This varied, budget-priced, four-disc set collects seven of the great Ray Charles' Atlantic Records LPs, plus an LP from ABC Records in the same package, which means one hears Charles in all sorts of formats, with small combos, at the piano in an intimate setting, with full orchestras, and in live performance, and it adds up to a wide-angle look at one of the most important voices of 20th century pop music. Included are the albums Ray Charles and The Great Ray Charles, both from 1957, Yes, Indeed!! and Brothers of Soul, both from 1958, Ray Charles at Newport, What'd I Say, and The Genius of Ray Charles, all from 1959, and The Genius Hits the Road from 1960. Genius, indeed -- this is vintage Ray Charles in the middle of his legendary career, all for a budget price. by Steve Leggett
Tracklist:
Ray Charles (1957)
1-1 Ain't That Love 2:51
Written-By – Ray Charles
1-2 Drown In My Own Tears 3:20
Written-By – Henry Glover
1-3 Come Back Baby 3:04
Written-By – Ray Charles
1-4 Sinner's Prayer 3:22
Written-By – Lowell Fulson
1-5 Funny (But I Still Love You) 3:12
Written-By – Ray Charles
1-6 Losing Hand 3:09
Written-By – Charles Calhoun
1-7 A Fool For You 3:00
Written-By – Ray Charles
1-8 Hallelujah I Love Her So 2:33
Written-By – Ray Charles
1-9 Mess Around 2:39
Written-By – Nugetre
1-10 This Little Girl Of Mine 2:31
Written-By – Ray Charles
1-11 Mary Ann 2:44
Written-By – Ray Charles
1-12 Greenbacks 2:50
Written-By – Renald Richard
1-13 Don't You Know 2:54
Written-By – Ray Charles
1-14 I Got A Woman 2:50
Written-By – Ray Charles
The Great Ray Charles (1957)
1-15 The Ray 3:55
Written-By, Arranged By – Quincy Jones
1-16 My Melancholy Baby 4:20
Written-By – Ernie Burnett, George A. Norton, Maybelle E. Watson
1-17 Black Coffee 5:29
Written-By – Paul Francis Webster, Sonny Burke
1-18 There's No You 4:44
Written-By – Hal Hopper, Tom Adair
1-19 Doodlin' 5:50
Written-By – Horace Silver
1-20 Sweet Sixteen Bars 4:04
Written-By – Ray Charles
1-21 I Surrender Dear 5:04
Written-By – Gordon Clifford, Harry Barris
1-22 I Got A Woman 2:50
Yes Indeed (1958)
2-1 What Would I Do Without You 2:34
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-2 It's All Right 2:17
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-3 I Want To Know 2:11
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-4 Yes Indeed 2:17
Written-By – Sy Oliver
2-5 Get On The Right Track Baby 2:19
Written-By – Ray Charles, Titus Turner
2-6 Talkin' 'Bout You 2:49
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-7 Swanee River Rock (Talkin' About That River) 2:17
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-8 Lonely Avenue 2:34
Written-By – Doc Pomus
2-9 Blackjack 2:20
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-10 The Sun's Gonna Shine Again 2:38
Written-By – Sam Sweet
2-11 I Had A Dream 2:54
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-12 I Want A Little Girl 2:56
Written-By – Billy Moll, Murray Mencher
2-13 Heartbreaker 2:53
Written-By – Nugetre
2-14 Leave My Woman Alone 2:41
Written-By – Ray Charles
Ray Charles At Newport (1959)
2-15 Night Time Is The Right Time 4:04
Written-By – Lew Herman, Nappy Brown, Ozzie Cadena
2-16 In A Little Spanish Town 3:38
Written-By – Joe Young (3), Mabel Wayne, Sam Lewis
2-17 I Got A Women 6:19
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-18 Blues Waltz 6:24
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-19 Hot Rod (The Spirit Feel) 3:46
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-20 Talkin' About You 4:22
Written-By – Ray Charles
2-21 Sherry 4:26
Written-By – Bennie Crawford
2-22 A Fool For You 7:11
Written-By – Ray Charles
What I'd Say (1959)
3-1 What I'd Say Part 1 & 2 5:04
3-2 Jumpin' In The Morning 2:48
3-3 You Be My Baby 2:30
3-4 Tell Me How Do You Feel 2:44
3-5 What Kind Of Man Are You 2:50
3-6 Rockhouse Part 1 & 2 3:52
3-7 Roll With Me Baby 2:37
3-8 Tell All The World About You 2:02
3-9 My Bonnie 2:50
3-10 That's Enough 2:46
The Genius Of Ray Charles (1959)
3-11 Let The Good Times Roll 2:53
3-12 It Had To Be You 2:45
3-13 Alexander's Ragtime Band 2:53
3-14 Two Years Of Torture 3:25
3-15 When Your Love Has Gone 2:51
3-16 Deed I Do 2:27
3-17 Just For A Thrill 3:26
3-18 You Won't Let Me Go 3:22
3-19 Tell Me You'll Wait For Me 3:25
3-20 Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying 3:46
3-21 Am I Blue 3:41
3-22 Come Rain Or Come Shine 3:42
Soul Brothers (1958)
4-1 Soul Brothers 9:31
4-2 How Long Blues 9:11
4-3 Cosmic Ray 5:19
4-4 Blue Funk 8:05
4-5 Bag's Guitar Blues 6:25
4-6 Deed I Do 5:47
The Genius Hits The Road (1960)
4-7 Alabamy Bound 1:51
4-8 Georgia On My Mind 3:33
4-9 Basin Street Blues 2:42
4-10 Mississippi Mud 3:21
4-11 Moonlight In Vermont 3:00
4-12 New York's My Home 3:01
4-13 California, Here I Come 2:06
4-14 Moon Over Miami 3:16
4-15 Deep In The Heart Of Texas 2:24
4-16 Carry Me Back To Old Virginia 1:58
4-17 Blue Hawaii 2:55
4-18 Chattanooga Choo Choo
Credits:
Alto Saxophone – Ray Charles (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22; 4-1 to 4-6)
Baritone Saxophone – Bennie Crawford (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22)
Bass – Edgar Wills (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22), Oscar Pettiford (tracks: 4-1 to 4-6)
Drums – Connie Kay (tracks: 4-1 to 4-6), Richie Goldberg (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22)
Guitar – Kenny Burrell (tracks: 4-1 to 4-6), Skeeter Best (tracks: 4-1 to 4-6)
Keyboards – Ray Charles (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22; 3-1 to 3-10)
Orchestra – The Ray Charles Orchestra (tracks: 1-1 to 1-14)
Piano – Milt Jackson (tracks: 4-1 to 4-6), Ray Charles (tracks: 1-1 to 1-22; 2-1 to 2-14; 3-11 to 3-22; 4-1 to 4-18)
Tenor Saxophone – Billy Mitchell (tracks: 4-1 to 4-6), David Newman (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22)
Trumpet – Lee Harper (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22), Marcus Belgrave (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22)
Vibraphone – Milt Jackson (tracks: 4-1 to 4-6)
Vocals – Marjorie Hendricks (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22), Ray Charles (tracks: 1-1 to 1-22; 2-1 to 2-22; 3-1 to 3-22; 4-7 to 4-18)
Vocals [Vocal Group] – The Raeletts (tracks: 2-15 to 2-22)
