A single featuring Coventry music legend Ray King has been re-released to honour footballing’s pioneering black players.
West Bromwich Albion was recorded in 1979 and is being re-released by record label Jenny’s Feather Factory to mark the start of the new footballing season in honour of Cyrille Regis, Brendon Batson and Laurie Cunningham.
But there’s another poignant reason to mark the re-release of the calypso. Vocals were provided on the 1979 track by Vibert Cornwall, better known as Ray King. King, who died in July, had a huge influence on the 2-Tone movement that emerged in Coventry in the 1970s.
He came to the city from St Vincent in the 1960s and formed many groups throughout the years. In fact his act The Ray King Soul Band once pulled a bigger crowd to The Locarno than the Rolling Stones, according to Pete Chambers, Coventry music historian and writer.
The song, ‘West Bromwich Albion’, was recorded in 1979 at the behest of lifelong Baggies fan and music impresario Jim Simpson, who’d been approached by Black Country songwriters, Larry Rushton and Jerry Cash, who wanted to celebrate the team’s dashing style
Jim drafted in a team of local musical luminaries, including drummer Bob Lamb – later UB40’s producer. The song comes on a limited edition CD via Adrian Goldberg’s record label Jenny’s Feather Factory.
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