RAY CHARLES is one of the founding fathers of soul music. His ‘What’d I Say’ is often cited as the first recording to define “soul music”, melding, as it did, blues, jazz and gospel into something quite new and exciting. However, Uncle Ray’s career was mile-stoned by countless other achievements – none, maybe, as important as his 1962 album ‘Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music’. The album was an immediate critical and commercial success with hits like ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ catapulting the artist into the mainstream. Importantly too, ‘Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music’ helped challenge racial barriers – a black artist going country!
The success of that LP meant a second volume was a no brainer and though ‘Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music 2’ wasn’t as big a seller as the first volume it did hit #2 on the US album charts and spawned a trio of hits like ‘Your Cheatin’ Heart’.
Both these iconic LPs were recently reissued in remastered form by Tangerine – the label that Charles set up in 1962 in a contractual arrangement with ABC/Paramount and you can read full reviews here – https://www.soulandjazzandfunk.com/reviews/ray-charles-modern-sounds-in-country-western-music-volumes-1-2-tangerine/
Tangerine (in full cooperation with the Ray Charles estate) have also just made available three more albums that continue to chronicle Charles’ dalliance with country sounds.
First up there’s a remastered reissue of 1965’s Country And Western Meets Rhythm And Blues.(above) The album is sometimes confusingly called ‘Together Again’ – simply because the LP’s biggest hit was Charles’ emotional version of that Buck Owens country standard. Other key tracks include ‘Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Swingova)’ and ‘I Like To Hear It Sometime – with the Raelettes and big band in full flow. This particular album’s been out of print for over fifty years – welcome back!
The second new Tangerine reissue is 1966’s ’Crying Time’ , another one that’s been out of print for over half a century. The LP’s title track (another Buck Owens song) is one of Charles’ best loved songs – achingly soulful. Little wonder it earned him the GRAMMY for Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance Male, The album also includes the rousing ‘Let’s Go Get Stoned’. Written, of course, by Ashford and Simpson with help from Ronnie Milsap, this one was a number 1 Billboard singles hit.
The third Tangerine release is actually a new album – a compilation of 13 of the best-known of the singer’s country-flavoured songs. Most are taken from his classic 60s albums but you do get the stirring 1985 duet with Willie Nelson – ‘Seven Spanish Angels’ . This album’s simply and rightly called ‘Ray Charles: Best of Country & Western’ . Undoubted highlight of Ray’s involvement with country music will always be ‘I Can’t Stop Loving You’ (included of course) which we present in our “one to watch” video box. This live rendition (slightly different to the original) is taken from a concert at Montreux in 1997. Enjoy!
