This 180-gram LP features all of Ray Charles’ Billboard top 10 hits from the years 1953 to 1959, including such classics as Let The Good Times Roll, Hallelujah I Love Her So and Lonely Avenue.
The first track is Charles’ own What’d I Say, an important landmark in his success at Atlantic Records, combining his love of gospel, jazz and blues with Latin influences. The track also gained media attention, with some radio stations banning it due to its sexually suggestive lyrics even though it had become Charles’ first crossover top 10 record.
His composition I’ve Got A Woman, which he recorded in 1954, became one of his most notable hits. It reached number one on the R&B charts and paved a path for the development of both rock and roll and soul music.
By 1959, he’d released his first country cover, a version of Hank Snow’s I’m Movin’ On as well as releasing The Genius Of Ray Charles. The latter secured his first top 40 album entry, peaking at number 17 and marking a pivotal point in Charles’ career.
The pressing from Waxtime is well produced and thought through, with no bonus tracks needed. Although it’s part of their “In Color” series, the vinyl here is black. The packaging includes by a short extract from Ben Fong-Torres’ 1973 Charles interview for Rolling Stone. At an affordable price, this record would be useful addition to any start-up vinyl jazz collection.
Discography
What’d I Say (Parts I & II); Drown In My Own Tears; Mary Ann; I’ve Got A Woman; A Fool For You; Come Back Baby; (Night Time Is) The Right Time; Greenbacks; What Would I Do Without You?; Hallelujah I Love Her So; It Should’ve Been Me; Lonely Avenue; Blackjack; Ain’t That Love; This Little Girl Of Mine; Don’t You Know; I’m Movin’ On; Let The Good Times Roll (53.01)
Charles (v, p); Joe Bridgewater, Charles Whitley, John Hunt (t); Bennie “Hank” Crawford (as); Don Wilkerson, Sam “The Man” Taylor, David “Fathead” Newman, Dave McRae (ts); Leroy “Hog” Cooper (bar); Wesley Jackson, Mickey Baker (g); Jimmy Bell, Edgar Willis (b); Glenn Brooks, Panama Francis (d); The Raelettes (v). Atlanta and New York, 1953-59.
Waxtime In Color 772307
