2CD | 2005
(Angel Air SJPCD196)

Tracklisting: Ray Majors - "Leave Me Be". Other artists: Mott The Hoople, Mott, Verden Allen, Mick Ralphs, Morgan, Ariel Bende Band, The Silence, The Rats, John Fiddler, Overend Watts, Dale Griffin, Ian Hunter, Mick Ronson, Bad Company, Doc Thomas Group, and many more.

"Family Anthology" was released in July 2005 and has a fine mix of Mott The Hoople material and solo efforts by family members. This is the third family type album to feature Mott The Hoople but the first on Angel Air. With ten previously unreleased tracks, "Family Anthology" was definitely value for money! "Leave Me Be" was culled from Ray's solo album "First Poison".


RAY MAJORS with Opal Butterfly

Highslide JS "GROUPIE GIRL" Germany 7" single | 1970
(Polydor 2058041)

Ray joined Opal Butterfly as lead vocalist and guitarist in 1969 and stayed with them for about a year. The other members were Simon King (drums) and Tommy Doherty (bass). The B-side of this 1970 single was "The Gigging Song". The single was also released in England (Polydor 2058041).

Ray originally joined them as lead vocalist (Tommy Doherty was the guitar player) and Lemmy (of Motorhead fame) joined on bass around the same time. Lemmy was soon kicked out of the band, however, so Tommy switched to bass and Ray took on lead guitar duties as well. Lemmy would later form Hawkwind with Simon King.

Highslide JS "GROUPIE GIRL" UK LP | 1970 (Polydor 2384 021)

Tracklisting: OPAL BUTTERFLY: You're A Groupie Girl - Gigging Song / ENGLISH ROSE: To Jackie - Yesterday's Hero - Love's A Word Away / SALON BAND: Four Wheel Drive - Disco 2 - Sweet Motion - True Blue / VIRGIN STIGMA: Got A Lot Of Life - Now You're Gone - Love Me Give A Little - Groupie Girl / BILLY BOYLE: I Wonder Did You - Looking For Love

Highslide JS "Groupie Girl" may have been a low budget sexploitation movie, but it had some great music, and the artists even made cameo appearances in the movie. In addition to Opal Butterfly, the movie soundtrack also included English Rose with future Love Affair member Lynton Guest.

According to IMDB, the movie plotline goes like this: 'A bored teenage girl decides that she wants to meet rock stars, and the best way to do that is to become a groupie. She finds herself going on the road with a rock band called Opal Butterfly, and soon discovers that being a rock band's groupie isn't as glamorous or exciting as she thought it would be'. The movie was issued on DVD in England in 2007 by Slam Dunk Media as part of their 'Saucy Seventies' series. The original USA poster pictured right.


RAY MAJORS with Art Wood's Quiet Melon

Highslide JS "MONEY DUE" Japan CD | 1998
(Nippon Crown CRCL-4036)

Tracklisting: Knee Deep In Nephews / My Resistance Is Low / Driftin' / Lady Moon / Soup In A Basket / Meet Me In The Bottom / Hard Time Blues / Turn It Around / Gee Baby / Never Judge A Man / Diamond Joe / Engine 4444 / Am I Blue

Highslide JS Ray Majors toured Britain with Not The Hoople in the mid-90s - playing songs by Mott, the Yardbirds, the Rolling Stones and old R&B standards. Not The Hoople included Mick Avory of Kinks-fame and members of the Downliners Sect, plus Ray Majors and Sandy Dillon. Not The Hoople teamed up with Art Wood in Quiet Melon in 1998 and signed with Nippon Crown in Japan, billed as Art Wood's Quiet Melon (pictured right).

Three Ray Majors songs were included: "Driftin" , "Never Judge A Man" (Majors/Steve Hyams) and "Knee Deep In Nephews" (Majors/Art Wood).


RAY MAJORS with Downliners Sect

Highslide JS "DANGEROUS GROUND" UK CD | 1998
(Birch Records MB23897)

Tracklisting: Keep On Rocking, Escape From Hong Kong, In The Pits, Midnight Shift, Dangerous Ground, Lucy's Bar Room, Working On The Railroad, Little Queenie, I Just Want To Make Love To You, So Blue, Ease Up, Love With No Strings, Quicksand, Daemon Lover, Bookworm.

The Downliners Sect studio album "Dangerous Ground" was released in 1998 with guest artists Art Wood, Ray Majors and Sandy Dillon. Almost the second Quiet Melon album, if you like. A USA 12-track edition (Steady Boy SB-0032) was issued in 2011 with "Midnight Shift", "Little Queenie" and "I Just Want To Make Love To You" removed from the track listing. Steady Boy also made a 10-track LP version available which also dropped "In The Pits" and "Ease Up".


RAY MAJORS with the Paper Bags

Highslide JS "JOSS BAY" UK 7" single | 1978
(Retread Records TREAD 1)

The Paper Bags was actually Morgan Fisher backed by the British Lions (minus John Fiddler). The B-side was "Drat!". Said Morgan (Outsider #5): These tracks were my response to my fascination with the one-finger organ style of 50s band Johnny and the Hurricanes.


RAY MAJORS with John Fiddler and Medicine Head

Highslide JS JOHN FIDDLER: "LOOK DON'T TOUCH" UK 7" single | 1980
(Harvest HAR 5204)

John Fiddler teamed up with Ray Major for two great solo singles on Harvest Records in 1980. Presumably because this first one, coupling "Look Don't Touch" and "You Got Everything" didn't sell, the second one ("Can't Get Over You") was credited to Medicine Head instead.

Highslide JS MEDICINE HEAD: "CAN'T GET OVER YOU" UK 7" single | 1980
(Harvest HAR 5209)

Although credited to Medicine Head, this was actually the second John Fiddler solo single released in 1980. Ray co-wrote the B-side "Tenderhooks". Note that their demo version of "Can't Get Over You" was included on the Angel Air CD re-issue of the first British Lions album.


RAY MAJORS with Box Of Frogs

Highslide JS "BOX OF FROGS" USA LP | 1984
(Epic PE 39327)

Tracklisting: Back Where I Started / Harder / Another Wasted Day / Love Inside You / The Edge / Two Steps Ahead / Into The Dark / Just A Boy Again / Poor Boy

Ray Majors co-wrote "Harder" with John Fiddler and played lead guitar on it as well. Box Of Frogs was basically the Yardbirds with John Fiddler on lead vocals. Ray was in fine company, as the album had contributions from Jeff Beck and Rory Gallagher as well.

Highslide JS "INTO THE DARK" UK 7" single | 1985
(Epic EPC A4678)

The B-side of "Into The Dark" was a medley called "X-Tracks (Highlights From The Album)" which mixed together "Two Steps Ahead", "Just A Boy Again", "Harder", "Another Wasted Day" and "Back Where I Started". A 12" edition was also available (Epic TA 4678).


RAY MAJORS with Dave Walker & The Ambulators

Highslide JS "MOSTLY SONNY" USA CD | 2005
(Mooreland Street Records MSR 469A)

Tracklisting: Don't Start Me Talkin' / Nine Below Zero / Bring It On Home / Help Me / Eyesight To The Blind / Keep It To Yourself / Miss You Too / Talk The Talk / Don't Start Me Talkin / Soup In A Basket / Floreen / Driftin' / Ninety Nine / The Midnight Special

Ex-Savoy Brown/Fleetwood Mac vocalist Dave Walker recorded this Sonny Boy Williamson tribute album with members from Peter Green's Splinter Group, The Yardbirds, The Kinks and Downliners Sect. Ray Majors played guitar and he also sang his own composition "Driftin".


RAY MAJORS with the Jim McCarty Band

Highslide JS (1) "OUTSIDE WOMEN BLUES" USA CD | 2002
(Mooreland Street Records MSR 474)

(2) "TWO STEPS AHEAD" UK CD | 2003
(Kissing Spell KSCD941)

(3) THE JIM McCARTY BAND USA cassette | 1993

Highslide JS Tracklisting: Outside Woman Blues / Walkin Thru' The Back Streets / Black Hearted Woman / Heavy Weather / How Blue / Framed / Hearts Not In It / Lawyers, Guns & Money / Two Steps Ahead / I Go Crazy / No Easy Way Out / Slow Driver

Ray Majors is the lead vocalist on "Outside Woman Blues", "How Blue", "Framed", "Lawyers, Guns & Money" and "I Go Crazy".

Highslide JS Ray Majors toured with Jim McCarty (ex-Yardbirds) for two years in the early 90s. The band consisted of Jim and Ray plus John Idan and ex-Strawbs Rod Demic. They recorded an album in 1993 and sold cassette copies at gigs, but the (USA only) CD didn't surface until 2002. It was released in UK a year later, with new artwork and a new title, "Two Steps Ahead". The CD editions both have hidden live tracks at the end, including performances of "Train Kept A Rollin" and the Yardbirds' "Heart Full of Soul".


RAY MAJORS with Sisters Euclid

Highslide JS "96 TEARS" Germany CD | 2010
(Tradition & Moderne T&M 047)

Tracklisting: 96 Tears / Dead Flowers / This Is The Day / How Many More Years / Good Morning Heartache / Oh Sweet Nuthin' / Love That Burns / Move Over / Travellin' Light / Cars Hiss By My Window / These Arms Of Mine / Dust Pneumonia Blues

Ray Majors and Sandy Dillon recorded this collection of cover versions with Sisters Euclid in Bremen in late November 2006. The originals were performed by ? and The Mysterians, The Rolling Stones, Captain Beefheart, Howlin’ Wolf, Billie Holiday, The Velvet Underground, Fleetwood Mac, Janis Joplin, The Doors, Otis Redding and Woody Guthrie.

Sisters Euclid are a Canadian band featuring Kevin Breit (guitars), Rob Gusevs (keyboards), Ian de Souza (bass) and Gary Taylor (drums).

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