Tunes
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October 8, 2014
Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (With Legends Of Rock ‘n’ Roll)
Read moreAlbum3 (DVD): Legends Of Rock ‘n’ Roll Live, Image Entertainment, 5 December 2000. Part of an all-star jam, recorded by Cinemax in Rome in February 1989. Ray had a good time sitting behind his keyboards. The other legends were James Brown, B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Esther Phillips, Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Little Richard. […]
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October 8, 2014
Why Did You Go
Read moreThe Miami-based music business veteran Henry Stone has claimed several times that he recorded and released the tune in 1950 or 1951, together with St. Pete’s Blues, Walkin’ And Talkin’, and I’m Wonderin’ And Wonderin’. In the excellently researched liner notes of the “early years” compilation album The Way I Feel, though, only Walkin’ And Talkin’ and I’m Wonderin’ And Wonderin’ are located in […]
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October 8, 2014
Why Me, Lord (With Johnny Cash)
Read moreCompilation album: Rare Genius – The Undiscovered Masters, Concord Records, 25 October 2010. This duet track with Why Me, Lord was discovered in the Sony vaults; the Kristofferson song was produced by Billy Sherrill in Nashville in 1981 for a Johnny Cash CBS album – which never was released. Ray added some fantastic keyboard licks. Hear this Johnny Cash version, […]
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October 8, 2014
Why Try To Change Me Now (By Jimmy Scott, Ray Charles On Piano)
Read moreAlbum3: Jimmy Scott: Falling In Love Is Wonderful, Tangerine, TRC 1501, 1963. Taped at United Recordings Studios, Hollywood, California in 1962 Jimmy Scott: “The record was completed in just a few sessions. I don’t think we did more than two takes on any one tune. There wasn’t any overdubbing either. It was all-the-way live. The fiddlers […]
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October 8, 2014
Wichita Lineman
Read moreAlbum: Volcanic Action Of My Soul, ABC/Tangerine 726, April 1971. Recorded at RPM International in Los Angeles. The musicians remained uncredited (but it has the great Buddy Emmons playing pedal steel guitar). Arranged by Sid Feller.
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October 8, 2014
Will I Ever Get Back Home (By Madelyn Quebec, Ray Charles On Keyboards)
Read moreSingle3 (A): Tangerine TRC 1023, [1971], b/w I’m So In Love. Madelyn Quebec was a Raelette between 1979 and 1987. In the early 1970s she cut two singles for Ray Charles’ Tangerine label. Ray co-wrote the song (with Jimmy Holiday) and played keyboards. To listen to the song, click here. To read more on Madelyn, follow this link.
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October 8, 2014
Will The Circle Be Unbroken (With The Carter Family, Waylon Jennings A.O.)
Read moreUnreleased. On November 29, 1979, Ray Charles guested in The Unbroken Circle – A Tribute to Mother Maybelle Carter – taped in Nashville, Kalispell, Lake Tahoe and other places.
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October 8, 2014
Willie The Weeper (With George Burns, Ray Charles On Piano)
Read moreUnreleased. In the Joey Bishop Show of March 26, 1968, Ray accompanied George Burns a bit on 2 tunes. Burns’ performance was part of a not-so-funny stand-up; Charles had a minor role, both talking and playing the piano.
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October 8, 2014
Willow Weep For Me (With David Fathead Newman, Ray Charles On Piano)
Read moreAlbum: Fathead, Atlantic 1304, 1960 (November 1958). Album (DVD): Ray Charles à Montreux 1978, S.p., S.a. Recording Date: November 5, 1958 at Atlantic Recording Studios, New York. Ray Charles (p), David Newman (as), Marcus Belgrave (tp); Hank Crawford (bs), Edgar Willis (b), Milt Turner (ds). Arranged by Hank Crawford. Recording engineer: Tom Dowd. Live: Twenty […]
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October 8, 2014
Willow Weep For Me
Read moreAlbum: Sweet And Sour Tears, ABC/Paramount 480, 1964-08. A gorgeous big band version, in a slow tempo exercise, recorded on 8 May 1964 at the United Studios in Hollywood and arranged by Calvin Jackson. Follow the album link above for details.
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October 8, 2014
Winter Wonderland
Read moreAlbum: The Spirit Of Christmas, Columbia 39415, January 1986. The album was recorded at RPM International in Los Angeles, with members of the Ray Charles Orchestra, The Raelettes and session musicians in the fall of 1984 (maybe into early 1985). Mark Curry, Jim Seeley, Robbie Kwock, Jeff Kaye, Freddie Hubbard, Johnny Coles – trumpets; Mayo Tiana, […]
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October 8, 2014
With You On My Mind (With The Raelettes)
Read moreAlbum (DVD): Ray Charles – Live in France 1961, Eagle Rock, 24 October 2011. This wonderful song, written by Nat Cole and Charlotte Hawkins, never made it to vinyl, but it was recorded twice during Ray Charles’ concerts at the Jazz À Juan Festival in 1961: once on film (the version of 21 July that made it to the […]