NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/
Ray Charles Fans Website) - When
Ray Charles left Atlantic Records for ABC-Paramount, his first move was to gather up a dozen vintage songs about U.S. destinations. The resulting album, The Genius Hits the Road, in turn gave Charles his first No. 1 hit, a soulful reading of Hoagy Carmichaels Georgia On My Mind. The album, which also contains such travel songs as Alabamy Bound, California, Here I Come, Deep in the
Heart of
Texas and Blue Hawaii, marked the start of Charles long association with producer Sid Feller and featured band longtime accompanists saxmen
David Fathead Newman and Hank Crawford, plus the Raeletts.
A deluxe reissue of The Genius Hits the Road, augmented by six bonus tracks, digital re-mastering and new liner notes by Bill Dahl alongside original notes by Rick Ward, will be released September 22, 2009, on the eve of what would have been the late icon's 79th birthday.
This was the first album we made together, said late producer Feller. (Ray) wanted to do songs either about states or cities. A lot of the material he knew himself. Hed give me some titles and then check through catalogs and publishers for other ones that had names of cities or states.
The Genius Hits the Road was recorded in two lengthy New York recording sessions in March 1960. Georgia On My Mind was first on the evenings agenda. The songs lyricist Stuart Gorrell actually found his inspiration in Carmichaels sister Georgia rather than the state, but the words pay tribute to either. It was Charles' first No. 1 hit, earning him two of four Grammys that year. The album also contained a version of Leo Robin and Ralph Raingers Blue Hawaii, recorded originally for the 1937 movie Waikiki Wedding starring Bing Crosby. A year after Charles recorded it, the song became the title track to a 1961 Elvis Presley film.
The 12 songs of The Genius Hits the Road were by no means the only travel tunes Charles recorded in his ABC-Paramount tenure. The expanded edition reissue adds six more. The best known of these is Charles No. 1 version of Percy Mayfields Hit the Road Jack, which joins Les Browns Sentimental Journey, Bill Monroes Blue Moon of Kentucky, Tony Joe Whites Rainy Night in Georgia, Paul McCartneys Long and Winding Road, John Denvers Take Me Home, Country Roads and Charles own I Was on Georgia Time.
The Genius Hits the Road vaulted to No. 9 on Billboards pop charts during a 50-week run that began in October 1960. But this particular road was just the beginning of a new journey for Brother Ray.
