'Side Streets' the Incredible Debut Album from Hamilton's Ray Materick, Turns 50

Side Streets the incredible debut album from Hamilton music legend Ray Materick turns 50 years old this year (2022).

We asked Ray about his journey and he had this to say:

I had been working for many years on learning how to play the guitar, write songs, sing, and attain my own identity within that framework. I was living in Hamilton on Locke Street and as I was going to university and didn't have a car at the time,  I would take the bus into Toronto and hit the bricks with my demo tape which I had made in my brother's basement.

When I did secure a recording contract, it was pretty amazing. The record was rehearsed for a week and then recorded live off the floor for the most part at Thunder Sound in Toronto. David Bird produced the record and the main players were fairly legendary Canadian musicians. Paul Mills on acoustic lead, Terry Clarke on drums and Don Thompson on bass. I played rhythm guitar and sang of course. The album got great reviews, tons of airplay and set the stage for the rest of my career.

Trivia:

• Release date: Early December, 1972 on Kanata Records
• Produced David Bird
• Guests: Don Thompson, Paul Mills, Terry Clarke

Video above courtesy of indigoinsf canada2

Video above courtesy of indigoinsf canada2

Video above courtesy of indigoinsf canada2

Links: Ray Materick, More Ray Materick Stories, More 50th Anniversary Albums

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