Album Tracks, Disc 1:
1. The Sun's Gonna Shine Again 2. Roll with My Baby 3. The Midnight Hour 4. Jumpin' in the Morning 5. It Should Have Been Me 6. Losing Hand 7. Heartbreaker 8. Sinner's Prayer 9. Mess Around 10. Funny But I Still Love You 11. Feelin' Sad 12. I Wonder Who 13. Don't You Know 14. Nobody Cares 15. Ray's Blues 16. Mr. Charles Blues 17. Blackjack
Album Tracks, Disc 2:
1. I Gotta Woman 2. Greenbacks 3. Come Back Baby 4. A Fool for You 5. This Little Girl of Mine 6. Hard Times 7. A Bit of Soul 8. Mary Ann 9. Drown in My Own Tears 10. Hallelujah I Love Her So 11. What Would I Do Without You 12. Lonely Avenue 13. I Want to Know 14. Leave My Woman Alone 15. It's Alright 16. Ain't That Love 17. Get on the Right Track 18. Rockhouse Parts 1 & 2
Album Tracks, Disc 3:
1. Swanee River Rock 2. That's Enough 3. Talkin' About You 4. What Kind of Man Are You 5. I Want a Little Girl 6. Yes Indeed 7. I Had a Dream 8. You Be My Baby 9. Tell All the World About You 10. My Bonnie 11. Early in the Morning 12. The Right Time 13. Carryin' the Load 14. Tell Me How Do You Feel 15. What'd I Say - Parts 1 & 2 16. Tell the Truth 17. I'm Movin' On 18. I Believe to My Soul
Sales:
60,000
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60,000
Peak:
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Singles/Hit Songs:
It Should Have Been Me (4/3/54) #5 RB
Don't You Know (8/21/54) #10 RB
I Gotta Woman (1/22/55) #1 RB, #79 US
A Fool for You (7/2/55) #1 RB
This Little Girl of Mine (7/2/55) #9 RB
Greenbacks (10/29/55) #5 RB
Blackjack (10/29/55) #8 RB
Drown in My Own Tears (2/25/56) #1 RB
Hallelujah, I Love Her So (6/16/56) #5 RB. Airplay: 1 million
Lonely Avenue (10/20/56) #6 RB
Ain’t That Love (2/16/57) #9 RB
Swanee River Rock (10/28/57) #14 RB, #34 US
Rockhouse (12/15/58) #14 RB, #79 US
Night Time Is the Right Time (1/5/59) #5 RB, #95 US
That’s Enough (4/27/59) #19 RB
What’d I Say (7/6/59) #1 RB, #6 US. Airplay: 1 million
I’m Movin’ On (11/9/59) #11 RB, #40 US
Tell the Truth (8/8/60) #13 RB
Awards:
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The Birth of Soul – The Complete Atlantic Rhythm & Blues Recordings, 1952-1959
Ray Charles
Review:
“Soul music…is a blend of the holy and the dirty: gospel and blues rubbing up against each other…Charles was just about the first person to perfect that mix.” RS “The set opens with Ray still in a Charles Brown, smooth-voice, mellow-piano mode, but in short order, he discovers his own identity.” RG “He was inventing the sound of ecstasy, three minutes at a time. Charles told Rolling Stone in 1973, ‘Anything I do, good or bad, it's very, very natural.’” RS
“Though this is not the most recent Ray Charles box set collection, it may be the best. That's because it focuses on Ray's great growth in the 1950s, particularly his days with Atlantic Records.” RG
“Charles was knocking around Seattle when Atlantic bought out his contract in 1952. For the next eight years, he turned out brilliant singles such as” RS “the orgiastic” RGWhat’d I Say and I Got a Woman.” RS
“The man they call ‘The Genius’ rocks, rolls, raises the rafters, and sinks way down low with the blues. This box also features an excellent essay by the late music historian, Robert Palmer.” RG
60,000
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60,000
