Artist:Ray Charles
Song:You Don't Know Me
Album:The Complete Country & Western Recordings 1959-1986
Of course Ray Charles was one of the most influential black musicians of the 50s with a string of hits on Atlantic Records. Ray left Atlantic for ABC-Paramount Records in 1960 to get more creative control over his music. His initial ABC-Paramount releases like Georgia On My Mind & Hit The Road Jack were slightly more polished and still successful R & B recordings not much different from his Atlantic recordings. But when Charles announced that he was planning an album of country music, people thought he was crazy. But Charles performed the songs with all the emotion and intensity of his R & B recordings. He also hired noted jazz musician Gerald Wilson to do the arrangements and Marty Paich arranged the strings & backup vocals. The result was the groundbreaking 1962 album Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music. I Can't Stop Loving You was #1 on the pop singles chart. You Don't Know Me was the follow up and reached #2. The song was written and originally recorded by country music legend Eddy Arnold in 1955 and charted for pop singer Jerry Vale in 1956. But Charles delivers a superior vocal performance and his version of the song is the best. This Rhino 4CD box set not only covers Charles' ABC-Paramount recordings but includes his later visits to country music. The album Modern Sounds In Country & Western Music is available on CD with bonus tracks. These recordings were influential as it encouraged other soul singers like Solomon Burke to interpret country music as well. Here's Ray Charles performing You Don't Know Me in Sao Paulo, Brazil 1963. The audio is a bit loud.
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