Quiet, genius at work
[Note: This song was originally broken up into two sides of a 45. Here it is presented in it's full uninterrupted glory.]
72. Ray Charles "What'd I Say"
Frank Sinatra once called Ray Charles 'the only genius in the business' and the nickname stuck. And this song right here would have to qualify as his doctoral thesis. Back in 1959, Ray took a slightly Latin-tinged cymbal based jazzy rhythm, added a hypnotic bluesy piano riff (and nobody before or since has ever made better use of an electric piano), layers on gospel syle harmonizing but switches the focus from the sacred to the profane (if you have any doubts about how profane, listen to the 'oooh-ahh' call-and-response section) and sings his lead in his legendary style that set the mold for rock singers from Joe Cocker and Steve Marriot to Van Morrison and Mark Knopfler. This, children, is where soul music is born.
72. Ray Charles "What'd I Say"
Frank Sinatra once called Ray Charles 'the only genius in the business' and the nickname stuck. And this song right here would have to qualify as his doctoral thesis. Back in 1959, Ray took a slightly Latin-tinged cymbal based jazzy rhythm, added a hypnotic bluesy piano riff (and nobody before or since has ever made better use of an electric piano), layers on gospel syle harmonizing but switches the focus from the sacred to the profane (if you have any doubts about how profane, listen to the 'oooh-ahh' call-and-response section) and sings his lead in his legendary style that set the mold for rock singers from Joe Cocker and Steve Marriot to Van Morrison and Mark Knopfler. This, children, is where soul music is born.
