Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music
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Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, also referred to as Modern Sounds, is a studio album by American rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, released in April 1962 on ABC-Paramount Records,[1] in both mono and stereo, ABC-410 and ABCS-410.[2][3] Recording sessions for the album took place in February of 1962 at Capitol Studios in New York City and United Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.[4] The album features country, folk and western standards redone by Charles in popular song forms of the time, such as jazz and R&B, as well as production by himself and conductor Sid Feller.[5]
As his fifth LP release for the ABC-Paramount label, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music became a rapid success as it brought Ray Charles further mainstream recognition, following his successful tenure for Atlantic Records. With the help of the album's four charting singles, Charles earned success in the pop market, as well as airplay on both R&B and country music stations.[6] The album and its lead single, "I Can't Stop Loving You", were both certified gold in sales by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 19, 1962, as each record had sold half a million copies in the United States.[7]
Regarded by many music critics as Charles' greatest studio effort, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music has been included on several publications' "best album" lists in disparate genres, as well as R&B and country music lists, respectively.[8] Modern Sounds has also been considered as a landmark album in American music, as Charles' integration of soul and country bended racial barriers in music, amid the height of the civil rights struggle.[9] In the process of recording the album, Charles became one of the first black musicians to exercise complete artistic control over his own recording career.[10] In October 1988, Modern Sounds was reissued on compact disc by Rhino Entertainment.[4] Template:RS500[11]
Conception
After his Atlantic Records contract had ended, Ray Charles signed with ABC-Paramount in November of 1959, obtaining a much more liberal contract than other artists had at the time.[12] ABC had offered him a $ 50,000 annual advance and eventual ownership of his masters — a very valuable deal at the time.[13] Charles had earned national acclaim for his first hit single for ABC-Paramount, the Sid Feller-produced "Georgia on My Mind" in 1960, and earned a Grammy Award for "Hit the Road Jack".[14][15] By late 1961, he had also expanded his small road ensemble to a full-scale big band, becoming one of the few black artists to crossover into mainstream pop with such creative control.[16] This success, however, came to a momentary halt in November of 1961, as a warrant-less police search into Charles' hotel room led to the discovery of heroin in his medicine cabinet. The case was dropped, as it was a warrant-less search, and Charles returned his focus on music.[17]
Following his blues fusion with gospel and jazz influences on his earlier Atlantic material, which had brought him much fame and controversy, Charles sought to experiment with a country music sound.[10] At Atlantic, he attempted to incorporate the country style of music with his cover of Canadian singer Hank Snow's "I'm Movin' On". On the recording, Charles later said, "When I heard Hank Snow sing 'Moving On', I loved it. And the lyrics. Keep in mind, I’m a singer, so I like lyrics. Those lyrics are great, so that’s what made me want to do it."[12] The "I'm Movin' On" sessions were his last for Atlantic.[16]
When Charles had announced that he wanted to work on an album of country music in 1961, amid racial segregation and tension in the United States, he received mostly negative commentary and feedback from peers such as fellow R&B musicians and ABC-Paramount executives.[12] The country album concept meant more to Charles as a test of his record label's faith and respect to his artistic freedom rather than a test of social tolerence among listeners during a time of great racial distinctions of country and R&B.[18] Fueled by his esteem for artistic and creative control, Charles ignored the comments and pitched the idea of a country album to ABC representatives, who did not fight the idea.[18] Following the successful lobby of the concept of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and a contract renewal in early 1962, which was linked to the launching of his own Tangerine label, Charles prepared his band and himself for the subsequent recording sessions that would conceive Charles' concept.[18]
Music
Production
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Instead of drawing what he should record from memory, Charles asked his newly appointed A&R (Artists and Repertoire) man and record producer Sid Feller to research top country standards through major country music publishers.[19] By canvassing premier country publishing companies, such as Acuff-Rose Publishing (which featured the Hank Williams catalog) and Hill & Range Songs, most of which were located in Nashville, Tennessee, Feller amassed around 250 songs on tape for Charles to consider recording for Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. From New York City, Feller sent the recordings to Charles, who was living in California at the time, for him to choose and later recalled the experience:
[H]e listened to all of them to see which one he could make a Ray Charles record with. A Ray Charles version. Not copy a country & western singer's version. So in other words, by hearing the original, he knew what he didn't want to do. So consequently, he made up his own things, and some of the things he made up, you know, the melodies themselves are interpretations. Some of the ballads, that were so beautiful, he just made it sound like Ray Charles made it up, even though he was singing the exact melody of the original. And yet when Ray Charles sings it, it sounds like a brand new song.[20]
— Sid Feller
As the selected compositions provided the country and western foundation for the album, the musical arrangements represented the album's modern component. Eager to display his big band in studio, Charles enlisted premier jazz arrangers Gerald Wilson and Gil Fuller, while Marty Paich arranged the lush strings and chorus numbers.[21]
Despite enlisting a roster of professional arrangers and musicians, Charles intended to control the artistic direction of the sound and concept of the recordings. In order to indicate the specific licks he wanted emphasized, Charles would put together voice-and-piano demos and pass them along to the arrangers, which informed them of what he wanted to do with specific sounds. As the arrangers would do their best to interpret his musical preference, Charles' focus was set on the material and his takes on the country and western tunes he chose for Modern Sounds.[22]
Content
The themes of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music consist mostly of heartbreak and love, while most of the material chosen by Charles were ballads as well. The concept which had originally attracted the interest of Charles to this style of music was the strength he admired in writing such a ballad's somber or melancholy lyrics and then performing the ballad beautifully; an element he had found to be common in even the most diverse musical genres.[23] Despite the racial implications of country and R&B, Charles did not agree with the contemporary view of race records and the pop music scene as completely different in the case of theme or inspiration.[24] In an interview with writer and music historian Peter Guralnick, Charles further elaborated on his understanding of this and said briefly:
You take country music, you take black music, you got the same goddamn thing exactly.[24]
— Ray Charles
The opening track on Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, "Bye Bye Love", originally a 1957 hit for the Everly Brothers, was reinvented by Charles with the help of Gerald Wilson's brassy arrangement. "You Don't Know Me", a Nashville Sound-tune written by Cindy Walker in 1955, features a bittersweet melody, while the folk song "Careless Love" has Charles slightly augmenting the lyrics. The former became a great success when it was released as a single and Charles' version of the song has been noted as the best by many critics. Music writer Bill Janovitz later wrote of Charles' cover of "You Don't Know Me":
The genius, the pathos, and the soul that is Charles oozes into this recording, offsetting any gloss and sheen in the string-and-vocal-ensemble-laden production. His unmistakable voice aches with unrequited love and desire, longs for a woman that does not even see him as "just a friend/That's all I've ever been/For you don't know me." No matter how many times one hears the song, it still induces chills down the spine after the narrator blows any chance he might have had and is left alone at the end.[25]
— Bill Janovitz
Both written by Hank Williams, "You Win Again" and "Hey, Good Lookin'" are derived from Williams' different emotional perspectives. The division is further accentuated by Charles' interpretations of the two songs.[26] "I Can't Stop Loving You", the lush ballad with a soft, cushioned arrangement, was placed at the 11th spot in the track listing, assumed by Sid Feller to be the album's weakest song, after which became the album's top-selling single. Charles was disappointed with him, as Feller was in charge of sequencing for the album.[27] An intriguing component of Modern Sounds is Charles' creative reliance on honky tonk musician Floyd Tillman's songwriting, covering the heartbreak ballads "It Makes No Difference Now" and "I Love You So Much It Hurts". The Ted Daffan-penned "Worried Mind" and "Born to Lose" continue his take on country balladry and feature a blend of piano blues with string arrangements.
Reception
Commercial
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music became one of the best-selling albums recorded by a black musician of the time, as well as one of the best-selling country albums,[10] selling over 500,000 copies in its first three months of release.[7] This achievement was due in part to the mainstream promotional efforts Modern Sounds had received from ABC prior to and following release.[28] The album proved to be crossover hit as well, as distributors claimed the record had been selling in pop, R&B and country music markets; at the time, often referred to as white and black markets.[29]
Upon initial release in early April 1962 in both monoraul and stereo format,[2][3] a Billboard magazine reviewer claimed, "In addition to being powerful dealer material, this package will fracture knowledgeable jockeys who will find in it a wealth of material to talk about as well as play."[28] By mid-April, reports of the album's sales and radio airplay had started coming in from cities such as Dallas and Philadelphia. On June 23, 1962, the mono issue of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music replaced the West Side Story soundtrack as the number one album in the U.S., knocking it off the top of the Billboard Pop Albums chart.[28] The album spawned four charting singles, "Born to Lose", "Careless Love", "I Can't Stop Loving You" and "You Don't Know Me", the latter two of which went number one on the Adult Contemporary chart.[30] By mid-May, the album's lead single, "I Can't Stop Loving You", had sold 700,000 copies within its first four weeks of release.[28] Record dealers began describing the album as "equal in sales action to some of the early Presley disks" and, after moving 400,000 copies of the single, influential Atlanta record distributor Gwen Kestler told Billboard magazine that "the record is so hot in her district that people who don't even own record players are buying it."[28] "I Can't Stop Loving You" hit number one on the pop charts on June 2, spending five consecutive weeks at the top of the chart. By the time it fell off the top, the single was reported to have reached nearly a million-and-a-half sales, moving over 100,000 copies per week.
While Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music and its hit singles were earning massive sales in the United States, Ray Charles was touring Europe with his big band and the Raelettes. At the Hot Club de France, Charles was hailed as "a true jazz artist in the tradition of Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington."[29] Upon his return to the U.S. at the end of the summer, ABC-Paramount had officially recognized his achievements, presenting Charles with two gold records — one for "I Can't Stop Loving You", the other for his Modern Sounds album — during a concert at the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, New Jersey.[29] Through his ventures into country music and the European jazz scene, Charles' white audience grew at concerts.[31] Modern Sounds was then followed another album of country soul renditions by Charles, which he recorded in September of 1962. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 2 was released six months after the first volume and proved to be equally successful, while also earning a gold certification by the following year.[32][7] Following his tenure with ABC, Charles went on to achieve more success recording country music under Warner Bros. Records throughout most of the 1970s and 1980s.[33]
Critical
Critical recognition of the album upon initial release was mostly favorable with general praise coming from music critics of rhythm & blues and country music.[32] "I Can't Stop Loving You" later earned Charles a Grammy Award for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording at the 1963 Grammys,[34] while Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music was nominated for Album of the Year.[8] Following the years leading up to the subsequent reissue of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music in 1988, the album's legacy and reputation continued to build, as did Charles' reputation in country music. The album soon received praise from critics for Charles' fashion and style of interpreting country music into the R&B language.[33] In a review of Charles' Modern Sounds record for Allmusic.com, music critic Stephen Cook wrote of the album:
Less modern for its country-R&B blend and lushly produced C&W tone than for its place as a high-profile crossover hit, Modern Sounds in Country and Western fit right in with Ray Charles' expansive musical ways while on the Atlantic label in the '50s. In need of even more room to explore, Charles signed with ABC Paramount and eventually took full advantage of his contract's "full artistic freedom clause" with this collection of revamped country classics ... Above a mix of swinging big band charts by Gerald Wilson and strings and choir backdrops from Marty Paich, Charles' intones the sleepy-blue nuances of country crooners while still giving the songs a needed kick with his gospel outbursts. No pedal steel or fiddles here, just a fine store of inimitable interpretations.[1]
— Stephen Cook
"I Can't Stop Loving You" was later ranked #49 on Country Music Television's list of the 100 Greatest Songs of Country Music.[35] Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music was ranked #97 on VH1's 2001 list of the 100 Greatest Rock 'n' Roll Albums and #16 on Blender magazine's 2002 publication of The 100 Greatest American Albums of All time.[8][36] The album was also ranked #2 on Country Music Television's list of the 40 Greatest Albums.[37] In 1999, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, as was "I Can't Stop Loving You" in 2001. Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music was cited by The Recording Academy as a recording of "historical significance".[38] In a November 2003 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music was ranked #104 on the magazine's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, Charles' highest ranking entry on the list; it is preceded only by The Genius of Ray Charles at #263.[11]
Influence
Ray Charles' success with the stylistic fusion of country and soul later lead to country-soul efforts from performers, such as Candi Staton and Solomon Burke who were both greatly influenced by Charles' Modern Sounds recordings.[39] Charles, himself, has earned a country music repertoire and reputation following the Modern Sounds records, subsequent country hit singles for Warner Bros. Records in the years that followed, and various appearances on country music-themed events, such as The Johnny Cash Show in 1970 and the Grand Ole Opry's 58th anniversary in 1983.[40] Many country music artists, such as Willie Nelson and Buck Owens, have cited Charles' take on country music and Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music as their major influences.[10] In an interview for Country Music Television, Nelson said of Modern Sounds's influence that the album "did more for country music than any one artist has ever done."[39] Modern Sounds in Country and Wester Music has also been perceived by many critics and writers as a landmark album in American music, as the record was the first to blend the two racially distinct genres of country and soul. On country, soul and Modern Sounds, Doug Freeman of The Austin Chronicle wrote:
Country and soul have always had a tenuous connection, undoubtedly exacerbated by the racial identifications of their respective fanbases. Yet despite the perceived disconnect between the two genres, the populist formats of both have always been more fluid and contiguous than is traditionally recognized. Elvis’ melding of country and R&B may even arguably be considered the genesis of rock & roll, though that middle ground has largely only served to allow soul and country to remain segregated. With his 1962 Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Ray Charles created the benchmark for crossing the line, highlighting the similarities in sentiment often overshadowed by sound.[41]
— Doug Freeman
Throughout the years following its initial reception, Modern Sounds has gained further acknowledgement of its artistry and its impact on the music industry and society. The musical integration of soul and country by Charles changed racial boundaries and restraints in music and contributed to the historical Civil Rights Movement.[9] In addition, Charles became known as one of the first black musicians to receive and practice artistic control bestowed upon them by a mainstream record company such as ABC.[10] In a 1998 interview, country musician Raul Malo acknowledged the album's influence, calling it "one of the most important records of our time, not only because of its content, but also due to its social and political ramifications."[42] In a July 8, 2004 article for Rolling Stone magazine, music journalist Robert Christgau praised the impact and influence that the Modern Sounds recordings had on music:
In the world it created, not only could a black person sing the American songbook Ella Fitzgerald owned by then, but a country black person could take it over. Soon Charles' down-home diction, cotton-field grit, corn-pone humor and overstated shows of emotion were standard operating procedure in American music, black and white.[43]
— Robert Christgau
On October 27, 1998, Rhino Entertainment issued a 4-disc box set entitled The Complete Country & Western Recordings: 1959 – 1986, which chronicles Charles' country and western recordings. The collection features the two volumes of Modern Sounds as well as his later country singles for the Warner Bros. label.[44] Included in the set is a hardcover booklet of essays by producer Sid Feller, writer Daniel Cooper, and Ray Charles, alomg with liner photography by Howard Morehead and Les Leverett.[45]
Track listing
Original LP
All tracks produced by Ray Charles and Sid Feller.
Side one
- "Bye Bye Love" (F. Bryant, B. Bryant) – 2:09
- "You Don't Know Me" (Arnold, Walker) – 3:14
- "Half as Much" (C. Williams) – 3:24
- "I Love You So Much It Hurts" (Tillman) – 3:33
- "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" (Arnold, Clements) – 3:26
- "Born to Lose" (Brown) – 3:15
Side two
- "Worried Mind" (Daffan, Davis) – 2:54
- "It Makes No Difference Now" (Tillman, Davis) – 3:30
- "You Win Again" (H. Williams) – 3:29
- "Careless Love" (Traditional, Charles) – 3:56
- "I Can't Stop Loving You" (Gibson) – 4:13
- "Hey, Good Lookin'" (H. Williams) – 2:10
CD reissue
Track listing for the 1988 Rhino reissue.
- "Bye Bye Love" – 2:12
- "You Don't Know Me" – 3:16
- "Half as Much" – 3:28
- "I Love You So Much It Hurts" – 3:35
- "Just a Little Lovin' (Will Go a Long Way)" – 3:29
- "Born to Lose" – 3:18
- "Worried Mind" – 2:57
- "It Makes No Difference Now" – 3:36
- "You Win Again" – 3:31
- "Careless Love" – 4:01
- "I Can't Stop Loving You" – 4:14
- "Hey, Good Lookin'" – 2:14
Bonus tracks - "You Are My Sunshine" (Davis, Mitchell) – 3:01
- "Here We Go Again" (Lanier, Steagall) – 3:18
- "That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls Around Heaven)" (Gillespie) – 4:21
Chart history
Album
| Year | Chart | Peak position[46] |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | U.S. Pop Albums chart | #1 (14 weeks) |
Singles
| Year | Single | Peak positions[47] | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop Singles | Black Singles | Easy Listening | ||
| 1962 | "Born to Lose" | 41 | — | — |
| "Careless Love" | 60 | — | — | |
| "I Can't Stop Loving You" | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| "You Don't Know Me" | 2 | 5 | 1 | |
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Personnel
Musicians
- Ray Charles – piano, vocals, producer
- Hank Crawford – alto saxophone
- Gil Fuller, Gerald Wilson – arrangements (big band)
- Marty Paich – arrangements (strings)
Production
- Engineers:
- Frank Abbey (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 8 ,10, 12)
- Bill Putnam (tracks: 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 15)
- Gene Thompson (tracks: 1, 3, 5, 8 ,10, 12)
- Bob Arnold (tracks: 15), Johnny Cue (tracks: 13)
- Joe Adams – producer (tracks: 14)
- Sid Feller – producer (tracks: 1 to 13, 15)
Additional personnel
- Todd Everett – liner notes
- Bill Inglot, Ken Perry – remastering
- Hugh Bell, Michael Ochs Archives – photography (album cover, liner notes)
Notes
- ^ a b allmusic Modern Sounds - Overview . All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b Discogs.com - Modern Sounds (mono 1962). Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b Discogs.com - Modern Sounds (stereo 1962). Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b Discogs - Modern Sounds (1988 reissue). Discogs. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ Ritz (1992), p. 214.
- ^ Rolling Stone: 104) Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b c RIAA Searchable Database - Search Results: Ray Charles. Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b c Acclaimed Music - Modern Sounds. www.acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b Time: The All-TIME 100 Albums: Modern Sounds. Time Inc. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b c d e VH1 (2003), p. 210.
- ^ a b The RS 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b c breath of life » RAY CHARLES / “I Can’t Stop Loving You”. Kalamu. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ RS Biography - Ray Charles 1930-2004. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.
- ^ The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time: 44) Georgia on My Mind. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.
- ^ Hit The Road Jack by Ray Charles Songfacts. Songfacts. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.
- ^ a b Cooper (1998), p. 20.
- ^ Cooper (1998), pp. 20–21.
- ^ a b c Cooper (1998), p. 21.
- ^ Cooper (1998), p. 22.
- ^ Cooper (1998), pp. 21–22.
- ^ Cooper (1998), p. 23.
- ^ Cooper (1998), pp. 23–24.
- ^ Cooper (1998), pp. 14–15.
- ^ a b Cooper (1998), p. 15.
- ^ allmusic: You Don't Know Me. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-09-30.
- ^ Cooper (1998), pp. 24–25.
- ^ Cooper (1998), p. 25.
- ^ a b c d e Cooper (1998), p. 29.
- ^ a b c Cooper (1998), p. 30.
- ^ allmusic Modern Sounds > Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles . All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ Cooper (1998), pp. 30–31.
- ^ a b Cooper (1998), pp. 31–32.
- ^ a b Cooper (1998), p. 51.
- ^ allmusic Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Charts & Awards - Grammy Awards. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ Acclaimed Music - I Can't Stop Loving You. www.acclaimedmusic.net. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ VH-1 Top 100 Albums. Cool Pup. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ CMT 40 Greatest Albums - The Shania Forums. Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ Grammy.com - Hall of Fame inductees. The Recording Academy. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ a b CMT : News : Nashville Skyline: Ray Charles Should Be in Country Music Hall of Fame. CMT. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ Cooper (1998), pp. 45–50.
- ^ The Austin Chronicle: Earache! Austin Music Blog. Austin Chronicle Corp. Retrieved on 2008-09-19.
- ^ Malo (1998), p. 4. (forward).
- ^ Robert Christgau: The Genius at Work: Ray Charles, A Critical Discography. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ allmusic Complete Country & Western Recordings 1959-1986 - Overview. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-14.
- ^ Cooper (1998), p. 55.
- ^ Billboard.com - Chart Beat Bonus - Get Ready for 'Company': Modern Sounds. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
- ^ allmusic Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Charts & Awards - Billboard Singles. All Media Guide, LLC. Retrieved on 2008-08-13.
References
- VH1 (see list of contributers) (2003). 100 Greatest Albums. edited by Jacob Hoye. Simon and Schuster, USA. pp. p. 210. ISBN 0-743-44876-6.
{{cite book}}:|author=has generic name (help);|pages=has extra text (help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help); External link in|author= - Sid Feller, Daniel Cooper, Ray Charles (1998). Ray Charles - The Complete Country & Western Recordings: 1959 – 1986 (Box set liner notes). forward by Raul Malo. Rhino Entertainment Company.
{{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help)CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - Ray Charles, David Ritz (1992). Brother Ray: Ray Charles' Own Story. 1st edition. Da Capo Press, USA. ISBN 0-30680-482-4.
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