61-452: Japanese Whispers is the second compilation album by British group The Cure . It was released in late 1983 by Fiction Records . The title is a pun on the children's game Chinese whispers . It includes the singles " Let's Go to Bed ", " The Walk " and " The Love Cats ". The other tracks are the B-sides of these singles, although "Mr. Pink Eyes" (the second B-side for "The Love Cats")
122-529: A big band , partly as a response to increasing royalties and touring fees, becoming one of the few black artists to cross over into mainstream pop with such a level of creative control. This success, however, came to a momentary halt during a concert tour in November 1961, when a police search of Charles' hotel room in Indianapolis, Indiana, led to the discovery of heroin in the medicine cabinet. The case
183-408: A cover artist , giving his own eclectic arrangements of existing songs. With " Georgia on My Mind ", his first hit single for ABC-Paramount in 1960, Charles received national acclaim and four Grammy Awards , including two for "Georgia on My Mind" ( Best Vocal Performance Single Record or Track, Male , and Best Performance by a Pop Single Artist ). Written by Stuart Gorrell and Hoagy Carmichael ,
244-688: A greatest hits album , singles album or box set. Compilation albums may employ traditional product bundling strategies. According to sound technician Richard King , classical music compilations "may require more processing to match tracks coming from various sources and recording venues, as well as the different sizes of ensembles." In Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau said, "While compilation albums by album artists (as opposed to stylistically unified singles specialists) are often useless, sometimes they present themselves as events", citing as examples
305-479: A Chance" and Dizzy Gillespie 's "Emanon". After the success of his first two singles, Charles moved to Los Angeles in 1950 and spent the next few years touring with the blues musician Lowell Fulson as Fulson's musical director. In 1950, Charles' performance in a Miami hotel impressed Henry Stone , who went on to record a Ray Charles Rockin' record, which did not achieve popularity. During his stay in Miami, Charles
366-717: A Japanese TV advertisement for the Suntory brand, releasing it in Japan as "Ellie My Love", where it reached No. 3 on its Oricon chart. In the same year he was a special guest at the Arena di Verona during the tour promoting Oro Incenso & Birra of the Italian singer Zucchero Fornaciari . In 2001–02, Charles appeared in commercials for the New Jersey Lottery to promote its campaign "For every dream, there's
427-560: A contract, record companies may release as many greatest hits albums by their recording artist as they wish without requiring the artist's agreement or permission. In the United Kingdom, the Official Charts Company compiles a weekly compilation albums chart, limited to various artists compilations and soundtrack compilations. Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004)
488-615: A cover of the Brothers Johnson 's " I'll Be Good to You ", a duet with his lifelong friend Quincy Jones and the singer Chaka Khan , which hit number one on the R&;B chart in 1990 and won Charles and Khan a Grammy for their duet. Prior to this, Charles returned to the pop charts with " Baby Grand ", a duet with singer-songwriter Billy Joel . In 1989, he recorded a cover of the Southern All Stars ' "Itoshi no Ellie" for
549-785: A jackpot." In 2003, he headlined the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., attended by President George W. Bush , Laura Bush , Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice . Also in 2003, Charles presented Van Morrison with Morrison's award upon being inducted in the Songwriters Hall of Fame , and the two sang Morrison's song " Crazy Love " (the performance appears on Morrison's 2007 album The Best of Van Morrison Volume 3 ). In 2003, Charles performed "Georgia on My Mind" and "America
610-514: A man her father worked with, took her in. The Robinson family—Bailey, his wife Mary Jane, and his mother— informally adopted her and Aretha took the surname Robinson. A few years later Aretha became pregnant by Bailey. During the ensuing scandal, she left Greenville late in the summer of 1930 to be with family back in Albany. After the birth of the child, Ray Charles, she and the infant Charles returned to Greenville. Aretha and Bailey's wife, who had lost
671-533: A more liberal contract than other artists had at the time, with ABC offering him a $ 50,000 (US$ 522,603 in 2023 dollars ) annual advance, higher royalties than before, and eventual ownership of his master tapes —a very valuable and lucrative deal at the time. During his Atlantic years, Charles had been hailed for his inventive compositions, but by the time of the release of the largely instrumental jazz album Genius + Soul = Jazz (1960) for ABC's subsidiary label Impulse! , he had given up on writing in favor of becoming
SECTION 10
#1732797498707732-646: A music editor for Rolling Stone , "The hit records he made for Atlantic in the mid-1950s mapped out everything that would happen to rock 'n' roll and soul music in the years that followed." Charles was also an inspiration to Pink Floyd member Roger Waters , who told the Turkish newspaper Hürriyet : "I was about 15. In the middle of the night with friends, we were listening to jazz. It was " Georgia on My Mind ", Ray Charles' version. Then I thought 'One day, if I make some people feel only one-twentieth of what I am feeling now, it will be quite enough for me. ' " Ray ,
793-635: A musician, Charles was also a record producer, producing Guitar Slim 's number 1 hit, " The Things That I Used to Do ". In June 1952, Atlantic bought Charles' contract for $ 2,500 (US$ 28,684 in 2023 dollars ). His first recording session for Atlantic ("The Midnight Hour"/"Roll with My Baby") took place in September 1952, although his last Swing Time release ("Misery in My Heart"/"The Snow Is Falling") would not appear until February 1953. In 1953, " Mess Around " became his first small hit for Atlantic; during
854-476: A pianist for Charles Brantley's Honey Dippers. In his early career, Charles modeled himself on Nat King Cole . His first four recordings—"Wondering and Wondering", "Walking and Talking", "Why Did You Go?" and "I Found My Baby There"—were allegedly done in Tampa, although some discographies claim he recorded them in Miami in 1951 or else Los Angeles in 1952. Charles had always played piano for other people, but he
915-569: A reputation as a talented musician in Jacksonville, but the jobs did not come fast enough for him to construct a strong identity, so, at age 16, he moved to Orlando , where he lived in borderline poverty and went without food for days. Charles eventually started to write arrangements for a pop music band, and in the summer of 1947, he unsuccessfully auditioned to play piano for Lucky Millinder and his sixteen-piece band. In 1947, Charles moved to Tampa , where he held two jobs, including one as
976-566: A son, then shared in Charles' upbringing. The father had left Greenville and married another woman elsewhere. By his first birthday, Charles had a brother, George. Charles was deeply devoted to his mother and later recalled, despite her poor health and adversity, her perseverance, self-sufficiency, and pride as guiding lights in his life. In his early years, Charles showed an interest in mechanical objects and often watched his neighbors working on their cars and farm machinery. His musical curiosity
1037-686: Is a master of sounds. His records disclose an extraordinary assortment of slurs, glides, turns, shrieks, wails, breaks, shouts, screams and hollers, all wonderfully controlled, disciplined by inspired musicianship, and harnessed to ingenious subtleties of harmony, dynamics and rhythm... It is either the singing of a man whose vocabulary is inadequate to express what is in his heart and mind or of one whose feelings are too intense for satisfactory verbal or conventionally melodic articulation. He can't tell it to you. He can't even sing it to you. He has to cry out to you, or shout to you, in tones eloquent of despair—or exaltation. The voice alone, with little assistance from
1098-791: The Billboard Hot 100 . His 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music became his first album to top the Billboard 200 . Charles had multiple singles reach the Top 40 on various Billboard charts: 44 on the US R&;B singles chart, 11 on the Hot 100 singles chart, and two on the Hot Country singles charts. Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music
1159-805: The Standing on a Beach compilation album, while all of the B-sides were included on the 2004 B-sides and rarities box set Join the Dots . Japanese Whispers was the first Cure album to enter the Billboard 200 in the US, in early 1984. All tracks written by Robert Smith and Laurence Tolhurst except as noted. Shipments figures based on certification alone. Compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks , which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one performer or by several performers. If
1220-631: The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind in St. Augustine from 1937 to 1945. Charles further developed his musical talent at school and was taught to play the classical piano music of Bach , Mozart and Beethoven . His teacher, Mrs. Lawrence, taught him how to use braille music , a difficult process that requires learning the left hand movements by reading braille with the right hand and learning
1281-802: The Kennedy Center Honors , the National Medal of Arts , and the Polar Music Prize . He was one of the inaugural inductees at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He has won 18 Grammy Awards (five posthumously), the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame . Rolling Stone ranked Charles No. 10 on their list of
SECTION 20
#17327974987071342-628: The Shrine Auditorium on August 3. The other headliners were Little Willie John , Sam Cooke , Ernie Freeman , and Bo Rhambo . Sammy Davis Jr. was also there to crown the winner of the Miss Cavalcade of Jazz beauty contest. The event featured the top four prominent disc jockeys of Los Angeles. Charles reached the pinnacle of his success at Atlantic with the release of "What'd I Say", which combined gospel, jazz, blues and Latin music. Charles said he wrote it spontaneously while he
1403-701: The " 100 Greatest Artists of All Time ", and No. 2 on their list of the "100 Greatest Singers of All Time". In 2022, he was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame , as well as the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame . Charles was born on September 23, 1930, in Albany, Georgia . He was the son of Bailey Robinson, a laborer, and Aretha (or Reatha) Robinson (née Williams), a laundress, of Greenville, Florida . During Aretha's childhood, her mother died. Her father could not keep her. Bailey,
1464-615: The 1970s his music was rarely played on radio stations. The rise of psychedelic rock and harder forms of rock and R&B music had reduced Charles' radio appeal, as did his choosing to record pop standards and covers of contemporary rock and soul hits, since his earnings from owning his master tapes had taken away the motivation to write new material. Charles nonetheless continued to have an active recording career. Most of his recordings between 1968 and 1973 evoked strong reactions: either adored or panned by fans and critics alike. His recordings during this period, especially 1972's A Message from
1525-490: The 1971 Ray Charles LP A 25th Anniversary in Show Business Salute to Ray Charles , The Kink Kronikles (1972), and Changesonebowie (1976). Common types of compilation include: For multi-artist compilations, royalties are usually prorated. In most cases, each artist's per-record royalty rate (typically 12–14% in 1999) is divided by the number of artists on the album. Some record companies simplify
1586-538: The 1–5 A.M. shift at the Rocking Chair. Publicity photos of this trio are some of the earliest known photographs of Charles. In April 1949, he and his band recorded " Confession Blues ", which became his first national hit, soaring to the second spot on the Billboard R&;B chart. While still working at the Rocking Chair, Charles also arranged songs for other artists, including Cole Porter 's "Ghost of
1647-604: The Beautiful" at a televised annual banquet of electronic media journalists held in Washington, D.C. His final public appearance was on April 30, 2004, at the dedication of his music studio as a historic landmark in Los Angeles. Charles possessed one of the most recognizable voices in American music. In the words of musicologist Henry Pleasants : Sinatra, and Bing Crosby before him, had been masters of words. Ray Charles
1708-477: The People , moved toward the progressive soul sound popular at the time. A Message from the People included his unique gospel-influenced version of " America the Beautiful " and a number of protest songs about poverty and civil rights. Charles was often criticized for his version of "America the Beautiful" because it was very drastically changed from the song's original version. On July 14, 1973, Margie Hendrix ,
1769-514: The R&B chart. "I've Got a Woman" combined gospel , jazz , and blues elements. In 1955, he had hits with " This Little Girl of Mine " and " A Fool for You ". In upcoming years, hits included " Drown in My Own Tears " and " Hallelujah I Love Her So ". Charles also recorded jazz, such as The Great Ray Charles (1957). He worked with vibraphonist Milt Jackson , releasing Soul Brothers in 1958 and Soul Meeting in 1961. By 1958, he
1830-542: The addition of session drummer Steve Goulding (a member of Graham Parker and the Rumour ) for the tracks from "Let's Go to Bed". For "The Love Cats" single, a full band was assembled with the addition of bassist/producer Phil Thornalley , who had worked with the band on Pornography , and drummer Andy Anderson , a lineup which would continue for the Concert live album. In 1986, the singles' lead tracks were included on
1891-542: The air before he was finally able to see through a small part of the windshield and land the plane. Charles placed a spiritual interpretation on the experience, claiming that "something or someone which instruments cannot detect" was responsible for creating the small opening in the ice on the windshield which enabled the pilot to eventually land the plane safely. The 1962 album Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and its sequel, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 2 , helped to bring country music into
Japanese Whispers - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-499: The album True to Life , remaining with his old label until 1980. However, the label had now begun to focus on rock acts, and some of their prominent soul artists, such as Aretha Franklin , were starting to be neglected. In November 1977 he appeared as the host of the NBC television show Saturday Night Live . In April 1979, his version of "Georgia on My Mind" was proclaimed the state song of Georgia, and an emotional Charles performed
2013-467: The audience of black and white fans would integrate while he was there. In 1983, Charles signed a contract with Columbia . He recorded a string of country albums and had hit singles in duets with singers such as George Jones , Chet Atkins , B. J. Thomas , Mickey Gilley , Hank Williams Jr. , Dee Dee Bridgewater ("Precious Thing") and his longtime friend Willie Nelson , with whom he recorded " Seven Spanish Angels ". In 1985, Charles participated in
2074-469: The dance number " I Don't Need No Doctor " and " Let's Go Get Stoned ", which became his first number-one R&B hit in several years. His cover version of " Crying Time ", originally recorded by country singer Buck Owens , reached No. 6 on the pop chart and helped Charles win a Grammy Award the following March. In 1967, he had a top-twenty hit with another ballad, " Here We Go Again ". Charles' renewed chart success, however, proved to be short lived, and by
2135-399: The equation and pay a rounded-off rate, either as a percentage or as a set amount, regardless of the total number of artists on the record. As of 1999 , these rates were around 0.5% to 1% or 15–16 cents per record. When a compilation album includes a track from a different record company, the royalties are split between the artist and the original record company. Unless specifically limited by
2196-404: The genres of rhythm and blues and jazz had an influence on a number of highly successful artists, including, as Jon Pareles has noted, Elvis Presley , Aretha Franklin , Stevie Wonder , Van Morrison , and Billy Joel . Other singers who have acknowledged Charles' influence on their own styles include James Booker , Steve Winwood , Richard Manuel , and Gregg Allman . According to Joe Levy,
2257-463: The high tenor range of A, B flat, B, C and even C sharp and D, sometimes in full voice, sometimes in an ecstatic head voice, sometimes in falsetto. In falsetto he continues up to E and F above high C. On one extraordinary record, 'I'm Going Down to the River'...he hits an incredible B flat...giving him an overall range, including the falsetto extension, of at least three octaves." His style and success in
2318-404: The integration of country music , rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records , notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company. Charles' 1960 hit " Georgia on My Mind " was the first of his three career No. 1 hits on
2379-492: The label: a jazz record ( The Genius After Hours , 1961); a blues record ( The Genius Sings the Blues , 1961); and a big band record ( The Genius of Ray Charles , 1959) which was his first Top 40 album, peaking at No. 17. Charles' contract with Atlantic expired in 1959, and several big labels offered him record deals. Choosing not to renegotiate his contract with Atlantic, he signed with ABC-Paramount in November 1959. He obtained
2440-513: The mother of Ray's son Charles Wayne Hendrix, died at 38 years old, which led to Ray having to care for the child. The official cause of her death is unknown. In 1974, Charles left ABC Records and recorded several albums on his own label, Crossover Records. A 1975 recording of Stevie Wonder's hit " Living for the City " later helped Charles win another Grammy. In 1977, he reunited with Ahmet Ertegun and re-signed to Atlantic Records, for which he recorded
2501-625: The musical mainstream. Charles' version of the Don Gibson song " I Can't Stop Loving You " topped the Pop chart for five weeks, stayed at No. 1 on the R&B chart for ten weeks, and gave him his only number-one record in the UK. In 1962, he founded his record label, Tangerine , which ABC-Paramount promoted and distributed. He had major pop hits in 1963 with " Busted " (US No. 4) and " Take These Chains from My Heart " (US No. 8). In 1964, Margie Hendrix
Japanese Whispers - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-527: The musical recording and video " We Are the World ", a charity single recorded by the supergroup United Support of Artists (USA) for Africa. In 1990 he participated for the first time in the Sanremo Music Festival with song Good Love Gone Bad , written by Toto Cutugno . Before the release of his first album for Warner, Would You Believe , Charles made a return to the R&B charts with
2623-522: The next year, he had hits with " It Should've Been Me " and "Don't You Know". He also recorded the songs "Midnight Hour" and "Sinner's Prayer" around this time. Late in 1954, Charles recorded " I've Got a Woman ". The lyrics were written by bandleader Renald Richard. Charles claimed the composition. They later admitted that the song went back to the Southern Tones ' "It Must Be Jesus" (1954). It became one of his most notable hits, reaching No. 2 on
2684-584: The piano for bands at the Ritz Theatre in LaVilla for over a year, earning $ 4 a night (US$ 46, in 2023 value ). He joined Local 632 of the American Federation of Musicians , in the hope that it would help him get work, and was able to use the union hall's piano to practice, since he did not have one at home; he learned piano licks from copying the other players there. He started to build
2745-416: The recordings are from one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work, but may be collected together as a greatest hits album or box set . If the recordings are from several artists, there may be a theme, topic, time period, or genre which links the tracks, or they may have been intended for release as a single work—such as a tribute album . When
2806-489: The right hand movements by reading braille with the left hand, then combining the two parts. Charles' mother died in the spring of 1945, when he was 14. Her death came as a shock to him; he later said the deaths of his brother and mother were "the two great tragedies" of his life. Charles decided not to return to school after the funeral. After leaving school, Charles moved to Jacksonville to live with Charles Wayne Powell, who had been friends with his late mother. He played
2867-726: The song on the floor of the state legislature. In 1980 Charles performed in the musical film The Blues Brothers . Although he had notably supported the American Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s, Charles was criticized for performing at the Sun City resort in South Africa in 1981 during an international boycott protesting that country's apartheid policy. He later defended his choice of performing there, insisting that
2928-501: The song was Charles' first work with Sid Feller , who produced, arranged and conducted the recording. Charles' rendition of the tune helped elevate it to the status of an American classic, and his version also became the state song of Georgia in 1979. Charles earned another Grammy for the follow-up track " Hit the Road Jack ", written by R&B singer Percy Mayfield . By late 1961, Charles had expanded his small road ensemble to
2989-437: The text or the notated music, conveys the message. Pleasants continues, "Ray Charles is usually described as a baritone, and his speaking voice would suggest as much, as would the difficulty he experiences in reaching and sustaining the baritone's high E and F in a popular ballad. But the voice undergoes some sort of transfiguration under stress, and in music of gospel or blues character he can and does sing for measures on end in
3050-425: The tracks are by the same recording artist, the album may be referred to as a retrospective album or an anthology . Songs included on a compilation album may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for release together as a single work, but may be collected together as
3111-422: Was also influenced by Louis Jordan and Charles Brown . He had a lifelong friendship and occasional partnership with Quincy Jones . Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business", although Charles downplayed this notion. Billy Joel said, "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley ." For his musical contributions, Charles received
SECTION 50
#17327974987073172-546: Was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential musicians in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Genius". Among friends and fellow musicians, he preferred being called "Brother Ray". Charles was blinded during childhood, possibly due to glaucoma . Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining elements of blues , jazz , rhythm and blues , and gospel into his music during his time with Atlantic Records . He contributed to
3233-415: Was eventually dropped, as the search lacked a proper warrant by the police, and Charles soon returned to music. In the early 1960s, on the way from Louisiana to Oklahoma City , Charles faced a near-death experience when the pilot of his plane lost visibility, as snow and his failure to use the defroster caused the windshield of the plane to become completely covered in ice. The pilot made a few circles in
3294-405: Was four years old. Charles started to lose his sight at the age of four or five, and was blind by the age of seven, likely as a result of glaucoma . Destitute, uneducated, and mourning the loss of her younger son, Aretha Robinson used her connections in the local community to find a school that would accept a blind African-American pupil. Despite his initial protest, Charles attended school at
3355-564: Was keen to have his own band. He decided to leave Florida for a large city, and, considering Chicago and New York City too big, followed his friend Gossie McKee to Seattle , Washington, in March 1948, knowing that the biggest radio hits came from northern cities. There he met and befriended, under the tutelage of Robert Blackwell , the 15-year-old Quincy Jones . With Charles on piano, McKee on guitar, and Milton Garred on bass, The McSon Trio (named for Mc Kee and Robin son ) started playing
3416-512: Was kicked out of the Raelettes after a big argument. In 1964, Charles' career was halted once more after he was arrested for a third time for possession of heroin. He agreed to go to a rehabilitative facility to avoid jail time and eventually kicked his habit at a clinic in Los Angeles. After spending a year on parole, Charles reappeared in the charts in 1966 with a series of hits composed with Ashford & Simpson and Jo Armstead , including
3477-492: Was not included. The songs were recorded when the band was in a transitional phase after bassist Simon Gallup left following a tour to promote the previous album, Pornography . Beginning with these singles, Lol Tolhurst switched from drums to keyboards, a role he kept until his departure in 1989. For the tracks from the "Let's Go to Bed" and "The Walk" singles, the Cure were a duo consisting of Tolhurst and Robert Smith , with
3538-715: Was not only headlining major black venues such as the Apollo Theater in New York, but also larger venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Newport Jazz Festival , where his first live album was recorded in 1958. He hired a female singing group, the Cookies , and renamed them the Raelettes . In 1958, Charles and the Raelettes performed for the famed Cavalcade of Jazz concert produced by Leon Hefflin Sr. held at
3599-535: Was performing in clubs with his band. Despite some radio stations banning the song because of its sexually suggestive lyrics, the song became Charles' first top-ten pop record. It reached No. 6 on the Billboard Pop chart and No. 1 on the Billboard R&;B chart in 1959. Later that year, he released his first country song (a cover of Hank Snow 's " I'm Movin' On ") and recorded three more albums for
3660-483: Was required to stay in the segregated but thriving black community of Overtown . Stone later helped Jerry Wexler find Charles in St. Petersburg . After signing with Swing Time Records , Charles recorded two more R&B hits under the name Ray Charles: "Baby, Let Me Hold Your Hand" (1951), which reached No. 5, and "Kissa Me Baby" (1952), which reached No. 8. Swing Time folded the following year, and Ahmet Ertegun signed Charles to Atlantic . In addition to being
3721-533: Was sparked at Wylie Pitman's Red Wing Cafe, at the age of three, when Pitman played boogie woogie on an old upright piano ; Pitman subsequently taught Charles how to play the piano. Charles and his mother were always welcome at the Red Wing Cafe and even lived there when they were in financial distress. Pitman also cared for Ray's younger brother George, to take some of the burden off their mother. George accidentally drowned in his mother's laundry tub when he
SECTION 60
#1732797498707#706293