The Great Ray Charles
Encyclopedia
The Great Ray Charles is Ray Charles
' second album for Atlantic Records
, released in 1957. Later CD re-issues often include as a bonus, six of eight tracks from The Genius After Hours
.
Side B
Note: Some sources list "Ain't Misbehavin'
" in place of "Black Coffee".
Songs written by Ray Charles
unless otherwise indicated.
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
' second album for Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
, released in 1957. Later CD re-issues often include as a bonus, six of eight tracks from The Genius After Hours
The Genius After Hours
The Genius After Hours is a 1961 album by Ray Charles. All of the songs were taken from the same three studio sessions that created the album The Great Ray Charles which featured the use of both a trio and a septet; the latter arranged by Quincy Jones...
.
Original LP release
Side A- "The Ray" (Quincy JonesQuincy JonesQuincy Delightt Jones, Jr. is an American record producer and musician. A conductor, musical arranger, film composer, television producer, and trumpeter. His career spans five decades in the entertainment industry and a record 79 Grammy Award nominations, 27 Grammys, including a Grammy Legend...
) – 4:00 - "My Melancholy BabyMy Melancholy Baby"My Melancholy Baby" is a popular song published in 1912 and first sung publicly by William Frawley. The music was written by Ernie Burnett, the lyrics by George A...
" (Ernie Burnett, George A. Norton) – 4:20 - "Black CoffeeBlack Coffee (1948 song)"Black Coffee" is a song. The music was written by Sonny Burke, the lyrics by Paul Francis Webster. The song was published in 1948. Sarah Vaughan charted with this song in 1949 on Columbia. Peggy Lee first released her version in 1953...
" (Sonny BurkeSonny BurkeSonny Burke was a big band leader. In 1937, he graduated from Duke University where he had formed and led the jazz big band known as the Duke Ambassadors....
, Paul WebsterPaul Francis WebsterPaul Francis Webster was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Song and was nominated sixteen times for the award.-Biography:...
) – 5:32 - "There's No You" (Tom AdairTom AdairThomas "Tom" Montgomery Adair was an American songwriter, composer, and screenwriter.-Biography:Born in Newton, Kansas, worked at a power company and the Saturday Evening Post, writing numerous poems, while penning the songs in his spare time. In 1941, Adair met Matt Dennis in a club and the duo...
, Harold Hopper) – 4:47
Side B
- "Doodlin' (Horace SilverHorace SilverHorace Silver , born Horace Ward Martin Tavares Silva in Norwalk, Connecticut, is an American jazz pianist and composer....
) – 5:54 - "Sweet Sixteen Bars" – 4:07
- "I Surrender DearI Surrender Dear"I Surrender Dear" is a song composed by Harry Barris with lyrics by Gordon Clifford. It was first performed by Bing Crosby in the film I Surrender Dear and became his first solo hit. It has been covered by a large number of artists, making it a jazz and pop standard...
" (Harry BarrisHarry BarrisHarry Barris was an American popular singer and songwriter.Born in New York City, he was a member of the Rhythm Boys, a late 1920s singing trio which included Al Rinker and Bing Crosby, and was Crosby's entry into show business...
, Gordon Clifford) – 5:08 - "Undecided" (Sid Robin, Charlie ShaversCharlie ShaversCharles James Shavers , known as Charlie Shavers, was an American swing era jazz trumpet player who played at one time or another with Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Johnny Dodds, Jimmy Noone, Sidney Bechet, Midge Williams and Billie Holiday...
) – 3:40
Note: Some sources list "Ain't Misbehavin'
Ain't Misbehavin' (song)
"Ain't Misbehavin" is a 1929 song written by Thomas "Fats" Waller, Harry Brooks and Andy Razaf . Waller recorded the original version that year for Victor Records and also later performed the song in the 1943 film Stormy Weather. It was used in the off-broadway musical Connie's Hot Chocolates...
" in place of "Black Coffee".
1990 CD reissue
Includes 6 bonus tracks from The Genius After HoursThe Genius After Hours
The Genius After Hours is a 1961 album by Ray Charles. All of the songs were taken from the same three studio sessions that created the album The Great Ray Charles which featured the use of both a trio and a septet; the latter arranged by Quincy Jones...
- "Dawn Ray" – 5:03
- "The Man I LoveThe Man I Love (song)"The Man I Love" is a popular standard, with music by George Gershwin and lyrics by his brother Ira. Originally part of the 1924 score for the Gershwin government satire Lady, Be Good as "The Girl I Love", the song was deleted from the show as well as from both the 1927 anti-war satire Strike Up...
" (George GershwinGeorge GershwinGeorge Gershwin was an American composer and pianist. Gershwin's compositions spanned both popular and classical genres, and his most popular melodies are widely known...
, Ira GershwinIra GershwinIra Gershwin was an American lyricist who collaborated with his younger brother, composer George Gershwin, to create some of the most memorable songs of the 20th century....
) – 4:26 - "Music, Music, MusicMusic! Music! Music!"Music! Music! Music!" is a popular song written by Stephen Weiss and Bernie Baum and published in 1949.The biggest-selling version of the song was recorded by Teresa Brewer on December 20, 1949, and released by London Records as catalog number 604. It became a #1 hit and a million-seller in 1950...
" (Bernie BaumBernie BaumBernie Baum was a songwriter who worked extensively with Elvis Presley. He grew up in New York City and later worked with Harvey Zimmerman and Florence Kaye. The majority of their songs were used in Presley's musicals. Their work was also credited in the American version of Kimba the White Lion...
, Stephen Weiss) – 2:53 - "Black Coffee" (Burke, Webster) – 5:43
- "The Ray" (Jones) – 3:55
- "I Surrender DearI Surrender Dear"I Surrender Dear" is a song composed by Harry Barris with lyrics by Gordon Clifford. It was first performed by Bing Crosby in the film I Surrender Dear and became his first solo hit. It has been covered by a large number of artists, making it a jazz and pop standard...
" (Barris, Clifford) – 5:08 - "Hornful Soul" – 5:29
- "Ain't Misbehavin'" (Harry BrooksHarry Brooks (composer)Harry Brooks was an American writer of popular songs, jazz pianist and composer in the 1920s through the early 1950s....
, Andy Razaf, Fats WallerFats WallerFats Waller , born Thomas Wright Waller, was a jazz pianist, organist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer...
) – 5:40 - "Joy Ride" – 4:39
- "Sweet Sixteen Bars" – 4:06
- "Doodlin'" (Silver) – 5:53
- "There's No You" (Adair, Hopper) – 4:49
- "Undecided" (Robin, Shavers) – 3:40
- "My Melancholy Baby" (Burnett, Norton) – 4:22
Songs written by Ray Charles
Ray Charles
Ray Charles Robinson , known by his shortened stage name Ray Charles, was an American musician. He was a pioneer in the genre of soul music during the 1950s by fusing rhythm and blues, gospel, and blues styles into his early recordings with Atlantic Records...
unless otherwise indicated.