We sit down with Richard Hewson, the creative force behind the Ra Band, to trace how an under-credited arranger turns frustration over fees into a self-made recording legacy. We get the real stories behind “Clouds Across The Moon,” Abbey Road sessions, vintage studio gear, and what it feels like to be rediscovered through Spotify and TikTok decades later. 

• arrangers paid a fee without royalties, pushing Richard toward writing his own songs 
• building early Ra Band tracks as a one-person “bedroom band” on multitrack tape 
• jazz influences shaping a pop sound, plus the Paul McCartney connection that opens doors 
• turning an “international operator” memory into the sci-fi story of “Clouds Across The Moon” 
• writing lyrics by creating a story scene, starting with simple phrases and expanding them 
• “Messages from the Stars” going viral on streaming and reigniting the back catalog 
• receiving the Roland SH-5 as a first synthesizer and sticking with vintage gear 
• analog warmth vs digital sameness, plus why hiss and tape feel “timeless” 
• favorite string arrangements and the craft of writing orchestration by hand 
• Abbey Road memories, Phil Spector’s massive orchestra request, and McCartney’s reaction 
• praising session musicians as the real heroes who can nail anything first take 
• seeing the Ra Band performed live by his son and a nine-piece touring lineup 
• where to find the music on major platforms and hopes for a vinyl run 

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INTRO/OUTRO Music: T. Wild

Mantor Music BMI