Ray Charles Is In Town - Chronology 1965

Mid Sixties.

1965

ABC trade ad from 1965.

 

  

Buys new house.

Kicks off heroin.

A year almost without touring and concerts.

One More Time peaks at #32 on Pop Chart, Makin' Whoopee at #46 on Pop and #14 on R&B, Cry at #58 on Pop, I Got A Woman (Live) at #79 on Pop, I’m A Fool To Care at #84 on Pop.       

Live In Concert peaks at #80, and Country And Western Meets Rhythm And Blues (aka Together Again) at #116 on Pop Album Chart.
Starts recording in his own studio.

Photos below are probably contemporary:

January 1965

Recording (a.o. Together Again, Light Out Of Darkness) at United Studios in Hollywood.
Release of live album Ray Charles Live In Concert, and of the single Cry / Teardrops From My Eyes.

Ray Charles appeared at the ABC Paramount sales convention in Miami (from Cashbox, Jan. 14, 1965). Billboard (Jan. 30, 1966) reported that "Joe Adams [...] said the new Tangerine release policy calls for three singles a month and an album every other month" as of February 1, 1966."

Ad in Billboard.

On or around 8 January 1965

Burial of Lee Shaw in New York.

February 1965
Recording (a.o. Don't You Think I Ought To Know) at United Studios in Hollywood.

March 1965

Release of the single I've Got a Woman (Live, Part 1 and 2).

Negotiating new contract with ABC in New York.

Photos by Steve Schapiro. This last photo was cut out of a 1967 concert souvenir brochure, credited to Life magazine. 

These photos (now licensed by Getty Images) must also be by Schapiro. They were no doubt shot the same day. The caption reads "[...] Ray Charles during a meeting with ABC Record executives to discuss his album Together Again. David Berger extends his hand for a handshake with Ray".

26 March 1965

Appears in U.S. Federal District Court in Boston, pleading not guilty; judge continues bail.        

April 1965

Release of the single Without A Song (Part 1 and 2).

23 to 29 April 1965
Margie Hendricks goes solo at the Apollo in New York, but is still backed up by the other Raelettes (source: New York Amsterdam News, April 24, 1965). The New Pittsburgh Courier (Apr. 10) wrote: "In musical circles, they are calling [Margie Hendricks] the Blue Lady. This, mainly, is because she sings the blues, a la Dinah Washington. But, also, it's because the line of guys who make a line for her dressing room.
 But [Margie] is hard to get along with, and wants no part of these men. The reason, therefore, for the name. She is happy with it, she says. Formerly, [Margie] was with the Ray Charles aggregation, but broke away to work with C.B. Atkins, who just has booked her into the Apollo for April 23. She will be backed by the [Raelettes], singing solo."

19 May 1965
Air date of Shindig! See this.

With conductor Onzy Matthews.

24 - 30 May 1965
Margie Hendricks at the Cadillac Club in Philadelphia, backed by "the Melodies, formerly the Raelets".

Late May 1965

Ray takes mental decision to go for rehab.        

June 1965
Recording (a.o. Crying Time) at United Studios in Hollywood.

Release of the single I'm A Fool To Care / Love's Gonna Live Here.

Trade magazin ad.

French Treasury issues "historic collections" medal honoring Ray; on the back is a Latin inscription in braille that can be translated as "I want people to discover my soul"; the medal, designed by Mme Resseguier Lagriffoul sells for $4 in bronze and $22 in silver.

28 June 1965

Ft. In Murray The K - It's What's Happening, Baby! (air date). See this. 

22 July 1965
Recording of The Cincinnati Kid's theme song at RCA Victor in Hollywood, with Lalo Schifrin and a 26-piece orchestra.

26 July 1965

Enters heroin withdrawal program at St. Francis Hospital in Los Angeles (and learns to play chess).      

From Jet, Aug, 19, 1965

From Jet, Oct. 25/

August 1965

Release of album Country And Western Meets Rhythm And Blues (aka Together Again).

From the shoot (by Joe Adams) for the first American release of the album.

13 to 15 August 1965
Raelettes, "formerly with Ray Charles", at Mr. James Club, Miami.

Ad from Miami Times, Aug. 13.

September 1965

Release of the single The Cincinnati Kid / That's All I Am To You.

 

Fall 1965

First two (known) recording sessions at RPM International in Los Angeles (1st a.o. Maybe It's Because Of Love; 2nd a.o. Let's Go Get Stoned, Going Down Slow, No Use Crying).

October 1965

Billy Preston joins the touring band (remains regular, off and on, until end of 1969).

Release of the single Crying Time / When My Dream Boat Comes Home.

From Cashbox, Nov. 27, 1965.

22 November 1965

Appears before Federal Court in Boston; case continued for a year, under provision of one year of unscheduled examinations for drugs abuse.

From Jet, Dec. 9.

24, 26 and 27 November 1965

Engineering for and recording with Quincy Jones, for Quincy's Got A Brand New Bag, at RPM International Studios, LA. See this.

29 November 1965

Taping of T.N.T. Show. Photo here. See this.

Photo by Bill Gillohm.

Article in Indianapolis Recorder, Dec. 25.

From Jet magazine, Dec. 16, 1965.

Early poster for the show, advertising a different title. Obviously, in the end Phil Spector did not succeed in getting The Modern Folk Quartet on the show.

Publicity photo for the show.

Improbable that this really was in '65: "Ray Charles performs during Homecoming at East Carolina College. Photo taken from page 46 of the 1965 Buccaneer, yearbook of East Carolina College".

Circa 1965.