The music of the genius
Ray Charles
The latest
Ray Charles was commissioned to perform the theme song for the 1967 movie In The Heat Of The Night. The result was the first song on the soundtrack LP, and a single was released on ABC Records as well. But fans will need both discs, for they are two completely different versions of “In The Heat Of The Night”. The Movie In The Heat Of The Night The movie starred Sidney Poitier and Rod Steiger. The film, a pissed-off and in-your-face exploration of race in America, won five... [read all]
Ray Charles and Ginie Line duet on the French-language "Ensemble" from 2002. It was released in France as a CD single and the duo performed it live on TV.
"A Bit Of Soul" is a Ray Charles tune recorded in 1955 and released in 1961. Split into two halves, it shows Ray's versatility with a unique arrangement.
"The Sun's Gonna Shine Again" finds Ray Charles in an unconvincingly hopeful mood. It was the A-side of an Atlantic single in 1953, his second-ever.
"Mississippi Mud" is a fun, jaunty singalong that Ray Charles covered on his first album for ABC Records, The Genius Hits The Road, in 1960.
Album of the day
When it became clear that the music market wasn’t interested in 7″ singles only, and that releasing full-length LPs was going to be worth record companies’ time, Atlantic started compiling its artists’ previous singles onto 12″ albums. Ray Charles’ very first album (Ray Charles) was one such disc, and Yes Indeed!, released in October 1958, was the second installment. Although I avoid Ray Charles compilations, I do count Yes Indeed! as... [read all]
Song of the day
On “Separate Ways” from his 1996 album Strong Love Affair, Ray Charles offers up a vocal performance that proves he still had all his powers, even as he approached his 70th birthday. Dense and slow-moving, “Separate Ways” is an orchestrated performance that allows Ray’s believably emotional singing center stage. It’s a mesmerizing moment. The music was recorded in Paris and in Norway, and I’m not sure Ray was present for any of these sessions. One... [read all]