Listening To: Ray Charles Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music
I just do not get sick of this album from 1962. I love hearing Ray’s arrangements of these classic country songs.
The album was his idea, as he wanted to cover and pay homage to these country songwriters whom he greatly admired, but the studio had little faith that it would have any success. Thus, they basically left him alone to create it on his own with his recording supervisor, not thinking it would ever go anywhere.
Much to their surprise, the album had multiple hit singles (that went on to become classics in Ray’s repertoire), and created a interesting cross-polination of audiences, from country lovers who never otherwise would have listened to R&B but wanted to hear their favorites reinterpreted, and of Ray fans who never would have been interested in exploring country.
