Composed by Lloyd Price and his pianist Harold Logan, “Personality” was one of “Mr. Personality’s” biggest hits along with the classic “Stagger Lee”. I chose this one to present today as it is my favorite of all of Price’s songs. (Besides I was never too fond of “Stagger Lee” even though my Mom was. )
Topping the Billboard R&B Chart at #1 and the Billboard Pop Chart at #2, “Personality” was not the typical New Orleans R&B style of Price’s previous works. He had made the ultimate cross-over to Pop. This song appealed to everyone!
I can remember being a little girl singing this song around the house: it was the “Over and Over” song and I knew all the lyrics! Still do BTW. And every time I hear it I sing along and I feel good. Try it for yourself and see if it does the same for you. Here are the lyrics: I am sure you will find that once you start singing the lyrics become infectious, so I apologize to you in advance!
“Personality” – Composed by Lloyd Price and Harold Logan
Over and over
I tried to prove my love to you
Over and over
What more can I do
Over and over
My friends say I´m a fool
But over and over
I´ll be a fool for you
chorus:
’cause you got personality,
Walk, personality
Talk, Personality
Smile, Personality
Charm, personality
Love, personality
And of plus you´ve got
A great big heart
So over and over
Oh, I´ll be a fool for you
Now over and over
What more can I do ?
(repeat chorus)
Over and over
I said that I loved you
Over and over, honey
Now it´s the truth
Over and over
They still say I´m a fool
But over and over
I´ll be a fool for you
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/3392729_wh9ci/Lloyd%20Price%20-%20Just%20Because.mp3] Lloyd Price – Just Because (1957)
After the great success of “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” Lloyd Price released a few more singles for Specialty that were not as successful. He was then was drafted in 1954. Even though he and Specialty Records tried to get him deferred or discharged he ended up completing his two year service requirement in its entirety.
After making no recordings from 1954 to 1956 Price was ready to get back to music making. Here is the story of the making of his next big hit as explained on the Concord Music Group Website.
“Before entering the Army, Lloyd had engaged the services of a promoter, Harold Logan, and when Specialty Records didn’t renew his contract, Price moved to Washington, D.C. to join Logan and a pal from New Orleans, Bill Boskent, in a venture they called KRC Records. Lloyd adapted an aria from Verdi’s Rigoletto into a tune he called “Just Because,” and recorded it for KRC. And then the story becomes very convoluted. Price’s cousin, Larry Williams, had toured with him as a valet, and, according to Price, Williams saw the initial response to “Just Because,” and rushed out to California to persuade Art Rupe to let him cover it. By Williams’ account, he hadn’t seen Price in a while, and was living in Oakland when he went to Specialty, and someone at Specialty recommended that he cover “Just Because.” The upshot was that Price had to lease his recording to ABC-Paramount to avoid being scooped by his now-estranged cousin and his now-estranged producer. ABC hung onto Lloyd Price and he rewarded them with three monumental hits, “Stagger Lee,” “Personality,” and “I’m Gonna Get Married.” “
“Just Because” zoomed to #3 on Billboard’s R&B chart and #29 on Billboard Pop Charts. It is another of my favorite Lloyd Price tunes.
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/3225252_6wszw/Ray%20Charles%20-%20%20Crying%20Time.mp3] Ray Charles – Crying Time [1968]
“Crying Time,” was not the only winner of an R&B Grammy award in 1968. The Academy finally got a little more sense and added two more R&B categories — since the one they had was hardly fair with the bevy of talented R&B Vocalists of both genders, groups and instrumentalists.
Frankly, three was still not enough categories but it was better than just one. In addition to winning the Best Rhythm and Blues Recording1968, Ray Charles’ recording of “Crying Time” also won the Grammy in the newly created category Best Rhythm and Blues Solo Vocal Performance, Male or Female 1968.
This great song is another of the many Country songs that Ray favored during his career and he “Rayized” (yes I made up a new word – LOL) it with a touch of blues, a touch of soul, a touch of gospel, a touch of pop and a touch of Ray!
Composed by the late great Buck Owens, it was recorded by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos and placed on the B-side of their #1 Billboard Country hit “I Got a Tiger By The Tail.” “Tiger” also crossed over to #25 Pop and I happened to ? that song very much as did my maternal grandmother may she R.I.P.
Ray’s cover version of “Crying Time” charted on three US Billboard Charts; #6 Pop, #5 R&B and #1 Adult Contemporary! It also charted #50 in the UK.
Please enjoy this live performance of “Crying Time” by Brother Ray and Barbara Streisand in 1973! It is truly awesome.
You may read more about Ray Charles at Answers.com
Stay tuned for the next post to find out who won the third R&B Grammy in 1968.
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/3071065_awdik/Ray%20Charles%20-%20Busted.mp3] Ray Charles – Busted (1963)
Composed by the award winning songwriter Harlan Howard, Ray Charles’ performance of “Busted” won him his fourth Grammy in a row – Best Rhythm and Blues Recording 1963.
If I say this is one of my favorites songs you are probably thinking I am being redundant — but it truly is. In fact most of Brother Ray’s songs are favorites of mine. And while researching this blog I have come to find more of Ray’s catalog that had eluded me over the years and I am loving those newly discovered “oldies but goodies” too!
The previous year Charles won a Grammy for a song from his “Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music” album and this song had been recorded by Country artist Johnny Cash in 1962.
The more I delve into the Genius of Ray Charles — I think his “Genius” is that he defies categorization! He started out winning in the newly created R&B category of the Grammy Academy, but he charted both Billboard “Pop” and “Black” (the term that I despise and will go back to calling it R&B for my sanity), and yet he had recorded a majority of classic “country” songs to this point. His performances were tinged with “jazz” and “blues”, and yet oftentimes his orchestration was bordering on “classical”. Wow — what a conglomeration!
Yes I am sure that the “Genius” of Ray Charles is that he was not one musical genre, but a melding of all musical genres! You may read more about Ray Charles at Answers.com
“Busted” reached #4 Pop and #3 R&B on the US Billboard charts and #21 in the UK.
Watch the Genius at work, performing this classic during a 1982 European concert.
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/3112526_wpn6f/Ray%20Charles%20-%20I%20Can%5C%27t%20stop%20loving%20you.mp3] Ray Charles – I Can’t Stop Loving You (1962) 45 RPM Version
The Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording 1962 was awarded to “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” Ray Charles on ABC Records. This was 5th R&B Grammy presented since 1958 and the 3rd won by Charles.
“I Can’t Stop Loving You” is a popular song written and composed by country singer, songwriter and musician Don Gibson, who first recorded it on December 30, 1957, for RCA Victor Records.
The song was also recorded by Ray Charles in 1962 and released from Charles’ groundbreaking Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music album. The Ray Charles cover version reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100in 1962, as well as the U.S. R&B and Adult Contemporary charts and ranked #161 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and #49 on CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music. (SOURCE)
This CD is one of the favorites in my personal music collection. Every song is a gem and apparently the entire US of A thought so too because it remained on the Billboard pop album chart for nearly two years and spent 14 weeks in the number 14 position!
Initially, Brother Ray did not want any singles released from the LP as he wanted it to stand on it’s own as a collection. But then Tab Hunter covered “ICSLY” using Charles’ arrangement so Ray put his version out: of course as soon as it was sent out to radio stations Tab Hunter’s cover was old news. (LOL)
Please enjoy this later live version of Ray Charles performing “ICSLY” with his Raylettes. I prefer to hear the Raylettes backing more so than the choir backing on the original version. I have heard the Raylettes do a few different backing arrangements, but the one I have shared here is the one I prefer.
[audio http://boxstr.com/files/3071064_jaoei/Ray%20Charles%20-%20Hit%20The%20Road%2C%20Jack.mp3] Ray Charles – Hit The Road Jack (1961)
Penned by Ray’s friend and colleague Percy Mayfield, “Hit The Road Jack” as performed by Brother Ray won the fourth ever R&B Grammy — Best Rhythm and Blues Recording 1961.
Of course in addition to winning a Grammy, the song topped both the R&B and Pop single charts at #1 in 1961.
This makes four R&B Grammy awards given out by the Academy since 1958 and Ray Charles has won half of them at this point!
