“The Danger Zone”
Song by Ray Charles
“The Danger Zone” is the non-LP Ray Charles B-side for the August 1961 single “Hit The Road Jack”, released as ABC 10244. Both songs were written by Percy Mayfield and first recorded by Ray Charles.
A somber lament, “The Danger Zone” shows the other side of Percy Mayfield’s muse – “Hit The Road Jack” was about a woman throwing her no-good man out while “The Danger Zone” expresses fear and disappointment in the slow progress being made in contemporary society.
The lyrics of “The Danger Zone” are kept purposely vague – the world is “in an uproar”, Ray sings, but never specifies anything more than that. You can look to the historical realities in America circa 1961 to guess your way to the song’s explicit meaning, but the sentiments could be equally applied to today or any time.
Ray sings over his band on “The Danger Zone” – his small brass combo in a jazzy blues vein. Trumpets and saxophones wail and cry, adeptly couching Ray’s sad vocals in a kind of hiply expressed sorrow. It’s all quite different from the raucous, darkly comedic A-side, but the equal of that song in the commitment of Ray and his band.
Single releases
“Hit The Road, Jack”
b/w
“The Danger Zone”
Listen to “The Danger Zone”
Get your own “The Danger Zone” on 45 or MP3 from Amazon. Or get the out-of-print complete ABC singles 5xCD box set.