Ray Parker, Jr – Misunderstood Genius
The most eerie thing about Ray Parker Jr’s 1985 hit Ghostbusters is that the song was written five years earlier and completely independently of the hit movie with which it eventually became associated (Tango and Cash).
In 1980, Ray had decided to invent some street slang, a sample of which follows:
- ‘Ghost’ = ‘Angel Dust’
- ‘Buster’ = ‘Supplier’
- ‘Strange’ = ‘Normal’
- ‘Neighbourhood’ = ‘Brain’
For those au fait with Ray’s lingo, the lyric ‘If there’s something strange in your neighbourhood, who ya gonna call? Ghostbusters’ attained a chilling edginess not matched until Whitney Houston released her acclaimed ode to masturbation (The Greatest Love of All).
Sadly, Ray’s proposed slang never took off as hoped and his cutting-edge single was generally considered indecipherable nonsense until the release of Ghostbusters, the movie. And, you know, even after that, really.
(An interesting footnote: Ray Parker, Jr is the son of Ray Parker, Sr.)
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Posted: April 5th, 2000 under lost history.
Tags: angel dust, cutting edge, ray parker jr, ray parker sr, street slang, whitney houston