This is a discography of American musician
Ray Charles.
Overview
Ray Charles first appeared on a ''Billboard'' chart in 1949, when — as part of the Maxin Trio with G.D. McKee and Milton Garred — he charted his first single with "Confession Blues." It reached No. 2 on the R&B chart, then called the Most-Played Juke Box Race Records. In 1952, Charles signed with
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 went on to top ''Billboard''s pop, country, R&B, jazz, and dance charts.
In the early 1960s, after leaving Atlantic Records to sign with
ABC–Paramount, he negotiated for ownership of his own master recordings. He also established his own labels.
Tangerine came first, which later evolved into CrossOver Records. As a songwriter, Charles penned nearly 200 songs. He also operated his own publishing companies, Tangerine Music and Racer Music.
On the
''Billboard'' Hot 100, Charles had 80 hits between 1958 (the year the chart began) and 1990, when "
I'll Be Good to You
"I'll Be Good to You" is a 1976 hit song by R&B duo the Brothers Johnson. George Johnson, one of the two Johnson brothers in the band, wrote the song after deciding to commit to a relationship with one woman, instead of dating several at a time. ...
" became his last Hot 100 single, reaching No. 18. His biggest hit, "
I Can't Stop Loving You", spent five weeks at No. 1 in 1962. He also topped the Hot 100 with the singles "
Hit the Road Jack" and "
Georgia on My Mind".
Among all acts, he charted the third-most singles on the Hot 100; only Elvis Presley (with 108) and James Brown (91) had more.
On
''Billboard''s R&B chart, Charles had 86 hits, including 11 chart-toppers such as "
I've Got a Woman
I've Sound, or simply called , is a Japanese techno/trance music production group based in Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan. Led by Kazuya Takase, it features the talents of seasoned "sound creators" and many different vocalists, known as to their fa ...
", "
What'd I Say (Part 1)", "Hit the Road Jack", and "
You Are My Sunshine."
Charles also reached No. 1 on the
Hot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States.
This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...
chart in 1985 with "
Seven Spanish Angels", a duet with
Willie Nelson. The single appears on Charles' duets album, ''
Friendship'', which reached No. 1 on Top Country Albums. His 1962 album, ''
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music'', became his first album to top the
''Billboard'' 200.
In 1990, Charles had a No. 1 on the
Hot Dance Club Songs
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as t ...
chart with "I'll Be Good to You", a collaboration with
Quincy Jones and
Chaka Khan
Yvette Marie Stevens (born March 23, 1953), better known by her stage name Chaka Khan (), is an American singer. Her career has spanned more than five decades, beginning in the 1970s as the lead vocalist of the funk band Rufus. Known as the " Qu ...
.
Albums
The Atlantic years
The ABC years
1973–2004
Posthumous albums
Compilations
Hundreds of Ray Charles compilations and "Greatest Hits/Best Of" albums have been released and continue to be produced and released by various labels around the world. Some of the more notable compilations include:
*1958: ''Ray Charles'' (Coronet)
*1959: ''The Original Ray Charles'' (Hollywood)
*1959: ''The Fabulous Ray Charles'' (Hollywood)
*1961: ''
Do the Twist! with Ray Charles'' (Atlantic)
eissued as ''The Greatest Ray Charles''*1962: ''The Ray Charles Story, Volume One'' (Atlantic)
*1962: ''The Ray Charles Story, Volume Two'' (Atlantic)
*1963: ''The Ray Charles Story, Volume Three'' (Atlantic)
*1964: ''The Ray Charles Story, Volume Four'' (Atlantic)
*1967: ''
A Man And His Soul'' (ABC)
*1970: ''
The Best of Ray Charles'' (Atlantic) (BPI: Silver)
*1971: ''A 25th Anniversary in Show Business Salute to Ray Charles'' (ABC)
*1973: ''
Ray Charles Live
''Ray Charles Live'' is a double LP compilation album by Ray Charles, released by Atlantic Records in 1973.
It consists of live concert recordings previously released on ''Ray Charles at Newport'' and ''Ray Charles in Person'' (recorded at the ...
'' (Atlantic)
*1978: ''The Tender Side of Ray Charles'' (Suffolk Marketing, Inc.)
*1980: ''Heart to Heart'' (Endeavour) (AUS #46)
[
*1987: ''Ray Charles – His Greatest Hits, Volume 1/Volume 2'' (DCC Compact Classics)
*1988: '']Ray Charles Anthology
''Anthology'' is the first compact disc to collect many of soul music icon Ray Charles' ABC-Paramount-era recordings. AllMusic considers it to be "the best single CD collection of Ray Charles' '60s and '70s ABC-Paramount material", while Rhino Re ...
'' ( Rhino) 960–1972 ABC material*1989: ''Seven Spanish Angels and Other Hits'' (Columbia)
*1990: ''The Collection'' (Castle Communications) (AUS #34)RAY
Ray may refer to:
Fish
* Ray (fish), any cartilaginous fish of the superorder Batoidea
* Ray (fish fin anatomy), a bony or horny spine on a fin
Science and mathematics
* Ray (geometry), half of a line proceeding from an initial point
* Ray (g ...
'' (Rhino/WEA) (AUS #7)
Singles
Down Beat, Swing Beat, Swing Time releases
1949: The McSon Trio ( Maxin Trio and Maxim Trio):[''Ray Charles, The Way I Feel'' liner notes]
link
*"I Love You, I Love You (I Will Never Let You Go)" / "Confession Blues
"Confession Blues" is a song by The Mcson Trio released in 1949 as a single on the Down Beat Records label (later known as Swing Time). The single featured American rhythm and blues (R&B) musician Ray Charles on piano and vocals. The song was writ ...
"
:''"Confession Blues" reached No. 2 on the U.S. R&B charts.''
*"Blues Before Sunrise" / " How Long Blues"
*"A Sentimental Blues" / "You'll Never Miss the Water (Until the Well's Gone Dry)"
*"Alone in the City" / "Can Anyone Ask for More?"
*"Rockin' Chair Blues" / "Let's Have a Ball" (a.k.a. "Here I Am")
*"If I Give You My Love" / "This Love of Mine" (a.k.a. "The Honey Bee")
*"Ain't That Fine" / "Don't Put All Your Dreams in One Basket"
1949–1953: Ray Charles, The Ray Charles Trio:
*"I've Had My Fun (Going Down Slow)" / " Sitting on Top of the World (Now She's Gone)" (1949)
*" See See Rider" / "What Have I Done?" (1950)
*"She's on the Ball" / "Honey, Honey" (1950)
*"Th' Ego Song" ("Sweet as Can Be") / "Late in the Evening" (1950)
*"Some Day" (a.k.a. " Worried Life Blues"/"Someday Baby") / "I'll Do Anything but Work" (1950)
*" I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now" / "All to Myself" (1951)
*"Lonely Boy" / "Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand" (1951)
:''"Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand" reached No. 5 on the U.S. R&B charts.''
*"I'm Glad for Your Sake" / "Kissa Me Baby" (1952)
:''"Kissa Me Baby" reached No. 8 on the U.S. R&B charts.''
*"Baby Won't You Please Come Home
"Baby Won't You Please Come Home" is a blues song written by Charles Warfield and Clarence Williams in 1919. The song's authorship is disputed; Warfield claims that he was the sole composer of the song.
The song has been covered by many musicia ...
" / "Hey Now" (1952)
*"Baby Let Me Hear You Call My Name" / "Guitar Blues" (B-side by Rufus Beacham Orchestra) (1952)
*"I Can't Do No More" / "Roly Poly" (a.k.a. "Back Home") (B-side by Rufus Beacham Orchestra) (1952)
*"Walkin' and Talkin' to Myself" / "I'm Wonderin' and Wonderin'" (1952)
*"Misery in My Heart" / "The Snow Is Falling (Snowfall)" (1953)
Atlantic releases
The list of singles below are songs Ray Charles released while on the Atlantic label between 1952 and 1980.
ABC releases
This list below is of songs Ray Charles released on the ABC-Paramount
ABC Records was an American record label founded in New York City in 1955. It originated as the main popular music label operated by the Am-Par Record Corporation. Am-Par also created the Impulse! Records, Impulse! jazz label in 1960. It acquire ...
, ABC, and subsidiary Impulse and Tangerine/TRC labels from 1960 to 1973.
*AThrough a period between November 1963 and January 1965, Billboard Magazine did not publish an R&B singles chart. Positions shown are from the Cashbox RnB Charts during this period.
CrossOver releases
This list below is of songs Ray Charles released while on the CrossOver label from 1973 to 1976.
Columbia releases (all country music)
Listed below are songs Ray Charles released during his Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label owned by Sony Music, Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of Japanese Conglomerate (company), conglomerate Sony. It was founded on Janua ...
tenure which was spent on the country singles chart.
Other releases
Listed below are songs Ray Charles issued on various labels where the pop and R&B charts are concerned.
''Billboard'' Year-end performances
Video performances
*''O Genio – Live in Brazil 1963'' (Rhino) 1963 São Paulo performance
*''The Dick Cavett Show – Ray Charles Collection'' (Shout! Factory Theatre) 1972 and 1973 TV appearances
*''Soul of the Holy Land'' (Xenon) 1973 Israel tour
*''Ray Charles Live – In Concert with the Edmonton Symphony'' (Eagle Rock) 1981 performance
*''Ray Charles – 50 Years in Music'' (Image Entertainment) 1991 Pasadena, CA performance
*''Live at Montreux, 1997'' (Eagle Rock, Sunset Home Visual Entertainment)
*''Ray Charles, Live at the Olympia, 2000'' (XIII Bis) 2000 Paris performance
*''Ray Charles in Concert'' (with special guest Diane Schuur) (Image Entertainment) 1999 Miami, FL 'Lighthouse for the Blind' benefit
*''Ray Charles Celebrates a Gospel Christmas with Voices of Jubilation'' (Urban Works, Medialink Entertainment, LLC) 2002 Green Bay, WI performance
*''The Legend Lives On'' (Immortal) video compilation of various performances
References
External links
Album Discography at RayCharles.com
*Ray Charles Discography
This is a discography of American musician Ray Charles.
Overview
Ray Charles first appeared on a ''Billboard'' chart in 1949, when — as part of the Maxin Trio with G.D. McKee and Milton Garred — he charted his first single with "Confession ...
at AllMusic.
Robert Christgau reviews of several Charles albumsRay Charles lyrics
at Yahoo! Music
Atlantic Records discography at jazzdisco.org
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Charles, Ray
Discography
Discographies of American artists
Pop music discographies
Rock music discographies
Rhythm and blues discographies