This 12-track CD, recorded in January 1981 in Alberta, Canada, recaps highlights in the long musical career of Ray Charles Robinson (1930-2004). Charles pioneered soul music in the 1960s with his secular brand of gospel music mixed with blues, country and jazz. The result was something all his own, and Charles was immensely popular with both black and white audiences. Indeed, he’s influenced artists as diverse as Stevie Wonder, Joe Cocker and the Beatles. ‘The Genius’, as Frank Sinatra called him, was not only innovative, but prolific as well. Charles had more than thirty hits under his belt, including three number ones: “Hit the Road Jack”, “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Georgia”, the latter, a version of Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind” was named the Georgia state song in the late 1970s. Such was his genius, he even had a hit with the patriotic “America the Beautiful” in the 1960s. A number of Charles’ best songs have featured in TV commercials, jingles and movie scores throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Recently, the unforgettable “I Can’t Stop Loving You” featured in the soundtrack of the 2001 Japanese animated-film Metropolis. This release includes all the above-mentioned songs and more, plus a bonus DVD, recorded at a time when he was at his peak.
EMI

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Chief editor: Steven Crane
February 2006 issue