Appearances
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October 13, 2014
The Alphabet Song (With Sesame Street Children Choir, And Celebrities)
Read moreThe 2014 compilation DVD. Album 3 (DVD): Sesame Street, Alphabet Songs, Warner Home Video, 6 May 2014 [Ray’s 1996 performance]. On 2 February 1979 (episode 1235) Ray Charles performed The Alphabet Song, with the help of a few cute Sesame Street extras. In 1996 (episode 3663) he played a second version. In later edits various celebrities […]
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October 13, 2014
The Blues Ain’t Nothing (With B.B. King)
Read moreUnreleased (but available thru digital bootleg). Ray and B.B. performed the song during the 1990 Superband tour, on 6 November, at the Teatro Olimpico in Rome.
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October 13, 2014
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
Read moreStill from the film. Film version – DVD: Love Affair, Warner Bros, S.a. (trailer here). Film version – Soundtrack CD: Love Affair, Sire/London/Rhino, 22 November 1994. In the film Love Affair, which premiered on 21 October 1994, Ray Charles was seen & heard in concert, singing this song accompanied by a symphony orchestra. Marty Paich was credited as producer […]
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October 13, 2014
The Entertainer
Read moreUnreleased. During the 1975 concert at the Pleyel Room in Paris, on April 21, Ray played part of Scott Joplin’s The Entertainer as a 1-minute interlude to give Ernest Vantrease (“the Deacon”) a minute to take his place behind Ray’s piano, so that The Genius himself could spend the next 13+ minutes at his electric piano, for […]
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October 12, 2014
The Good Life
Read moreAlbum3 (soundtrack): Nothing But Trouble, Warner Bros. 9 26491-2, 1991. The Good Life (written by Jack Reardon and Sacha Distel) was arranged, conducted and produced by Marty Paich at RPM International Studios in LA for the film Nothing But Trouble (1991), starring Chevy Chase, Dan Aykroyd, Demi Moore, and John Candy. Soundtrack: Miami 1999: Live: ’91 LC McCallum – Released […]
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October 12, 2014
The River Charles
Read moreUncertain title; unreleased. In 1989 Ray Charles had a role (as God, or as the archangel Julius*) in the movie Limit up (MCEG 0970449925). At the end of the film (“under the titles”) he played a long solo on his alto, starting at 1:25 in the clip below. Clipping from Jet, 30 October 1989. Rich Martini informed me that […]
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October 12, 2014
The Team (Ray Charles Orchestra)
Read moreUnreleased. There may be a studio-recorded version from 1978 in the vaults of the Ray Charles Foundation (see below). The tune was first recorded during the 2 p.m. (televized) concert at the Warsaw Jamboree on October 27, 1984. Composed by trumpet player Tim Ouimette, who played in the Ray Charles Orchestra between 1978 and 1980. Ouimette […]
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October 11, 2014
The Thirteenth Floor (Ft. David Newman)
Read moreUnreleased (it’s uncertain if Ray played on this one with the combo, and if a recording has survived ). The tune is mentioned as Thirteen floor in the Montreux Jazz Festival’s database, as a part of the Ray Charles Meets Dizzy Gillespie concert on 13 July 1978. It was no doubt added to the setlist by Fathead (see below), who […]
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October 11, 2014
The Truth Comes Out (Commercial Jingle)
Read moreUnreleased. The campaign for Scotch’ Master I, II and III premium line audio tapes started in 1977, and still ran in ’79. The agency was Foote Cone & Belding. The theme was The Truth Comes Out, which also was the jingle’s catchline, sung by Ray. In 1978 “Jim Johnston directed Ray Charles in a pair of 30s for Scotch recording […]
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October 11, 2014
The Way You Look Tonight
Read moreAlbum (CD): Ray Charles à L’Olympia, XIII Bis Records 640543 2, 11 January 2005 (2000). On August 10, 1999 the Jazz In Marciac festival announced a surprise package: the “Ray Charles Quartet – with special guest David ‘Fathead’ Newman”. Having to record this song with Steve Turre just a few days later (be it in a different arrangement), gave Ray […]
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October 11, 2014
Then We’ll Be Home (Sadies Tune)
Read moreAlbum: Renaissance, Crossover 9005, June 1975. Single (B): Crossover/Atlantic 981, July 1975, b/w Living For The City. The album was recorded in late 1974 and early 1975 at RPM International in Los Angeles. With The Ray Charles Orchestra, on a few tracks also with some alumni of the band and other session musicians. The band members were: […]
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October 11, 2014
There’s A Long Long Trail A-Winding
Read moreUnreleased. Ray sang and played an unplugged version of this tune as a 1-minute intro to Crying Time during the 1980 Northsea Jazz Festival on July 13 at the Congresgebouw in The Hague.