Living For The City

Album: Renaissance, Crossover 9005, June 1975.
Single (A): Crossover/Atlantic 981, July 1975, b/w Then We’ll Be Home (Sadies Tune).

The album was recorded in late 1974 and early 1975 at RPM International in Los Angeles.

Ray later explained, “I do it a lot differently than Stevie; I cut out a lot of the musical flourishes and I put that long rap in the middle, talkin’ ‘bout the rats and roaches.” The song earned Ray a Grammy Award in 1975 in the Best Rhythm & Blues Vocal Performance, Male category.

The album was taped with The Ray Charles Orchestra, The Raelettes, on a few tracks also with some alumni of the band and other session musicians.
The band members were: Jeff Conrad, Bob Coassin, Phil Guilbeau, Jack Evans – trumpets; Wally Huff, Ken Tussing, Glen Childress, Steve Davis – trombones; Andy Ennis, Clifford Solomon, Ed Pratt, James Clay – saxophones; Leroy Cooper – baritone saxophone, band leader; Joe Harris – bass; Tony Matthews – guitar; Ernest Vantrease – keyboards. James Gadson – drums. The precise line-up of The Raelettes is uncertain.

Complete album (this is track #1):
Update 14.02.2021: the video of this performance is no longer available on YouTube, please let me know in the comments below if you have any footage, thanks — Cyd

The only thing better than one genius is…

50 Years show (1991) with behind-the-scenes footage:

Live:
’75 TV Midnight NM
’75 LC Japan – Released
’75 TV Cher
’76 TV Douglas
’91 LC 50 Years – With Stevie Wonder – Released
’94 TV World