Wikipedia

Jimmy Ray (album)

Jimmy Ray is the debut album by British singer Jimmy Ray, released on 10 March 1998. He wrote or co-wrote every song on the album. It debuted at No. 112 on the Billboard 200, and also reached No. 2 on the Heatseekers Chart. Its only successful single, "Are You Jimmy Ray?", made the album a substantial success. "Goin' to Vegas" and "I Got Rolled" did not chart in the US, but had some minor success in Ray's native UK.

Jimmy Ray
The cover features the artist at a diner, wearing a light orange t-shirt with the buttons open, showing a brown shirt under it. He has his left hand on the side of his forehead and his right hand next to a coffee cup on a saucer plate. The artist's name appears on the left side of the cover.
Studio album by
Jimmy Ray
Released10 March 1998 (1998-03-10)
Recorded1997
StudioBunk Junk & Genius, Eden Studios, Metropolis Studios, Strongroom, The Church, Trident Studios (London, England)
Genre
Length35:15
LabelEpic
Producer
  • Jimmy Ray
  • Con Fitzpatrick
Jimmy Ray chronology
Jimmy Ray
(1998)		 Live to Fight Another Day
(2017)

Musical style

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The sound of Jimmy Ray is a fusion of rockabilly,[1][2][3][4][5] pop,[2] hip hop[2][3][5] and alternative rock.[4]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusicStarStarStar[1]
Robert Christgau(dud)[6]
Rolling StoneStarStarHalf star[7]

The Edmonton Journal wrote that Ray "cops Danny Zuko's greased stud looks, Michael Hutchence's white-funk hooks, Brian Setzer's '50s rocker riffs and the programming talents of Britain's best DJs."[8]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Jimmy Ray and Con Fitzpatrick, except where noted.

No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."Are You Jimmy Ray?" Fitzpatrick3:29
2."Goin' to Vegas" Fitzpatrick, Ray3:30
3."I Got Rolled" Fitzpatrick, Ray3:38
4."Daddy's Got a Gun" Fitzpatrick3:33
5."Way Low" Fitzpatrick3:33
6."Look Inside for Love"RayFitzpatrick3:35
7."Trippin' on Baby Blue" Fitzpatrick3:54
8."Sex for Beginners" Fitzpatrick3:12
9."Let It Go Go"RayFitzpatrick, Ray3:36
10."Free at Last"RayFitzpatrick3:15

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the album's inlay and liner notes.[9]

Vocals

  • Jimmy Ray – lead vocals (all tracks), backing vocals (1–3, 5–7), drum vocals (4)
  • Katy Kisoon – backing vocals (2–8)
  • Con Fitzpatrick – backing vocals (1, 2, 4)
  • Chyna Gordon – backing vocals (1)
  • Lance Ellington – backing vocals (2)
  • The Real People – backing vocals (9)
  • Jason Christian – backing vocals (9)

Instrumentation

  • Jimmy Ray – acoustic guitar (1, 4), programming (2–4, 6, 8–10)
  • Con Fitzpatrick – acoustic guitar (4, 8, 10), slide guitar (4), programming (2–8, 10)
  • Rich King – lead guitar, programming (10)
  • Rob Tidd – rhythm guitar (10)
  • Nick Nasmyth – keyboards (6, 8), Hammond organ (10)
  • Nick Plytas – Hammond organ (7)
  • John Thirkell – horns (2), trumpet (8)
  • Gary Barnacle – saxophone (1, 6)
  • Phil Smith – saxophone (8)
  • Fayyaz Virji – trombone (8)
  • Brendan Power – harmonica (4)
  • Mark Seltham – harmonica (7)
  • The Real People – percussion (9)

Technical

  • Finn Steele – engineering, mixing (all tracks)
  • Connagh MacLean – assistant engineering (1, 3, 6)
  • Richard Hinton – assistant engineering (4, 8, 10)
  • Pat McGovern – assistant engineering (2, 5)
  • Ron Warshow – assistant engineering (9, 10)
  • Matt & Matt – assistant engineering (7)
  • Con Fitzpatrick – mixing
  • Jimmy Ray – mixing

Imagery

  • Rick Guest – photography

Charts

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Chart performance for Jimmy Ray
Chart (1998) Peak
position
US Billboard 200[10]112

Certifications

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Certifications for Jimmy Ray
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Canada (Music Canada)[11] Gold 50,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

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  1. 1 2 Stephen Thomas Erlewine (1998-03-10). "Jimmy Ray - Jimmy Ray | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-05-22.
  2. 1 2 3 Crowe, Jerry (March 25, 1998). "Looking for Respect". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  3. 1 2 Jacobs, Jay S. (May 1998). "Jimmy Ray". Pop Entertainment. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  4. 1 2 Partridge, Kenneth (July 18, 2017). "Are You Jimmy Ray?: How a Rockabilly Jam Made Its Way Onto '90s Mainstream Charts". Mental Floss. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  5. 1 2 Willmam, Chris (April 17, 1998). "Jimmy Ray's first visit to Hollywood". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2022-06-14.
  6. ↑ Christgau, Robert. "Robert Christgau: CG: Jimmy Ray". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Album Reviews and Ratings". Rolling Stone. 2014-05-15. Retrieved 2014-05-22.[dead link]
  8. ↑ Ohler, Shawn (14 Mar 1998). "Jimmy Ray: Jimmy Ray". Edmonton Journal. p. C3.
  9. ↑ Jimmy Ray (booklet, inlay cover). Jimmy Ray. Epic. 1998. EK 69104.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  10. ↑ "Jimmy Ray Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  11. ↑ "Canadian album certifications – Jimmy Ray – Jimmy Ray". Music Canada. Retrieved 2 August 2025.
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