The single was all about the fad of running around with no clothes on. The fad most often happened on college campuses across the country but it also leaked it's way into everyday life, including streakers who'd streak just for the hell of it...some streaked for peer popularity on a dare...that sort of thing. The fad became notorious and streakers started to be a fixture on the daily newscasts...Ray got the idea of the song weeks before it became a national fad and ultimately released the song he wrote and it became the biggest single of his career.
A quick synopsis of the song is in order: Ray plays the part of an Action News reporter who wants to get the reaction of the average man on the street about the chaos taking place. Ray plays the part of the man on the street, as well. The reporter coincidentally runs into the same man three times in the song...prompting the by-stander to give his reaction and thoughts about the streaking event he witnessed. The by-stander's wife, Ethel, is never heard from in the song but he constantly warns his wife not to look when the streaker runs by. The catch-phrase "Don't look, Ethel!!" was born in this song.
Ray continues to perform the song in concert...delivering the song almost exactly the way it's been delivered in concert the last 35 years with maybe a subtle lyric change here and there. The yellow CAT hat has become a permanent feature in the song...and anytime you see Ray in a CAT hat while he's on stage chances are he's singing "The Streak".
In recent years he's wore the hat in a lot of publicity pictures...for the cover picture of his 1991 album, #1 With a Bullet, Ray is wearing the CAT hat as well as for Comedy Video Classics a year later.
The song has spawned several catch-phrases: "yeah, I did" is the greeting given by the man on the street in all three occasions. "pardon me sir, did you see what happened?" is the phrase said by the reporter in all three encounters. "don't look, Ethel!!" is the phrase said by the man on the street afraid his wife is going to see obscene images. "boogity-boogity" is the phrase heard in the song's chorus and at other places in the song. Boogity-Boogity is also the name of the album that "The Streak" appeared on in 1974. The album's title is written in smaller print in the clouds of dust on the album cover. A lot of people mistakenly refer to this album's title as "Woosh" because it's written so prominently in big letters...but the actual album name is Boogity-Boogity.
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Hey, I stumbled across your blog accidentally while looking for information on Ray's new album....I am a longtime Ray Stevens fan myself and appreciate the information in this blog. It's just always good to meet a fellow fan.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the blog...in my opening entry written months ago back in October 2008 the reason I started my fan blog of Ray was due to a lot of the blog's and other things on-line about Ray which consisted of inaccuracies and brief information so I purposely fill this blog page with just about as much information on Ray as possible.
ReplyDeleteI've noticed some of my blog entries have been lifted and posted elsewhere by others but I have no control over that.
Can anyone tell me who the actress is that is Ethel in The Streak? She looks familiar.
ReplyDeleteBianca
Does anyone KNOW who the actress playing Ethel is in Ray Stevens video The Streak?
DeleteI had answered a similar question back in 2009 and it's visible here. I have no idea who the actress playing Ethel in "The Streak" music video happens to be. The video was filmed in 1991 for inclusion in his VHS, 'Comedy Video Classics', in 1992.
DeleteI wish I knew the names of a lot of the people who appear in his music video's but I don't happen to know who she is. I know a few of their names but the actress playing "Ethel" in THE STREAK music video is one I don't.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the page! I was looking for a version of The Streak I heard on the radio in which Ray talks about the complaints he's had of the song's "vulgar" lyrics. And as a result, he's decided to class it up. The song then begins with a whole choir singing the chorus acapella. Any suggestions where to find this version?
ReplyDeleteThat recording is from 1993. It originally was heard on the home video RAY STEVENS LIVE and it can be found on the CD version of that home video.
ReplyDelete