Ray Wilson (musician)

Ray Wilson
Ray Wilson at Leamington Spa 2006
Background information
Born	(1968-09-08) 8 September 1968 Dumfries, Scotland
Genres	Rock, post-grunge
Occupations	Singer, guitarist
Instruments	Vocals, guitar, bass, harmonica
Years active	1990–present
Labels	InsideOut Music, Virgin
Associated acts	Stiltskin Genesis Cut_ Guaranteed Pure
Website	www.raywilson.co.uk

Raymond Wilson (born 8 September 1968, Dumfries, Scotland) is a Scottish musician, best known as vocalist in the post-grunge band Stiltskin, and in Genesis between 1996 and 1998. He has released eight solo albums (including five live albums), as well as five band releases.

Early career/Stiltskin

Wilson started off in a band called Guaranteed Pure in the 1990, which featured himself along with Paul Holmes (keyboards), Steve Wilson (guitars), John Haimes (bass) and Chris Cavanagh (drums). They released an album called Swing Your Bag, the title track of which was included on a compilation album on the label of Fish entitled The Funny Farm Project : Outpatients '93. He then joined Stiltskin; they released one album and had a number one hit in the UK with the single "Inside".

Genesis

Wilson is probably best known as the lead singer of Genesis from 1996 to 1998, after Phil Collins officially departed in March 1996. Founding Genesis members Tony Banks and Mike Rutherford were handed a CD of the Stiltskin album The Mind's Eye from Virgin Records executives. They were very impressed with Wilson's vocal abilities and had their manager, Tony Smith, call him for an audition. Wilson was officially announced as the new lead singer of Genesis in early June 1997. Their only album with Wilson, ...Calling All Stations..., was released that September and became a top 10 hit worldwide, except for the U.S. where it reached #54 on the Billboard 200 album charts; it would soon be deleted in North America, but was re-issued in 2007. Genesis toured Europe in the winter and spring of 1998, but the American leg was cancelled due to low ticket sales. After the commercial failure of the album, the band announced they would go on an extended hiatus. Wilson was informed by Tony Smith that Rutherford and Banks did not intend to include him in any future incarnation of Genesis, accordingly Wilson left.

Solo career

Wilson went on to release the album Millionairhead with a solo project called Cut_. It was re-released in 2007 (remastered) including three additional songs.

In 2003 he released a solo album under his own name titled Change. The next year he released another studio album entitled The Next Best Thing, which included yet another cover of "Inside". In 2006 he released another Stiltskin album called She, and in 2007 a Stiltskin live CD featuring (amongst others) 8 of the 12 songs from She. This live CD was recorded 25 October 2006, at Harmonie, Bonn, Germany.

DJ and trance producer Armin van Buuren has produced remixes of the songs "Another Day" (retitled "Yet Another Day") and "Gypsy" from Millionairhead. Both remixes have been released on van Buuren's own albums, and "Yet Another Day" was also released as a single.

Concerts with Steve Hackett

In 2013 Ray Wilson joined Steve Hackett for his "Genesis Revisited II" Tour as a guest Singer. He was featured in a special Edition of the "Genesis Revisited 2" Album on the Track "Carpet Crawlers". It was the first time since 1998, Ray worked with a original Genesis Member.

Discography

Solo releases

Studio albums

• 2003 Change - #88 Germany
• 2004 The Next Best Thing
• 2008 Propaganda Man
• 2013 Chasing Rainbows

Live albums

• 2002 Live and Acoustic (previously entitled "Unplugged")
• 2005 Ray Wilson Live
• 2006 An Audience and Ray Wilson (limited edition CD and download)
• 2009 Genesis Klassik
• 2009 Ray Wilson and the Berlin Symphony Ensemble, Genesis Classic
• 2011 Genesis Classic: Live In Poznań

Singles

• March 2003 "Change"
• September 2003 "Goodbye Baby Blue"
• June 2004 "These Are The Changes"

Guaranteed Pure

• 1993 Swing Your Bag

Steve Hackett

• 2013 Genesis Revisited II - Selection

Stiltskin

Studio albums

• 1994 The Mind's Eye - #12 UK, #11 Germany, #10 Austria, #76 Netherlands, #13 Sweden, #13 Switzerland,
• 2006 She
• 2011 Unfulfillment

Live albums

• 2007 Stiltskin Live

Singles

• 1994 "Inside" - #1 UK, #5 Germany, #2 Austria, #9 France, #7 Netherlands, #5 Norway, #4 Sweden, #5 Switzerland, #40 Australia, #20 New Zealand
• 1994 "Footsteps" - #34 UK, #34 Switzerland, #36 New Zealand
• 1995 "Rest In Peace" - #47 UK
• 2006 "She"
• 2006 "Lemon Yellow Sun"

Genesis

Studio albums

• 1997 Calling All Stations - #2 UK, #54 U.S.

Singles

• September 1997 "Congo" - #29 UK, #35 Austria, #31 Germany, #32 Switzerland, #25 U.S. Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks
• December 1997 "Shipwrecked" - #54 UK, #82 Germany
• March 1998 "Not About Us" - #66 UK, #81 Germany

Cut_

Studio albums

• 1999 Millionairhead

Singles

• • 1999 "Another Day" (Germany-only single)
  • 1999 "Sarah"
  • 1999 "Millionairhead" / "Sarah" (radio promo)

Collaborations

• 2000 "Big City Nights" (with Scorpions) (Moment of Glory)
• 2002 "Love Supreme" Turntablerocker (Smile)
• 2003 "Good Time Love" (with Amanda Lyon) (A tribute to Frank Miller: various artists album)
• 2003 "Yet Another Day" (with Armin Van Buuren) (76) - #70 UK, #34 Netherlands
• 2005 "Gypsy" (with Armin Van Buuren) (Shivers)
• 2005 "Roses" (with RPWL) (World Through My Eyes)
• 2005 "Roses (live)" & "Not about us (live)"(with RPWL) (Start The Fire: RPWL Live)
• 2010 "Should I Wait" with Twentyeight) (In The Beginning)

Personal life

Wilson is the cousin of Ian Wilson, better known as Ian Catskilkin, of the UK indie band, Art Brut.

External links

• Official website
• Ray Wilson on Myspace
• Interview
• Guitars 101
• Chapter and verse review