The Singles Collection 1949-62 (CD) – Ray Charles

Ray Charles was one of the most iconic and influential artists in the annals of pop as a singer, songwriter and pianist, and while he is considered one of the godfathers and great innovators of soul music, his work transcended the worlds of jazz, blues, gospel, R&B, rock ‘n’ roll and country and western as well. Afflicted by blindness, he turned to music in his early life, and began recording for the Swing Time label in 1949 as a member of The Maxim Trio. In a career spanning half a century, he racked up over 100 chart entries, with well over 40 coming in this seminal first quarter-century or so of his career. This excellent-value 125-track 5-CD collection comprises just about all his A & B sides released on the Swing Time, Atlantic, ABC-Paramount and Impulse labels during these years. It features all his 46 Pop, R&B and UK chart entries from this era, including the pop No. 1s “Georgia On My Mind”, “Hit The Road Jack” & “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and the R&B No. 1s “I’ve Got A Woman”, “A Fool For You”, “What’d I Say”, “Unchain My Heart”, “One Mint Julep” & “You Are My Sunshine”, encompassing his time as the pillar of the Atlantic roster and the hits from his landmark albums for ABC-Paramount “Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music”. It’s a substantial and comprehensive overview of his chart-focused output during these years as part of a dynamic and exciting pop and R&B landscape, and a thoroughly entertaining showcase for his unique talents as singer, composer, pianist and arranger.

Track List

1. Confession Blues
2. I Love You I Love You
3. Blues Before Sunrise
4. How Long Blues
5. A Sentimental Blues
6. You’ll Never Miss the Water
7. Alone in This City
8. Can Anyone Ask for More
9. Let’s Have a Ball (Here Am I)
10. Rockin’ Chair Blues
11. If I Gave You My Love
12. The Honey Bee
13. I’ve Had My Fun
14. Sittin’ on Top of the World
15. Ain’t That Fine
16. Don’t Put All Your Dreams in One Basket
17. See See Rider
18. What Have I Done (Tell Me Baby)
19. She’s on the Ball
20. Honey Honey
21. Late in the Evening Blues
22. The Ego Song
23. I’ll Do Anything But Work
24. Someday (Blues Is My Middle Name)
25. All to Myself
26. I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now
27. Lonely Boy
28. I’m Glad for Your Sake
29. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand
30. Kiss Me Baby
31. Hey Now
32. Baby Won’t You Please Come Home
33. Guitar Blues
34. Baby Let Me Hear You Call My Name
35. Misery in My Heart
36. The Snow Is Falling
37. Why Did You Go
38. Back Home
39. Walkin’ and Talkin’ to Myself
40. I’m Wonderin’ and Wonderin’
41. Roll with Me Baby
42. The Midnight Hour
43. The Sun’s Gonna Shine Again
44. Jumpin’ in the Morning
45. Mess Around
46. Funny (But I Still Love You)
47. Feelin’ Sad
48. Heartbreaker
49. It Should’ve Been Me
50. Sinner’s Prayer
51. Don’t You Know
52. Losing Hand
53. I’ve Got a Woman
54. Come Back
55. This Little Girl of Mine
56. A Fool for You
57. Blackjack
58. Greenbacks
59. Drown in My Own Tears
60. Mary Ann
61. Hallelujah I Love Her So
62. What Would I Do Without You
63. Lonely Avenue
64. Leave My Woman Alone
65. I Want to Know
66. Ain’t That Love
67. It’s All Right
68. Get on the Right Track Baby
69. Swanee River Rock (Talkin’ ‘Bout That River)
70. I Want a Little Girl
71. Talkin’ ‘Bout You
72. What Kind of a Man Are You
73. Yes Indeed
74. I Had a Dream
75. My Bonnie
76. You Be My Baby
77. Rockhouse PTS 1 ; 2
78. Tell All the World About You
79. What’d I Say – Part 1
80. (Night Time Is) the Right Time
81. Tell Me How You Feel
82. That’s Enough
83. I’m Movin’ on
84. I Believe to My Soul
85. Let the Good Times Roll
86. Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’
87. Just for a Thrill
88. Tell the Truth
89. Sweet Sixteen Bars
90. Come Rain or Come Shine
91. Tell Me You’ll Wait for Me
92. Early in the Morning
93. A Bit of Soul
94. Am I Blue
95. I Wonder Who
96. Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)
97. My Baby (I Love Her Yes I Do)
98. Who You Gonna Love
99. Sticks and Stones
100. Worried Life Blues
101. Georgia on My Mind
102. Carry Me Back to Old Virginny
103. Them That Got
104. I Wonder
105. Hard Hearted Hannah
106. Ruby
107. Hit the Road Jack
108. The Danger Zone
109. Unchain My Heart
110. But on the Other Hand Baby
111. One Mint Julep
112. Let’s Go
113. I’ve Got News for You
114. I’m Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
115. Baby It’s Cold Outside
116. We’ll Be Together Again
117. Hide ‘Nor Hair
118. At the Club
119. I Can’t Stop Loving You
120. Born to Lose
121. You Don’t Know Me
122. Careless Love
123. You Are My Sunshine
124. Your Cheating Heart
125. Take These Chains from My Heart