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| Ray Martinez |
| Native born Miamian Ray Martinez is at once disco musics more prolific persons and elusive persons. If you have ever been on the dance floor thoughout the years chances are you've grooved to his beat. Producer, engineer, musician, artist, writer/composer, and arranger Ray has done it all. Yet little is known about him. And even more surprisingly very few know what he looks like. Ray who is accomplished with many instruments began as a keyboardist while attending Dade County Community College in the 1960's. As with most success stories he played with local unknown bands at the usual type gigs. After obtaining his degree he landed a job as a studio musician in Miami's hottest studio/label. T.K. Records, the brainchild of music industry mogul Henry Stone, was cranking out the biggest and best in R&B and the emerging disco sound in 1975. Stone, the generous and wisest label owner, was known for mentoring upcoming talents. Harry Wayne Casey went from sweeping floors for Stone to the top of the charts as K.C. & The Sunshine Band thanks to Stone. Martinez went from keyboardist to engineer and eventually producer with Stone's help. Ray's keyboards can be heard on many of T.K.'s top act recordings from 1976 onwards. One of his first production credits was on the 1976 Foxy single "Get Off Your Aahh! And Dance." However it was the 1977 George McCrae 12" single of "Kiss Me The Way I Like It" that shows his latin influence. Later that year he scored another hit as producer with Sassy's "Theme From Disco '77." Another T.K. 12" single classic. After over two years of experience and exposure as musician, arranger and producer it was time for Ray to step into the shoes of artist. One of 1978's biggest hits was "If There's Love." Ray, who seems to be publicity shy, chose to credit his work to the moniker of Amant. The resulting T.K. 12" single and album cemented his place in disco history. As a DJ at the time I can remember programing that song, and it's flip "Hazy Shades Of Love," several times an evening to the crowds delight. The record was debuted at Studio 54 and the reaction was instantly positive. He still remained involved in other T.K. artists productions appearing on Foxy's "Get Off" album as a producer that same year. As his star was rising and he had become more invloved within the industry it was time for Martinez to ease out of T.K. Records and spread his musical wings. |
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| 1979 was one of disco music's finest years. Ray was invited that year to produce for another of disco's top labels Prelude after meeting one of it's lawyers at a Miami music convention. The result was his "Passion" album featuring the club smashes "Don't Bring Back Memories" and "In New York." The very rare promotional-only 12" single is a highly prized possession of any discophiles. That summer he also turned his hand as remixer on Lette Mbulu's disco track of "Kilimanjaro." And he capped off a brilliant year by appearing on Disconet 's Vol. 3 Program 7 ("Lady Of The Night") and Program 8 with Bobby Viteritti's mix of "Lady Of The Night/Hey Honey Come Give Me Money." He also performed the songs, at Bobby's request, live at Viteritti's club The Trocadero in San Francisco. |
| 1980 saw the release of the Passion 12" single and Mike Wilkinson (Disconet owner/founder) release "Lady Of The Night" on his Importe 12 label. Despite the changing disco climate Ray was enjoying much success in the club scene. Ray who always has a hand in everything, launched his own Miami-based label in 1982 with Paris International Records. Now as label mogul he had the ability to launch careers and work with those he admired. New talents he brought to the label were Maga ("Bi-Pushin"), Angie ("Hello Stranger") and Jill ("Match Made Up In Heaven"). Locals that he admired were added as well. Celi Bee ("I'm Free") with her last great hit and Evelyn Thomas ("High Voltage"). He also released his own material as Ray Martinez and Friends, "I'm Free" and Amant 2 "New York Nights." By 1987 he stopped releasing records on the Paris Int. imprint but continued to be involved within the industry most notably with his Paris Recording Studios. In 1991 he retired from the business to focus on family, he's a father and grandfather and pursue his other interests. Most notably his collecting of cars. As of 2005 he's back in the business and is working on releasing a retro remix of his old material tentatively entitlted "Ray Martinez and Amant 25 Years After." We are pleased to see such a wonderfully talented person back in the business. Ray can never truely understand his importance to the disco history books. For Ray is an unasumming genius, the man that never had his picture placed on his records, the man who was happy to be in the background shaping the sounds we THANK YOU. |
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