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
On July 5, 1958, Ray Charles and his band played a set at the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, Rhode Island. The performance shows Ray at ease on stage, jumping in and out of musical styles at will, and casting a spell over the appreciative audience. Part of the small-venue show was released in October 1958 as Ray Charles At Newport (Atlantic 1289). The Newport Jazz Festival had begun in 1954, and while already well-known and well-loved by jazz fans, the yearly event caused significant tension... [read all]
Song of the day
Ray covered the Beatles song “Let It Be” on his 1977 album True To Life. Like it or hate it, the melody to this ultra-famous Paul McCartney song is known to just about everyone. Ray had his work cut out for him if he wanted to make “Let It Be” his own. In fact, unlike, say, “Eleanor Rigby”, the arrangements on this Ray Charles Beatles cover remain remarkably close to the original. It’s led by piano, of course, but there are some George Harrison-like... [read all]