"It Should've Been Me" is a 1954

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

song written by Memphis Curtis, produced by

Ahmet Ertegun Ahmet Ertegun (, Turkish spelling: Ahmet Ertegün; ; – December 14, 2006) was a Turkish-American businessman, songwriter, record executive and philanthropist. Ertegun was the co-founder and president of Atlantic Records. He discovered and ch ...

and recorded and released as a single by American singer

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

. Recorded at the same May 10, 1953 session as the boogie-woogie-like R&B hit " Mess Around", which was written by Ertegun and released first, "It Should've Been Me" played on a comedic

rap Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...

vibe/jive in which Charles talked about certain instances where he was smitten with "fine chicks" only to be dismayed that they had partners causing Charles (and in background vocal, Atlantic session musician and writer

Jesse Stone Jesse Albert Stone (November 16, 1901 – April 1, 1999) was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres. He also used the pseudonyms Charles Calhoun and Chuck Calhoun. His best-know ...

), to say "it should have been (him) with (those) real fine chick(s)." Despite being blind since the age of seven, Ray repeatedly states in the song that he saw different things and different "chicks." Released in early 1954, the song became Charles' first charted hit for

Atlantic Records Atlantic Recording Corporation (simply known as Atlantic Records) is an American record label founded in October 1947 by Ahmet Ertegun and Herb Abramson. Over its first 20 years of operation, Atlantic earned a reputation as one of the most i ...

and soon reached number five on the Billboard R&B singles chart. The song begins: :''As I passed by, a real fine hotel, a chick walked out, she sure looked swell..'' James Booker covered the song on his album ''Resurrection Of The Bayou Maharajah'' (1993) as part of a medley with "Life" and "Wine Spo-Dee-O-Dee".

Personnel

*Lead vocals and piano by Ray Charles *Background vocals by Jesse Stone *Produced by Ahmet Ertegun

References

1954 singles Ray Charles songs Atlantic Records singles 1953 songs Song recordings produced by Ahmet Ertegun Songs written by Eddie Curtis {{1950s-R&B-song-stub