Ray Charles RIP
- Wombat
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Very sad news. Ray Charles was a very fine singer and musician who was hugely important to the way I play and think about music, whatever the style. He wasn't the first to bring gospel music to the dance halls but he was the first to build a career out of that. As a child, his LP Yes Indeed was one of the first I ever bought.
I can't give a favourite tune. Of his later songs, 'Georgia on My Mind' stands out as the definitive version of that song. Of his earlier Atlantics I'd have to mention 'Mess Around', 'Greenbacks', 'Lonely Avenue', 'Drown in My Own Tears', 'Get on the Right Track' and 'I Believe to My Soul.'
Before he found his own voice with Atlantic, he made a lot of records in the late '40s and early '50's as one of the countless Nat King Cole imitators around at the time. These are perfectly decent records which would be more collectible if he hadn't found a different and more appealing voice later. I don't know if it's still around but there was a 3 CD box set of his Atlantic R&B sides which is just stunning.
I can't give a favourite tune. Of his later songs, 'Georgia on My Mind' stands out as the definitive version of that song. Of his earlier Atlantics I'd have to mention 'Mess Around', 'Greenbacks', 'Lonely Avenue', 'Drown in My Own Tears', 'Get on the Right Track' and 'I Believe to My Soul.'
Before he found his own voice with Atlantic, he made a lot of records in the late '40s and early '50's as one of the countless Nat King Cole imitators around at the time. These are perfectly decent records which would be more collectible if he hadn't found a different and more appealing voice later. I don't know if it's still around but there was a 3 CD box set of his Atlantic R&B sides which is just stunning.
- Darwin
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One of my favorites was "(Night Time is) the Right Time", the original version on Atlantic, with Margie Hendricks and the Raylettes singing backup. They did a very neat lip-sync to that version on the Crosby show.
I think he played sax on "Frenesi" on the same album. Some other great ones that haven't been mentioned yet are "God Bless the Child" ("Them That's Got"), "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town", "How Long Blues", "Baby Please Don't Go", and "Ruby".
He helped Stevie Wonder get started, too, back in the early '60s.
The first time I ever ran across the term sui generis, it was being applied to Ray Charles.
I think he played sax on "Frenesi" on the same album. Some other great ones that haven't been mentioned yet are "God Bless the Child" ("Them That's Got"), "I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town", "How Long Blues", "Baby Please Don't Go", and "Ruby".
He helped Stevie Wonder get started, too, back in the early '60s.
The first time I ever ran across the term sui generis, it was being applied to Ray Charles.
Mike Wright
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- burnsbyrne
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- Pat Cannady
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I wouldn't be surprised, he drank like a fish, took snuff and Vienna would have been exposed to such delights as opium (in the form of laudanum), coca, and hashish. The boomers didn't invent it, folks.fancypiper wrote:
Did Mozart do drugs?
Anyway my favorite memory of Ray is his entire cameo in The Blues Brothers with the big "Shake a Tail Feather" number. Awesome stuff. He was having such a blast.
- fancypiper
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Substance abuse sidetrack
Hah! I had forgotten about laudanum.
That reminds me. They outlawed paragoric (extract of opium, I think that was) when my second son was born, so I had to listen to a lot of crying when his teeth came in.
A drop on your finger, rub gum where tooth was about to erupt and it was instant relief for my eldest.
It was the best stuff I ever saw to ease dihrheaah (what?? the scours, we called it when the cows got it) cramps. 1 TBS would do it for me, at least.
That reminds me. They outlawed paragoric (extract of opium, I think that was) when my second son was born, so I had to listen to a lot of crying when his teeth came in.
A drop on your finger, rub gum where tooth was about to erupt and it was instant relief for my eldest.
It was the best stuff I ever saw to ease dihrheaah (what?? the scours, we called it when the cows got it) cramps. 1 TBS would do it for me, at least.
- glauber
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Yeah. "Ain't nothing wrong with the action on this piano, boy!" Awesome. The guy could play an acoustic piano, Rhodes, Hammond organ, all with the same competence. And he could take any old song and make it something special.Pat Cannady wrote:Anyway my favorite memory of Ray is his entire cameo in The Blues Brothers with the big "Shake a Tail Feather" number. Awesome stuff. He was having such a blast.
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What kind of whistle did he play?
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- Chuck_Clark
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Its really too bad that Ray Charles' passing was almost lost in the Reagan State Funeral Games. For me, his passing was more of a loss than that of a 16-year-gone former president and he should have had more of a chance to be properly mourned.
Its hard to think of another musician in the last century who influenced so many musical genres and through them touched so many different people around the World.
Its hard to think of another musician in the last century who influenced so many musical genres and through them touched so many different people around the World.
- fancypiper
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More great musicians with lots of influence off the top of my head:
Coletrain (SP?)? Hendrix? Benny Goodman? Elvis? Sachmo? Paddy Moloney? Davy Spillaine? Rufus Hartley?
Coletrain (SP?)? Hendrix? Benny Goodman? Elvis? Sachmo? Paddy Moloney? Davy Spillaine? Rufus Hartley?
Last edited by fancypiper on Fri Jun 11, 2004 11:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ray Charles ...
My wife & I were fortunate to have seen & heard Ray at an outdoor concert at the Masson Vineyards in Saratoga, CA about 20 years ago. What a talent! He did "Georgia On My Mind" as an encore & there was thunderous applause, as there should have been.
Since then, "Georgia" has been on of my all-time favorites by him. (A.T.B. is the other.) I heard today that in 4/2004 Ray recorded a duet album with Willie Nelson. I hope to buy it when the CD comes out.
Dan ("docrrnmwp")
Since then, "Georgia" has been on of my all-time favorites by him. (A.T.B. is the other.) I heard today that in 4/2004 Ray recorded a duet album with Willie Nelson. I hope to buy it when the CD comes out.
Dan ("docrrnmwp")
Daniel O'Connell, Rio Rancho, NM
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- glauber
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FenderFJohnSharp wrote:What kind of whistle did he play?
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- dubhlinn
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[quote="fancypiper"]More great musicians with lots of influence off the top of my head:
Coletrain (SP?)? Hendrix? Benny Goodman? Elvis? Sachmo? Paddy Mol
oney? Davy Spillaine? Rufus Hartley?[/quote
OK, I Have a funny feeling that I am about to walk right into it here but who is Rufus Hartley?
In passing, I think that one of the many things we owe Ray Charles is that he showed the world that Country music has a whole lot of soul and slow burning passion ( Your Cheatin' Heart). Who would have thought that such a sensual track started out as a typical tearjerkin'cowboy song?
Slan,
D.
Coletrain (SP?)? Hendrix? Benny Goodman? Elvis? Sachmo? Paddy Mol
oney? Davy Spillaine? Rufus Hartley?[/quote
OK, I Have a funny feeling that I am about to walk right into it here but who is Rufus Hartley?
In passing, I think that one of the many things we owe Ray Charles is that he showed the world that Country music has a whole lot of soul and slow burning passion ( Your Cheatin' Heart). Who would have thought that such a sensual track started out as a typical tearjerkin'cowboy song?
Slan,
D.