September 29, 2014

Ray Stevens: If You Like Your Plan...blog post 4

Hello once more...the latest video from Ray Stevens, "If You Like Your Plan", has indeed vaulted past the 20,000 mark. In a pick-up of 4,359 unique views, this brings the overall total, so far, to 21,149. Later this evening the video will technically mark it's 1st week on-line. It debuted, out of the blue, last Monday (September 22) in the late afternoon hours. I'll take a look at the numbers later this afternoon/evening and see if they're above the 25,000 mark (and if they're nearing 30,000). This is just my opinion but I feel this should be the week that Ray begins to physically promote the song...whether it be appearing on any number of Fox News programs or calling in to a radio program...and potentially reach more audiences that don't usually frequent YouTube on a daily basis. That's just my opinion, though. I'm sure they'll promote the song beyond it's YouTube appearance but I'm usually restless and on the edge of the seat during the lead up to whatever forthcoming publicity/marketing campaign there happens to be (if any!).

Given that nearly 25,000 have seen the video on YouTube I'm sure some of differing opinions have seen the clip. In fact, 386 "like" the video and 10 "dislike" the video...so there have been dissenting results and there have been some dissenting opinions in the comments section, too. You'll see my commentary over on the video's page, too. I usually offer commentary during the first couple of days of any brand new Ray Stevens video clip...I sometimes make further commentary if I see posts that cause me to give a reaction of some kind. Usually, though, in a matter of days the liberals discover whatever the latest Ray Stevens video might be and they take over the comment section and it often turns into personal name calling and bickering back and fourth. Once the comment section dissolves into that sort of thing I stop making an effort to read the comments.

Did anyone notice the visual reference to a previous video from Ray? There's a scene in the latest music video that has Ray in reporter attire...looking as he did in one of the scenes from "Mr. President-Mr. President". That particular scene in "If You Like Your Plan" comes complete with a brief music riff referencing the Mr. President song. I thought it a neat touch.

Also, perhaps completely coincidental, "Mr. President-Mr. President", hit YouTube in September...of 2011 (the exact date happened to be the 27th). The 2011 video clip has 1.5 million unique views along with 7,132 "likes" and 381 "dislikes".

In the meantime...have you visited Ray's website lately? He's added imagery publicizing his Nashville memoir and his current Gospel Collection, Volume One CD. I've included four links in this blog post. Even though the current excitement amongst Ray Stevens fans is largely due to the "If You Like Your Plan" music video, let's don't forget about the memoir and the gospel CD. The gospel CD is a little more than 1 month old (released on August 19th). You can my customer review of the CD HERE. A link to Ray's site can be found in the following paragraph...

The format of the memoir that's being offered at the site is the hardback. The paperback version sold out on Amazon several weeks ago...some of the Marketplace customers are offering the paperback version for more than $100.00!! There's still the Kindle on-line version of the memoir and the hardback (although Amazon states that there are only 5 copies of the hardback in stock!). A link to Ray's site is HERE.

You can see the latest Ray Stevens music video, "If You Like Your Plan", HERE. I've embedded it 3 consecutive times and so I decided to share a link to it this time around. In a future blog post I'll likely embed the video again. The fourth link I'm sharing is to my customer review of Ray's Nashville memoir. You can read my commentary HERE.

September 27, 2014

Ray Stevens: If You Like Your Plan nearing 20,000 unique views...

Hello fans of Ray Stevens!! It's a very early Saturday morning here and I decided to give a couple days time before posting my follow-up blog. In my previous blog post I speculated that the latest Ray Stevens video on YouTube, "If You Like Your Plan", which at that point in time was approaching 10,000 unique views, would more than likely reach 10,000 by day's end at the pace it happened to be on. At the time of the blog the music video had obtained 7,298 unique views in less than 2 days time. I just arrived from YouTube's site and at the moment the totals for "If You Like Your Plan" are 16,790!!! This is a pick-up of 9,492 additional views. It's a timely subject because as the months and years go by millions of people are going to see their health care coverage change dramatically...whether they like their health care plan or not. Obama, several years ago, standing up there at some podium insisting that people that currently have health care coverage and like their plan have nothing to worry about..."period!". Furthermore, according to Obama, this 'Affordable Care Act' (Obama Care) is strictly meant for people that have no health coverage whatsoever.

It was a pack of lies then and a pack of lies today...and never forget the deceit and legal trickery and maneuvering on the part of Congressional and Senate Democrats (the President and Vice President included) to make sure this monstrosity became Federal law. Something that the American population truly wants shouldn't have to be rammed through Congress on a party-line vote and under cover of the night (but I'm being rhetorical there!). They don't care about a person's health coverage or health care...their motivation was purely cynical and political. The Democrats simply wanted to deliver a blow to Capitalism and they accomplished it through deception. "If You Like Your Plan" you can keep your plan (period!)...repeated over and over by Obama...had long been hogwash.

The video's message is so great and timely...it's the third straight time I've embedded it in a blog post. I usually don't do that kind of thing anymore...but once in awhile I do.

Once more, the viral video hit from Ray Stevens... "If You Like Your Plan"...



Anything else going on in the world of Ray Stevens?? The news broke on Friday (September 26) that Ray is to co-host an upcoming gospel ceremony in November. You can read all about it HERE. The page gives the air date and the broadcast affiliate along with other details. I'm sure I don't receive the channel/network that will air the program but I'll look for more information nevertheless in mid November. The event's full title is the Inspirational Country Music Faith, Family and Country Week and it runs November 9th through the 12th. The awards ceremony takes place on November 12th. You can read my Amazon CD review of the Ray Stevens Gospel Collection, Volume One HERE.

September 24, 2014

Ray Stevens: If You Like Your Plan nearing 10,000 unique views...

Hello once again! It's been less than 2 days since the debut of the latest Ray Stevens YouTube music video, "If You Like Your Plan". It's nearing 10,000 unique views as of this writing. The totals so far are 7,298 and I happen to believe that the video is going to gain the 2,702 additional views needed to reach the 10,000 plateau in no time at all. It's gotten more than 7,000 unique views in less than 2 days so it's safe to say it'll leap into 10,000 territory and beyond in a matter of hours at the pace it's on.

All over the social network sites the video's being shared...the one that's gotten the most shares is the one that describes the video in this manner: "Ray Stevens Relentlessly Mocks Obama Care..." followed by a link to Ray's video. I happen to, of course, agree with that description even though I couldn't find those exact words to type the other day during my blog post as I was trying to come up with descriptions of my experience seeing the video...but yes, 'relentless' is a good way to describe Ray's visual performance...PERIOD!! (once you see the video you'll understand the reason I used that word!!).

There have been a number of comments about the video on it's YouTube page...a couple by Obama supporters...but the majority of the commentary (so far) are by those in support of Ray's video and the message it delivers.

As more and more liberals discover the video, though, the commentary section may end up becoming a cesspool of name calling, personal attacks, and vulgar language since history shows that's their favorite tactic in replying to ideologies they happen to disagree with but for now none of that immature commentary has taken over the comments area.

Here's the viral video hit from Ray Stevens... "If You Like Your Plan"...


September 22, 2014

Ray Stevens: If You Like Your Plan (music video)

Hello to all the fans of Ray Stevens! I hope you all have purchased Ray's Nashville book and his Gospel Collection, Volume One CD. If you haven't I'd suggest you do so. The paperback of Nashville is sold-out on Amazon at the moment. The Kindle, of course, is still available as is a hardback book...it's available at Ray's on-line store. The Gospel Collection, Volume One is a near sell-out on Amazon. As of this writing the CD's product page states that there's only 3 CD's in stock but more on the way.

The main focus of this blog entry is on the most recent offering from Ray Stevens...a brand new music video called "If You Like Your Plan". If you're a political junkie or follow current events you should be familiar with that phrase. It's an infamous phrase uttered by Obama during his national sales pitch for Obama Care (the one size fits all Government run health care system). As the scholars and critics had long since complained...people aren't necessarily going to be keeping their current health care plan...Obama Care's burden on private insurance companies places those organizations in a bind and in order to economically survive they'll have to raise their monthly/yearly rates.

So, yes, a lot of private health insurance companies are dumping a lot of their policy holders into the Federally run Obama Care out of economic necessity rather than by choice. Obama and those that dreamed up this health care monstrosity had always knew this sort of thing would happen (private insurance companies dumping their policy holders into the Government-run health care) and that's the reason a lot of people in 2010 could see this coming years in advance but only the informed paid any attention to the out-cry. A true capitalist could see the dangers of Obama Care...obviously that leaves Obama out.

And so, with that being said, have a look and a laugh at the latest Ray Stevens music video, "If You Like Your Plan". You'll like...LOVE...this video a lot!!!

September 13, 2014

Ray Stevens performs on 1985's Music City, USA...



Hello one and all to the latest fan created blog entry chronicling the legendary Ray Stevens!! In this blog entry I've embedded a 1985 television program called Music City, U.S.A. that ran on The Nashville Network in it's early years. Each episode featured a different host and this time it's Ray Stevens...promoting songs from his then-current album, He Thinks He's Ray Stevens. In the clip above you'll see glimpses of routines and sketches that foreshadowed Ray's future as a comedy music video king. Longtime fans and those that have only discovered his music recently are sure to smile as you watch and listen to Ray perform these songs. Ray has a special guest on this episode...Kathy Twitty...one of Conway's daughters. That's her in the still shot on the video capture.

Ray performs "It's Me Again, Margaret", "Erik the Awful", "Misty", and "Mississippi Squirrel Revival". In the performance of "Erik the Awful" there's a mishap with a prop...but being a pro, Ray smirks at the blooper, laughs a bit, and continues on. To add further hilarity, Ray continues to use the prop in his performance...knowing full well how silly it looks...but that's all part of the fun. After the performance and a bigger laugh as he looked at the band, Ray commented that he does have a serious side...and given that he performed 2 songs from his 1984 LP I assumed he'd perform his bluesy arrangement of "Furthermore" (track 10 on the LP) but he performed "Misty" instead. He closed the program singing "Mississippi Squirrel Revival".

Fast-forwarding from 1985 to 2014...this is the latest upload of Rayality TV...there are some scenes that take place at The Encore retirement home and there's a presentation of the "Red Hot Chili Cook-Off" music video...


September 8, 2014

Ray Stevens: Rayality TV webisode 22...

Hello to all the Ray Stevens fans!! The most recent Rayality TV has made it's way onto YouTube!! In this installment The Encore retirement home takes center stage once more...and in one of the sketches we're entertained by several spaced out characters (hippies). There is also a music video added in...the illegal immigration song "Come to the U.S.A." which, to date, has 8.7 million unique views on YouTube!!



I made mention of this a couple of blogs ago so I hope some of you all remembered that Ray Stevens was the special guest over the weekend on Larry's Country Diner. I notice over on the traffic feed that a couple of visits have been made to a blog I published in 2010 about an appearance by Ray on Larry's show. I didn't publish a stand alone blog this time around for Ray's most recent appearance because I no longer get RFD-TV and because of that I found it difficult to gather up the kind of hype/excitement that I get when it comes to any of the other Ray Stevens appearances but I hope those that seen the appearance loved it!!

I looked all over the internet but didn't see any screen caps or commentary about Ray's appearance but I did get some information about the songs Ray performed. The info comes from another fan that happens to still have RFD-TV. On the September 6, 2014 episode of Larry's Country Diner Ray Stevens performed the following songs: "If Jesus is a Stranger", "Amazing Grace", "Turn Your Radio On", and "Nashville". This appearance had been taped a month or two earlier. 

Here's an Amazon LINK to Ray's recording of "If Jesus is a Stranger". Based on sales, it's the most popular digital download from the gospel CD. The physical copy of the CD is currently ranked in sales at #352. It hasn't cracked the Top-100 yet...but I assume at some point if a music video or something comes along that creates more awareness of the CD's availability then the CD may just land in the Top-100 amongst the Amazon best-sellers list.

September 3, 2014

Ray Stevens: Rayality TV webisode 21...

Hello all...it's suddenly September!! This past Friday an installment of Rayality TV didn't appear on-line...I assume it most certainly had to do with the busy activities of Ray and company in the days after the release of The Gospel Collection, Volume One CD on August 19th. I hope those reading took advantage of my previous blog post and visited either of those six on-line music stores that I provided a link to. In case you missed the previous blog post I did you can either search the archives or click this LINK.

The link takes you to the official Ray Stevens store's product page for the gospel CD. You can also purchase it at other stores, too. In case you're wondering if an Mp3 exists the answer is yes. If you visit Amazon and search in the Digital Music section for 'Ray Stevens Gospel Collection', you'll see the Mp3 edition of the CD available for sale, too. The Mp3 doesn't have any reviews, though. The CD copy has my review and a review by another customer. The second review appeared on Amazon today. My review was published back on August 23rd.

Rayality TV 19 and 20 carried a Christmas theme and this one carries the theme even further and it's referred to as "Christmas In August, Part Three". Evidently, going by the title, this installment of the series had been put together late last month but, as mentioned, didn't make it to YouTube until today. The music videos of "Blue Christmas" and "Nightmare Before Christmas" make an appearance sandwiched between Ray's commentary about the season and political correctness.



In other news, Ray Stevens is scheduled to appear on The Grand Ole Opry on September 12th. This is referred to as the Friday Night Opry, technically, and Ray is scheduled to make an appearance on the 12th. At this time I have no idea which segment Ray is to make an appearance. I assume he'll appear during the last portion but it's hard to tell. You can listen to the Opry on WSM radio's website by simply clicking the Listen Live audio button. After the Opry broadcast Ray is to sign copies of his Nashville memoir. You can read about that book signing HERE.