Rock bands have lots of moving parts. But the formula is familiar.
The singer holds down the front of the stage and maximizes the histrionics. The guitar player is the virtuoso. The bass player and drummer provide the bottom.
That recipe varies. But it doesn’t often, and not by much.
In the middle of all that, a band needs glue.
Paul Raymond was that glue.
Raymond passed away Saturday at the age of 73. He was in UFO’s current lineup and a member during the band’s glory period. Raymond’s work on keyboards and rhythm guitar is an integral part of UFO’s heady balance of crunch and melody. He's an important element of the sound I love so much.
Raymond also played with the Michael Schenker Group and Waysted. He’s the only man to hit the UFO family tree trifecta. #glue
I met Paul on several occasions. He was always gracious and forthcoming. He will be missed personally and professionally.
Check out Paul’s excellent work on UFO’s “Love To Love,” where his keyboards are prominent, or the subtleties injected in “Lights Out.” He performed on 12 UFO albums, including four classics: “Lights Out,” “Obsession,” “No Place to Run” and “Strangers in the Night,” the 1979 masterwork that’s considered one of the best live LPs ever.
UFO just completed the U.K. leg of its farewell tour. The band is scheduled to play this U.S. this fall, with a date at Jergel’s Rhythm Grill in Warrendale set for Oct. 29.
Paul Raymond, R.I.P.