Tunes
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October 31, 2014
Let’s Go
Read moreAlbum: Genius + Soul = Jazz, Impulse 2, February 1961.Single (B): Impulse 200, February 1961, b/w One Mint Julep. Ray composed the theme; it was based on the NBC chimes. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studios in Englewood Cliffs, on 26 or 27 December 1960. Ray Charles – organ; John Frosk, Jimmy Nottingham, Phil Guilbeau (solo), Clark […]
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October 31, 2014
Let’s Go Get Stoned
Read moreAlbum: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.Single (A): ABC 10808, May 1966, b/w The Train. Recorded the second fall session in 1965 at RPM International in Los Angeles.Ray may have* listened to Ronnie Milsap’s interpretation before he taped his own. With The Raelettes. Billy Preston on organ. Bass and drums uncredited. Carole Kaye remembers that Rene Hall […]
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October 31, 2014
Let’s Have A Ball (aka Here Am I, By Myself; All Alone Again)
Read moreSingle (A): Down Beat 212, b//w Rockin’ Chair Blues.Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007. Recorded in Seattle, February 1949. First released as a single under the name of Maxin Trio: Ray Charles, voc, p; Gosady McKee, g; Milton S. Garred, b.
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October 31, 2014
Letter To My Girlfriend (aka Prison Blues) (By Guitar Slim, Ray Charles On Piano)
Read moreRecorded in New Orleans at Cosimo’s Studio on 27 October 1953. With Lloyd Lambert’s band (including Charles Burbank, Joe Tillman, and Gus Fontenotte – saxophones, Frank Mitchell – tp, Lambert – b, Oscar Moore – ds) backing him up with special guest Ray Charles, arranging the song, filling in on the piano, producing the recording. […]
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October 31, 2014
Lewis Boogie (With Fats Domino & Jerry Lee Lewis)
Read moreAlbum3: Fats & Friends (German LP: Exclusive Records, 1987; VHS: Atlantic/WEA, 28 May 1991; DVD: Time Life Records, 6 March 2007; German DVD: High Planet Entertainment, 8 September 2004, titled Rockin’ Pianos). In a medley-ish jam with Jambalaya, from the TV show Fats & Friends, recorded on 5 June 1986 at the Storyville Jazz Hall, in New Orleans. With Fats […]
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October 31, 2014
Life Is Suicide (By Percy Mayfield, Ray Charles On Organ)
Read moreAlbum: Percy Mayfield, My Jug And I, Tangerine TRCS 1505, 1966.Single (B). Tangerine 927, 1963, b/w Never Say Naw. Possibly the saddest sample of Percy’s fantastic body of song lyrics. Life Is SuicideRecorded in Los Angeles in 1962. Percy Mayfield – vocals; Hank Crawford – alto saxophone; David Newman – tenor saxophone; Ray Charles – […]
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October 31, 2014
Lift Every Voice And Sing
Read moreAlbum: A Message From the People, ABC/Tangerine 755, April 1972. Recorded at RPM International in Los Angeles in 1972. Ray may have played the organ on this one. The musicians remained uncredited (but follow the link to the album for the identified session players). The Raelettes contributing to the Cavett shows were Vernita Moss, Susaye Green, […]
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October 31, 2014
Light Out Of Darkness
Read moreAlbum: Country And Western Meets Rhythm And Blues (aka Together Again), ABC/Paramount 520, August 1965. Ray wrote this wonderful song in ’64 for the film Ballad In Blue. Arranged by Sid Feller.The – longer – album version was delivered with strings and choir, and was recorded at the United Studios in Hollywood in January 1965 (Rene Hall on guitar, […]
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October 31, 2014
Lil’ Darlin’ (With The Ray Charles Septet)
Read moreCompilation album: Pure Genius: The Complete Atlantic Recordings, Atlantic/WEA, 20 September 2005 (DVD with Newport 1960 concert). “An unusually slow instrumental from the Basie Book”, warned Willis Connover in his introduction to the 1960 performance of the tune. With Ray Charles – piano; Phil Guilbeau – trumpet, John Hunt – flugelhorn; Hank Crawford – alto saxophone; […]
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October 30, 2014
Listen Up (With Quincy Jones A.O.)
Read moreSingle3: Quincy Jones, Listen Up, Warner Bros/Quest Records, 7 September 1990 (CD single: Warner Bros, 14 September 1990). The exact release history is totally unclear to me, but this maxi single was part of a multimedia package with the documentary and “book with music” Listen Up – The Lives Of Quincy Jones, “a Warner Bros. motion picture”, […]
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October 30, 2014
Listen, They’re Playing My Song
Read moreSingle (B): ABC 11133, August 1968, b/w Sweet Young Thing Like You.Compilation album: Singular Genius, Concord Records, 15 November 2011. Recorded at RPM International in Los Angeles in February 1968. With strings, harp, choir (enhanced by Ray’s own ‘second’ voice), and probably a rhythm section with studio musicians (all uncredited, but possibly with Carol Kaye on bass). […]
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October 30, 2014
Little Drummer Boy
Read moreAlbum: The Spirit Of Christmas, Columbia 39415, January 1986. The tracks of this album were recorded at RPM International in Los Angeles – almost all of them with members of the Ray Charles Orchestra – in the fall of 1984. The one exception was this tune, which was recorded “off season” (i.e. in a hiatus between […]