He Thinks He's Ray Stevens

He Thinks He's Ray Stevens was Ray Stevens' twenty-first studio album and his first for MCA Records, released in 1984. The front of the album cover shows Stevens spoofing French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. It was recorded in an effort to reestablish Stevens as a comic singer after a period in the early 1980s when he had focused mainly on serious material.[1]

He Thinks He's Ray Stevens
Studio album by
Ray Stevens
ReleasedNovember 1984
GenreNovelty, country
LabelMCA (Cassette (MCAC-25047), LP (MCA-5517)
ProducerRay Stevens
Ray Stevens chronology
Me
(1983)		 He Thinks He's Ray Stevens
(1984)		 Ray Stevens Collection
(1984)

The track "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" was the biggest hit from this album, reaching No. 20 on Hot Country Singles (now Hot Country Songs) in early 1985. Stevens uses comic storytelling to frame what occurs when a young adolescent boy catches a squirrel (while visiting his grandmother in Pascagoula, Mississippi), brings it into church, where several self-righteous members – including one in particular with sinful secrets to hide – are prominent members, and the squirrel breaks loose from a box the boy has kept it in. As the squirrel wreaks havoc, several members admit to their fellow congregation members their faults, and by song's end they all make a vow to change.

"Furthermore" is a re-recording and partial rewrite of Stevens' 1962 single of the same name, this time done as a more serious down-tempo country music piece. "The Monkees (Theme From)" is a cover of the theme song to The Monkees but sung by Ray in broad German dialects under the guise of two fictional singers, Wolfgang and Fritzy. "It's Me Again, Margaret" is a cover of a Paul Craft song about an obscene phone caller. "Ned Nostril" is a parody of Johnny Cash and borrows motifs from Cash's "I Walk the Line" and "Folsom Prison Blues". "Erik the Awful" is done in the style of Stevens's earlier hit, "Ahab the Arab", with a Viking marauder as the subject.

The album was re-released on Cassette Tape and CD on August 15, 1992 (MCAC/MCAD-20688), titled Mississippi Squirrel Revival. The cassette featured this album's first eight tracks in a different order, whereas the CD contained all 10 of this album's songs and in the same order as on this album.

Track listing
Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."I'm Kissin' You Goodbye"Ray Stevens3:09
2."It's Me Again, Margaret"Paul Craft3:26
3."Mississippi Squirrel Revival"Cyrus "Buddy" Kalb, Carlene Kalb3:42
4."Ned Nostril (And His South Seas Paradise, Puts Your Blues on Ice, Cheap at Twice the Price Band — Ikky-Ikky, Ukky-Ukky)"Stevens4:11
5."Fred"Lee Cheney2:40
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Erik the Awful"B. Calb, C. Kalb, Stevens4:35
2."The Monkees (Theme From)"Tommy Boyce, Bobby Hart3:09
3."Joggin'"B. Calb, C. Calb3:39
4."Happy Hour (Is the Saddest Time of the Day)"Mike Neun4:05
5."Furthermore"Stevens2:52

Personnel

Musicians

  • Ray Stevens – lead vocals, background vocals (except "Furthermore"), keyboards and synthesizers (except "Furthermore" and "Ned Nostril")
  • Jerry Carrigan – drums (except "Ned Nostril")
  • Mark Casstevens – banjo, rhythm guitar
  • Steve Gibson – dobro, electric guitar
  • Sheri Huffman – background vocals
  • Stuart Keathley – bass, engineer
  • Terry McMillan – harmonica
  • Alan Moore – background vocals
  • Rodger Morris – keyboards and synthesizers
  • Nashville String Machine – string
  • Lisa Silver – fiddle, background vocals
  • James Stroud – drums
  • Wendy Suits – background vocals
  • Diane Tidwell – background vocals
  • Hurshel Wiginton – background vocals
  • Jack Williams – bass
  • Engineer: Stuart Keathley
  • Arranged & Produced by: Ray Stevens
  • Recorded at Ray Stevens Studio, Nashville, TN

Chart performance

Album
Chart (1984) Peak
position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums 3
U.S. Billboard 200 118

Singles
Year Single Peak positions
US Country CAN Country
1985 "Mississippi Squirrel Revival" 20 32
1985 "It's Me Again, Margaret" 74 —
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References
  1. "Stevens Nuts over 'Squirrel'". Billboard: 39, 42. December 8, 1984.
  • Liner notes to He Thinks He's Ray Stevens (cassette). MCA Records #25047.
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