Barbara Ray "Serenade Of The Bells'" (Plum Records, 1972) (LP)
Barbara Ray "Dance On" (Plum Records, 1973) (LP)
Barbara Ray "The Barbara Ray Album" (RCA Victor, 1975) (LP)
Barbara Ray "A Little Bit Country" (RCA-Camden, 1974) (LP)
Barbara Ray "Barbara Ray" (RCA Victor, 1975) (LP)
Barbara Ray "Who's Gonna Tie My Shoes" (Music For Pleasure, 1976) (LP)
Barbara Ray "Bittersweet" (RCA Victor, 1976) (LP)
Barbara Ray "Golden Ray" (RCA-Camden, 1976) (LP)
Barbara Ray "I Need You" (RCA-Camden, 1978) (LP)
Barbara Ray "The Country Music Of Barbara Ray" (Music For Pleasure, 1980) (LP)
Barbara Ray "Down The Mississippi" (EMI-South Africa, 1980) (LP)
Barbara Ray "What's Wrong (With The Way That We're Doing It Now)" (EMI-South Africa, 1981) (LP)
Barbara Ray "Sayonara" (EMI-South Africa, 1982) (LP)
Bobby Angel & Barbara Ray "Voices" (EMI-South Africa, 1983) (LP)
Working in partnership as a country music duo, Bobby Angel and Barbara Ray won a Sarie award (the South African equivalent of a Grammy) in 1976, following their #2 hit single, 1975's "The Greatest Christmas Gift." That track is not included here, though the title track to this album, "Voices," was a Top Twenty hit in '83.
Barbara Ray "Barbara Ray Sings Country Classics" (EMI-South Africa, 1985)
Barbara Ray "Sixteen Greatest Love Songs" (Plum Records, 1985)
Barbara Ray "Made For Each Other" (EMI-South Africa, 1985)
Tommy Truesdale "Sings Country" (Country House Records, 1985)
(Produced by Bill Garden)
The lone album from Scottish radio deejay Tommy Truesdale... Barbara Ray gets a co-credit, though the album title implies this should be considered a Tommy Truesdale solo album.
Barbara Ray "The Greatest Hits" (RCA Victor, 1972) (LP)
Barbara Ray "The Barbara Ray Collection" (Teal Records, 197--?) (LP)
A brisk best-of set, with ten of her earlier recordings...
Barbara Ray "Sings Her Twenty Greatest Hits" (Teal Records, 1981) (LP)
Are there many things more uncomfortable than a South African country artist singing a song called "When Dixie Comes Around Again"? Of "Bo-Jangle Island"? Yikes. Perhaps we're better off sticking to more standard-issue country oldies such as "Blackboard Of My Heart" and "Silver Threads And Golden Needles."
Barbara Ray "Let Me Be There" (Teal Records, 1994)
A generously-programmed best-of set that leans heavily on her more mainstream country and country-pop recordings, including a whole slew of "girl" songs originally recorded by the likes of Donna Fargo, Anne Murray, Tanya Tucker and Tammy Wynette. Twenty-six tracks total, and probably about as much of her music as you need... Though, why does her hit 1975 duet with Bobby Angel, "The Greatest Christmas Gift," never seem to show up on either of their albums?
Barbara Ray "The Very Best Of Barbara Ray" (Pat Man Records, 1994) (LP)
Barbara Ray & Lance James "After The Love Is Gone: The Best Of Barbara Ray And Lance James" (Polygram Records, 1996)
Duets recorded with pop singer Lance James, who dove into country material on many of these tracks...
Barbara Ray "The Heart And Soul Of Barbara Ray" (Gallo Records, 1999) (LP)
This 2-CD set does include a version of "The Greatest Christmas Gift," though I'm not sure if it's the original duel with Bobby Angel... Fifty-one tracks total, though, so another good option for a career summary from this country gal's long career.
Barbara Ray "Great South African Performers" (Gallo Records, 2011) (LP)
Vocalist Barbara Ray was one of South Africa's most successful country singers of the 1970s, recording numerous solo albums as well as working in a duet with Afrikaaner honkytonker and television host Bobby Angel. Ms. Ray was born in Dalmellington, Scotland, but emigrated to South Africa where she first tried her hand as a pop-rock artist, switching to country in the early 1970s. Like many South African artists, she seemed to have skirted the growing global backlash to white South African artists by performing in Australia, where her albums were reissued and marketed under RCA Victor's local imprint, and she doubtless toured there as well. Anyway, here's a quick look at her work...
