“I’m Glad For Your Sake”
Song by Ray Charles
“I’m Glad For Your Sake” is a Ray Charles song originally released on a 78 rpm disc in March 1952 on the Swing Time label (274 A). It was credited to Ray Charles and Orchestra, and was co-written by Ray Charles.
Typical of most of Ray’s Swing Time recordings, “I’m Glad For Your Sake” is a simple, piano-led lament to lost love, with Ray being accompanied by a standup bass and, according to some sources, a guitar, although I don’t hear any guitar in this recording.
Ray’s piano has a kind of jazzy cheerfulness to it, despite the sadness of the lyric, and the general approach the budding master took was to hit a few scattered notes, let them hang in the air a little too long, and then dash the silence with a couple dramatically loud, strong chords. Ray switches back and forth between the two throughout “I’m Glad For Your Sake”, daringly letting this tenuous foundation support the full weight of the song. The bass merely hits notes to accentuate the chords and provide a little more structure. (If there’s a guitar, it’s kept to chords that also accentuate Ray’s piano, but again, I don’t hear it.)
The vocals are in a smooth, relaxed crooning style. The melody is nice, and is full of unexpected little tricks and culs-de-sac. There is none of the later grittiness to Ray’s voice here, although the casual, confident, and personal way he approached a song’s subject matter is already quite in evidence. Overall, he never gets worked up on “I’m Glad For Your Sake”; he remains steady and unwavering, which perhaps befits the shrugging stance of the lyrics themselves.
“I’m Glad For Your Sake” sarcastically compliments an ex-lover for her recent good fortunes, and bluesily contrasts it with his own doldrums:
You found a new love
And you say it’s divine
I’m glad for your sake
But I’m sorry for mine
It’s a simple conceit, and despite a middle section that expands on the jealousy and hurt the singer is feeling, the woeful sentiment matches Ray’s singing in its lack of dynamic ebb and flow. Not wailing and desperate; numb and unimpressed is more like it.
It is not known exactly when Ray Charles recorded “I’m Glad For Your Sake”, nor who besides him plays on it. The liner notes of Le Chant du Monde’s 1948-1959 CD compilation guess that it was recorded in early summer 1951, along with “Baby Won’t You Please Come Home”. At any rate, it was released in March 1952 with the raucous “Kissa Me Baby” on the other side of the 78 rpm record.
Ray never ended up owning the rights to his pre-Atlantic songs, and they were bootlegged endlessly on various LPs beginning in the 1950s. I recommend the Le Chant du Monde CD set, or you can watch online sales listings for a copy of the original 78. It’s recommended, to get a sampling of Ray at his gentlest and quietest.
Single releases
“I’m Glad For Your Sake”
b/w
Listen to “I’m Glad For Your Sake”
Get your own “I’m Glad For Your Sake” on 45 or MP3 from Amazon.