Ray Columbus died today.
One of the confusing aspects of being a long term foreigner (17 years so far) is that pop music from the olden days kind of melds into a shared cultural lump – so when you become familiar with an old classic that people play at parties etc all the time, you assume that it’s a well known worldwide song. Well, it turns out that “She’s a Mod” by Ray Columbus and the Invaders was only a hit here in NZ and Australia.
It’s a great pop song and the clip is very of its time, as they say. But I do think this is a genuinely thrilling single even though the clip looks amusing now.
This was the start of a long career for Ray and he is part of pop/rock royalty here. Over the years, I have heard him talked of very respectfully and with great affection and his passing is headline news. I am wondering if the upside down Massivistos in NZ and Aussie have any stories?
That’s sad. I never saw him play, but I have some of his records, including She’s A Mod
Watching that clip, I’ve been trying to work out what the guitarist on our left is playing. It looks like a genuine Fender Strat body, but with a Burns 12-string neck. Very strange.
Those three Fenders must have been like gold dust in 1964 New Zealand.
http://i.imgur.com/a9ZHFHY.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/nB1BS1M.jpg
I don’t think I’ve seen anything dafter than the guy at the back right. Was he auditioning for freddie & the dreamers?
I thought Ray looked way dafter once he started doing his peculiar bowing and shaking dance – not unlike a drowning chicken!
Peculiar? That, madam, was a demonstration of the Mod Nod!
Cuh, kids these days….
As a kid of mere 50 I’m more familiar with The Bump and other fine disco features! 🙂
Just to make it clearer for Loki, I think you mean the Möd Nöd… or maybe the Mød Nød (or is that how the Norwegians would dø it?)
Colin, you need to be careful with the mock Scandi…Möd Nöd sounds like a virgin in distress to a Swede! 😀
…öh nö! 😀
(Any idea what ghastly faux pas has been committed in its Norwegian variation?)
I think you mean the Danes…but don’t worry about them; they’re too full of herbally induced hygge to care about any possible faux pas… 😉
I am familiar with the song but according the UK Official Charts website She’s A Mod was never a hit for Ray or the original version by The Senators, featuring John Bonham.
Great find Beany! I’ve learned something today..
How about this then (from WikiWackyPedia).
During his time in California (1966–68), Columbus was offered an audition with The Monkees but turned it down. He also turned down the chance to play with David Crosby or Gene Clark after these musicians left The Byrds.
https://youtu.be/W3dFq-bVTeM
Are you saying Ray Columbus discovered America?