Do I Ever Cross Your Mind: Ray Charles' Post-Atlantic Recordings Explored on "True Genius" Box Set
June 18, 2021 By Joe Marchese 12 Comments
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Ray Charles formed Tangerine Records in 1962 as part of the creative freedom he earned by jumping from Atlantic Records to ABC-Paramount. In addition to many of his Charles' own recordings, Tangerine issued music from Louis Jordan, Percy Mayfield, Jimmy Scott, Ike and Tina Turner, and other artists championed by The Genius. The label closed in 1973 when Charles departed the ABC roster, but the Ray Charles Foundation has recently reactivated it for a special 6-CD anthology celebrating its founder.
True Genius, due on September 10, is a book-style package featuring nearly 100 tracks culled from almost every one of Charles' post-Atlantic albums originally issued on Tangerine and its successor Crossover Records as well as the Impulse!, RCA, Columbia, Warner Bros., and Concord labels. (Tracks appear to be missing from 1985's The Spirit of Christmas, 1995's Strong Love Affair, and 2002's Thanks for Bringing Love Around Again.)
In addition to album tracks (many of which haven't been previously released on CD), the collection features non-LP singles and a previously unreleased 1972 concert recorded in Stockholm. All six discs have been newly mastered and are housed in a 44-page hardcover book featuring liner notes by Ray Charles Foundation President Valerie Erwin and journalist A. Scott Galloway plus a message from Quincy Jones.
True Genius features many of Charles' all-time classic recordings ("Georgia on My Mind," "One Mint Julep," "Hit the Road, Jack," "Unchain My Heart," "Hallelujah, I Love Her So") as well as his singular interpretations of songs from across the musical spectrum (The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby," "Something," and "Let It Be," Stevie Wonder's "Living for the City," Kermit the Frog's "Bein' Green," John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads," Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," and Paul Simon's "Still Crazy After All These Years").
A number of duets are also featured with such artists as Willie Nelson ("Seven Spanish Angels"), Billy Joel ("Baby Grand"), Lou Rawls and vibraphonist Milt Jackson ("Save the Bones for Henry Jones"), Eric Clapton ("None of Us Are Free"), Norah Jones ("Here We Go Again"), and Quincy Jones and Chaka Khan ("I'll Be Good to You"). While they're not credited in the official track listing, it appears that Charles' duets with Betty Carter ("Baby, It's Cold Outside)" and Cleo Laine (Porgy and Bess' "Summertime") are also included.
Somewhat shockingly for an artist of Ray Charles' immense stature in the realms of rhythm and blues, soul, jazz, country, and pop, most of his ABC, Tangerine, Crossover, and Columbia albums have never appeared on CD, making this anthology all the more appealing. On its website, The Ray Charles Foundation notes that it controls all of his post-Atlantic recordings other than the 1984 Columbia Records duets LP Friendship (from which tracks with Willie Nelson and Hank Williams, Jr. have been culled), leaving the door open for further reissues and perhaps a long-overdue comprehensive albums campaign.
Ray Charles' True Genius is due on September 10 from Tangerine Records on CD and download/streaming. You'll find the complete track listing with discographical annotation below.
Ray Charles, True Genius (Tangerine, 2021) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)
Them That Got
Hardhearted Hannah
One Mint Julep
I've Got News for You
I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
Hit the Road Jack
Unchain My Heart
Baby, It's Cold Outside (w/Betty Carter)
Hide Nor Hair
Take These Chains from My Heart
Baby, Don't You Cry
Smack Dab in the Middle
My Heart Cries for You
Makin' Whoopee
Hallelujah I Love Her So
I've Got A Woman
What'd I Say
I'm a Fool to Care
The Cincinnati Kid
Crying Time
Let's Go Get Stoned
Please Say You're Fooling
I Don't Need No Doctor
Somebody Ought to Write a Book About It
Sweet Young Thing Like You
If It Wasn't for Bad Luck (w/Jimmy Lewis)
I Didn't Know What Time It Was
I'm Satisfied
We Can Make It
Laughin' and Clownin'
Booty Butt
Feel So Bad
Your Love Is So Doggone Good
Look What They've Don't to My Song, Ma
There'll be No Peace Without All Men As One
Every Saturday Night
Our Suite
I Can Make It Through The Days (But Oh Those Lonely Nights)
Till There Was You
(It Ain't Easy) Bein' Green
3/4 of The Time
Summertime (w/Cleo Laine)
Take Me Home Country Roads
Am I Blue
How Long Has This Been Going On
Is There Anyone Out There?
Drift Away
Blues In The Night
3/4 Time
Compared To What
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
Two Old Cats Like Us (w/Hank Williams Jr.)
Seven Spanish Angels (w/Willie Nelson)
Anybody With The Blues Knows
Baby Grand (w/Billy Joel)
Stranger in My Own Home Town
Save The Bones for Henry Jones (w/Lou Rawls and Milt Jackson)
Ellie My Love
I'll Be Good to You (w/Quincy Jones and Chaka Khan)
Still Crazy After All These Years
If I Could
None of Us Are Free (w/Eric Clapton)
Here We Go Again (w/Norah Jones)
CD 6: Live in Stockholm 1972 (previously unreleased)
Alexander's Ragtime Band (Live in Stockholm)
What'd I Say (Live in Stockholm)
I've Had My Fun (Live in Stockholm)
Intro Raelettes (Live in Stockholm)
Games People Play (Live in Stockholm)
Don't Change On Me (Live in Stockholm)
I Can't Stop Loving You (Live in Stockholm)
Marie (Live in Stockholm)
I've Got A Woman (Live in Stockholm)
CD 1, Track 1 from ABC-Paramount single 45-10135, 1960
CD 1, Tracks 3-4 from Dedicated to You, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-355, 1961
CD 1, Tracks 5-7 from Genius + Soul = Jazz, Impulse! LP A-2-S, 1961
CD 1, Track 10 from Ray Charles and Betty Carter, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-385, 1961
CD 1, Track 11 from ABC-Paramount single 45-10314, 1962
CD 1, Track 12 from Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-410, 1962
CD 1, Track 14-15 from Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Vol. 2, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-435, 1962
CD 1, Tracks 17-18 from Ingredients in a Recipe for Soul, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-465, 1963
CD 1, Tracks 19 & 22 from Sweet and Sour Tears, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-480, 1964
CD 2, Tracks 1-4 from Live in Concert, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-500, 1965
CD 2, Tracks 7 & 9 from Crying Time, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-544, 1966
CD 2, Track 8 from Together Again, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-520, 1965
CD 2, Track 10 from Ray's Moods, ABC-Paramount LP ABCS-550, 1966
CD 2, Track 11 from ABC/Tangerine single 10865, 1966
CD 2, Tracks 12 & 15 from Invites You to Listen, ABC/Tangerine LP ABCS-595, 1967
CD 2, Tracks 16-17 from A Portrait of Ray, ABC/Tangerine LP ABCS-625, 1967
CD 2, Tracks 20-21 from ABC/Tangerine single 11213, 1969
CD 3, Track 1 from Doing His Thing, ABC/Tangerine LP ABCS-695, 1969
CD 3, Track 2 from ABC/Tangerine single 11259, 1970
CD 3, Tracks 3-5 included on A 25th Anniversary in Show Business Salute to Ray Charles, ABC/Tangerine ABCH-731, 1971/Track 5 also from My Kind of Jazz, Tangerine LP TRCS 1512, 1970
CD 3, Tracks 6 & 14 from Love, Country Style, ABC/Tangerine ABCS-707, 1970
CD 3, Track 7 from Volcanic Action of My Soul, ABC/Tangerine LP ABCS-726, 1971
CD 3, Tracks 8-11 from A Message from the People, ABC/Tangerine LP ABCX-755, 1971
CD 3, Track 12 from Jazz Number II, Tangerine LP TRCS-1516, 1972
CD 3, Track 13 from Through the Eyes of Love, ABC/Tangerine LP ABCX-765, 1972
CD 3, Tracks 15-17 from Come Live with Me, Crossover LP CR 9000, 1974
CD 4, Tracks 1-2 from Renaissance, Crossover LP CR 9005, 1975
CD 4, Track 3 from My Kind of Jazz Part III, Crossover LP CR 9007, 1975
CD 4, Track 4 from Porgy and Bess, RCA Victor LP CLP2-1831, 1976
CD 4, Tracks 5-6 from Live in Japan, Crossover LP GSW-535-6, 1976
CD 4, Tracks 7-9 from True to Life, Crossover/Atlantic LP SD 19142, 1977
CD 4, Track 10 from Love and Peace, Crossover/Atlantic LP SD 19199, 1978
CD 4, Tracks 11-12 from Ain't It So, Crossover/Atlantic LP SD 19251, 1979
CD 4, Track 13 from Wish You Were Here Tonight, Columbia LP FC-38293, 1983
CD 4, Track 14 from Brother Ray Is At It Again!, Crossover/Atlantic LP SD 19281, 1980
CD 5, Track 1 from Do I Ever Cross Your Mind, Columbia LP FC 38990, 1984
CD 5, Tracks 2-3 from Friendship, Columbia LP FC 39415, 1984
CD 5, Track 4 from From the Pages of My Mind, Columbia LP FC 40338, 1986
CD 5, Track 5 from Billy Joel, The Bridge, Columbia CD CK 40402, 1986
CD 5, Tracks 6-7 from Just Between Friends, Columbia CD CK 40703, 1986
CD 5, Track 8 from Would You Believe?, Warner Bros. CD 9 26343-2, 1990
CD 5, Track 9 from Quincy Jones, Back on the Block, Qwest CD 9 26020-2, 1989
CD 5, Tracks 10-13 from My World, Warner Bros. CD 9 26735-2, 1993
CD 5, Track 14 possibly from Genius and Friends, Rhino/Atlantic CD R2 73185, 2005
CD 5, Track 15 from Genius Loves Company, Concord/Hear Music CD CCD-2265-2, 2004
CD 5, Track 16 from Ray Sings, Basie Swings, Concord CD CCD-30026-2, 2006
Categories: News Formats: Box Sets, CD Genre: Blues, Pop, Popular Standards/Vocal, R&B/Soul Tags: Billy Joel, Chaka Khan, Eric Clapton, Hank Williams Jr, Lou Rawls, Milt Jackson, Norah Jones, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles, Willie Nelson
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Roelant van Zevenbergen says
How much different is this from the Genius & Soul 50th anniversary box set?
There certainly is overlap, but I'd consider this a pretty different package on the whole. Most significantly, the Genius & Soul box had more than one disc devoted to the Atlantic years (and even included some pre-Atlantic recordings), and all of those tracks are completely absent from this new set.
There was another 3 CD Box Set from Ray's ABC Years called "Ray Charles : The Classic Years" ESBCD-144 with many of these songs from CD 1 & 2..and a third CD of tracks not on this new set...but this is much more a complete overview and Great looking Hard Cover book!
Gerbrand says
Seems like Ray didn't perform in Stockholm in 1972. He did perform in Malmö (also Sweden) on 9 October 1972 and on 10 October 1972 in Tivoli, Copenhagen (nearby Danmark) which show was taped for TV. The latter with a complete different setlist as the one included in this box set.
Does anybody have an idea ?
Guy Smiley says
Great to see "Baby Grand" on here. Sure, I have it elsewhere on Billy Joel's albums but it seems an almost forgotten track and I'm glad it's being included. It's a gem.
Anyhow, looks like a nice collection and a good companion to Genius & Soul in spite of some overlap.
Whether to hold out for another complete-albums collection...
Galley says
My favorite is the 2-CD, 36-track "Ultimate Hits Collection", released by Rhino in 1999.
bob says
Among the "artists to be championed by The Genius"......Question Mark and the Mysterians!!
Ric says
When oh when will the "Crying Time" LP be released???
FYI, the live tracks on disc six are not available as downloads. They are exclusive to the physical release.
Thanks. I see that now, after buying the download. Would be nice if the online sellers made it clear when omitting tracks present on a physical release.
Robert Wilson says
CD 5, Track 14 is from the Japan Strong Love Affair CD issue, Qwest/WB WPCR-1562