Guitar Ray [2022] - You're Gonna Wreck My Life [Shagg #711]

A Northern Soul/Crossover classic by Guitar Ray "You're Gonna Wreck My Life" has been released for Record Store Day 2020. 

It's a record that has soared in popularity and hence price. A few years ago it was selling for around £750 and is now into four figures with the highest price paid on Discogs now being £1,500 on 23 Apr 2022. It's only other release, that I know of, is on Grapevine in 2000 which are now selling around the £100 mark. So this is an opportunity, albeit not an original obviously, of acquiring it on vinyl for a fraction of the price, a mere £11. In stock now at Simply Soul. 

Guitar Ray was George Raymond Washington. He released around 6 45s as Guitar Ray (Shagg, Invicta and 4 on Hot Line all New Orleans labels) and 2 as Ray(mond) Washington in 1959 and 1961.

To be perfectly honest apart from 'You're Gonna Wreck My Life' which is a superb crossover tune, most of his material is not particularly suited to this site as much of it is blues.

In April 2020 I posted a Guitar Ray Discography with as many sound files as I could find. An extract of his recordings are below.

Discography

Ray Washington

1959 - I Know / I Never Realized [Vin 1017]

Raymond Washington

1961 Shake To The East / Can't Help Loving You [Tulane 103]

Guitar Ray

1962 - Keep On Trying / Little Red Spinning Wheel [Invicta 501]

1966 - Ball And Chain / You've Got Something [Hot Line 904]

1967 - New True Love / Patty Cake Shake [Hot Line 912]

1967 - Funky Pete Pt. 1 / Funky Pete Pt. 2 [Hot Line 914]

1968 - Ain't That Soul / Love Of A Man [Hot Line]

1974 - You're Gonna Wreck My Life / I Am Never Gonna Break The Rules Again[Shagg 711]

Guitar Ray [1974] - You're Gonna Wreck My Life [Shagg 711]

This is one of only 6 listed releases on New Orleans label owned by Senator Jones (2 of the releases were by Jones).  Discogs lists this as 1974 and it was listed on 45Cat as 1968 but has now been corrected to 1974.

Written by one C. Burnett - Chester Arthur Burnett aka Howlin' Wolf.

Guitar Ray [1974] - I Am Never Gonna Break The Rules Again [Shagg 711]

Details

Rating:	8.6
Explicit:	N
Genre/Style:	Northern Soul / Crossover / Reissue
Format:	Single
Media:	7"
Label:	Shagg
Cat No:	None
Date:	1974 / 23/04/2022
Value:	£1,500 / £11