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

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:

Disc: 1

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

Disc: 2

1. Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand
2. Kiss Me Baby
3. Hey Now
4. Baby Won't You Please Come Home
5. Guitar Blues
6. Baby Let Me Hear You Call My Name
7. Misery in My Heart
8. The Snow Is Falling
9. Why Did You Go
10. Back Home
11. Walkin' and Talkin' to Myself
12. I'm Wonderin' and Wonderin'
13. Roll with Me Baby
14. The Midnight Hour
15. The Sun's Gonna Shine Again
16. Jumpin' in the Morning
17. Mess Around
18. Funny (But I Still Love You)
19. Feelin' Sad
20. Heartbreaker
21. It Should've Been Me
22. Sinner's Prayer
23. Don't You Know
24. Losing Hand
25. I've Got a Woman

Disc: 3

1. Come Back
2. This Little Girl of Mine
3. A Fool for You
4. Blackjack
5. Greenbacks
6. Drown in My Own Tears
7. Mary Ann
8. Hallelujah, I Love Her So
9. What Would I Do Without You
10. Lonely Avenue
11. Leave My Woman Alone
12. I Want to Know
13. Ain't That Love
14. It's All Right
15. Get on the Right Track Baby
16. Swanee River Rock (Talkin' 'Bout That River)
17. I Want a Little Girl
18. Talkin' 'Bout You
19. What Kind of a Man Are You
20. Yes Indeed
21. I Had a Dream
22. My Bonnie
23. You Be My Baby
24. Rockhouse PTS 1 ; 2
25. Tell All the World About You
26. What'd I Say - Part 1

Disc: 4

1. (Night Time Is) the Right Time
2. Tell Me How You Feel
3. That's Enough
4. I'm Movin' on
5. I Believe to My Soul
6. Let the Good Times Roll
7. Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'
8. Just for a Thrill
9. Tell the Truth
10. Sweet Sixteen Bars
11. Come Rain or Come Shine
12. Tell Me You'll Wait for Me
13. Early in the Morning
14. A Bit of Soul
15. Am I Blue
16. I Wonder Who
17. Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I)
18. My Baby (I Love Her, Yes I Do)
19. Who You Gonna Love
20. Sticks and Stones
21. Worried Life Blues
22. Georgia on My Mind
23. Carry Me Back to Old Virginny

Disc: 5

1. Them That Got
2. I Wonder
3. Hard Hearted Hannah
4. Ruby
5. Hit the Road Jack
6. The Danger Zone
7. Unchain My Heart
8. But on the Other Hand, Baby
9. One Mint Julep
10. Let's Go
11. I've Got News for You
12. I'm Gonna Move to the Outskirts of Town
13. Baby It's Cold Outside
14. We'll Be Together Again
15. Hide 'Nor Hair
16. At the Club
17. I Can't Stop Loving You
18. Born to Lose
19. You Don't Know Me
20. Careless Love
21. You Are My Sunshine
22. Your Cheating Heart
23. Take These Chains from My Heart