Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Yahoo LAUNCHCAST Song Of The Day-Ray Charles

Artist:Ray Charles
Song:Busted
Album:The Very Best Of Ray Charles




The 1963 hit Busted came at the end of a long string of hit singles for the legendary Ray Charles. By listening to his arrangement, you wouldn't know that it's a country song. Charles had come off the huge success of the two Modern Sounds Of Country And Western Music albums in 1962. Busted was on the 1963 follow up album Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul. The album was inconsistent as Charles tried some pop oriented songs that didn't work but Busted reached #4 on the singles charts. The song was written by legendary country music songwriter Harlan Howard (I Fall To Pieces) and was originally recorded by Johnny Cash. That's probably where Charles heard it but he gives the song an unexpected jazz spin. His musical director Sid Feller wrote the arrangement. Charles had one more top ten hit in 1963 with Take These Chains From My Heart and then he went into a decline until returning to the top ten with Crying Time in 1966. His albums still did well and he was still a popular live draw but he was also having problem with cocaine and was arrested in 1965. This Rhino comp is mostly Atlantic songs but it has some ABC tracks like Busted and is a good intro for newcomers. Here's Ray Charles performing Busted in Europe 1982.

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