Modern Sounds in Country and Western - Part 2

Ray Charles: Modern Sounds in Country and Western - Part 2

Album #24 - October 1962

Episode date - May 15, 2024

The Top 500 of The Top 40
    0:00
    0:00

    There’s an old axiom that could serve as the number one rule of the music industry – ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.’ Record executives spend their lives trying to squeeze out hits, but it is not an easy process, as can be seen by the number of songs that never get off the ground.

    When something does manage to spark interest, the guys in suits always look to repeat the successful formula. On paper, the idea of Ray Charles recording an album of Country/Western songs didn’t make ABC-Paramount’s record executives jump for joy, until it became one of the country’s all-time best-selling Country albums and quickly crossed over to the pop charts, where it sat at #1 for fourteen weeks.

    With that type of success, the axiom surely determined the next move and they quickly set to work recording “Part Two.” Despite instinct, the axiom often fails because the follow-up sounds redundant and/or stale, but Charles’ second collection of Country/Western songs met the challenge and even raised the ante. For this collection, Charles and producer Sid Feller mixed things up by not mixing them up. Using the formula applied to 1959’s “The Genius of Ray Charles,” side one features a big band playing mostly hot arrangements, while side two features lush orchestration and a backing choir. The moods of the two sides could hardly be more different but Charles remains impeccable, swinging with cool sophistication on side one, while squeezing every ounce of emotion from the sad tunes on side two. 

    Featured Tracks:

    You Are My Sunshine

    No Letter Today

    Someday (You'll Want Me to Want You)

    Don't Tell Me Your Troubles

    Midnight

    Oh Lonesome Me

    Take These Chains from My Heart

    Your Cheating Heart

    I'll Never Stand in Your Way

    Making Believe

    Teardrops in My Heart

    Hang Your Head in Shame

    October 1962 - Billboard Charted #33

    Related Shows

    Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story

    Rod Stewart: Every Picture Tells a Story

    Album #163 - May 1971

      0:00
      0:00
      Elton John - 11/17/70

      Elton John: 11/17/70

      Album #162 - April 1971

        0:00
        0:00
        The Doors: L.A. Woman

        The Doors: L.A. Woman

        Album 161 - April 1971

          0:00
          0:00
          Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - 4 Way Street

          Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young: 4 Way Street - Part 2

          Album 160 - April 1971

            0:00
            0:00

            Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young: 4 Way Street - Part 1

            Album 160 - April 1971

              0:00
              0:00
              The Rolling Stone -: Sticky Fingers

              The Rolling Stones: Sticky Fingers

              Album #159 - April 1971

                0:00
                0:00
                Alice Cooper -  “Love It to Death”

                Alice Cooper: Love It to Death

                Album # 158 - March 1971

                  0:00
                  0:00
                  Jethro Tull - Aqualung

                  Jethro Tull: Aqualung

                  Album #157 - March 1971

                    0:00
                    0:00
                    Yes - The Yes Album

                    Yes: The Yes Album

                    Album #156 - February 1971

                      0:00
                      0:00
                      David Crosby - If I Could Only Remember My Name

                      David Crosby: If I Could Only Remember My Name

                      Album #155 - February 1971

                        0:00
                        0:00
                        Carole King - Tapestry

                        Carole King: Tapestry

                        Album #154 - February 1971

                          0:00
                          0:00
                          Janis Joplin - Pearl

                          Janis Joplin: Pearl

                          Album #153 - January 1971

                            0:00
                            0:00