In the 1970s Rae moved to the USA securing work as a runner in the New York stock exchange to fund his stay. Through work in Cleveland and Los Angeles studios, he became acquainted with several leading soul and funk artists, including Roger Troutman, Bernie Worrell, Nairobi Sailcat and Michael Hampton from the Parliament / Funkadelic enclave. Returning to the UK, he was unable to secure a recording contract despite offering several demos and his debut single 'D.E.S.I.R.E.' was latterly released via the Miami based TK Organisation. In 1981 he worked with Worrell as part of the P-Funk offshoot band 'Space Cadets' whose sole album was released in the US in that year. Rae also spent a brief time with members of Granicus in a band called The Boys. Jesse can be heard on their album 'Thieves Liars and Traitors' on a cut called "Taste of Love". Jesse Rae has recently been working with an abundance of students from the Borders College Campus. He has reached out to three Students to help create him a website to get Brick FM out to his Afro American friends and public. Jesse Rae is The Scottish Borders and Scotland, Funk Ambassador for The Funk Music Hall Of Fame and Exhibition Centre in Dayton Ohio USA.
Music
As a songwriter, Rae is best known for the 1982 song, "Inside Out", a hit single by the band Odyssey. Rae's own version was included on his debut album, The Thistle. Rae dedicated the album to "Luzuli and Senkrah and Scotland." Rae's single "Over the Sea", reached number 65 in the UK Singles Chart in 1985. The Thistle was then released in 1987 on WEA. 1992. Tour of Japan with on U Sound in 'Strange Parcels' and release of 'life's a Killer Dog' /Body Blast'n 10 " single. A second studio album, Compression was eventually released in 1996. The album was notable for being recorded via the Integrated Services Digital Network system, a product of the BT Group. A remastered version of The Thistle was released by River Records in 2004 and included a DVD of three promotional videos for the songs "Over The Sea", "The Thistle" and "Chainsaw" directed by Rae in the mid-1980s. On 21 October 2010, Rae opened for Adam Ant at The Union Chapel in London, UK, playing a 30-minute set. On 23 May 2011, Rae was again a support act for Adam Ant, who performed at the O2 Academy in Glasgow, Scotland. On 11 December 2011, Rae played two "live music video shows" at Edinburgh, Scotland's "Voodoo Lounge" bar. In regard to the Voodoo Lounge shows, Rae explained: "I call it, my Aye Pad, using the frontier of technology using pioneering software for full interactive entertainment, and the 'Rae formula' to making Music Videos." Rae's compilation album, The Best O' , was released on CD, with a companion CD release of rare tracks, Funk Warrior – A Collection, in July 2012. Both editions were limited to 500 copies. A second reissue of The Thistle was released as an expanded double-CD on 12 May 2014, and features 12 unreleased mixes and four tracks previously unavailable on CD. The reissue, entitled The Thistle , was limited to a run of 1,000 copies and was released by Rae's own Luzuli Music label. A 2-CD album of unreleased recordings entitled Worae was released in November 2017. Worae features instrumental tunes recorded with the late Bernie Worrell.
Awards
The music video for the single ‘Over The Sea’ in which Rae wears a kilt and helmet, while holding a claymore, in both New York City, United States and the Scottish Highlands—won a Vira award.
Influence
During an October 2012 solo performance at the Paisley Abbey venue in Paisley, Scotland, Roddy Frame, formerly of Aztec Camera, performed a rendition of "Inside Out". Frame explained that during his time as a WEA artist, he was asked about Rae, who was conveyed as a Scottish musician who always wore a kilt and helmet. Frame expressed "love" for the song and explained that he enjoyed playing the song at his home.
