A Sentimental Blues

Swing Records 179-A.

Single (A): Swing [Time] Records 179, 1949, b/w You'll Never Miss the Water (Until the Well Runs Dry).
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Los Angeles in 1949.

Maxim Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p; Gosady McKee and Mitchell 'Tiny' Webb - g; Ralph Hamilton - b.

Ain't That Fine

Swing Time 216-A.

From Billboard, June 3, 1950.

Single (A): Swing Time 216, 1950, b/w Don't Put All Your Dreams In One Basket.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Los Angeles, 1949.
The Maxim Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p; Gosady McKee, Mitchell 'Tiny' Webb - g; Ralph Hamilton - b.

All To Myself (aka All To Myself Alone)

Re-issue, Swing Time 249A+.

Ad from Billboard,
June 16, 1951.

Single (B): Swing Time 249, 1951, b/w I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in  Los Angeles, November 24, 1950.

Ray Charles Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p (= "88"),  cel; Oscar Moore - g; Johnny Miller - b.

Alone In This City

Down Beat 211-A.

Single (A): Down Beat 211. B/w Can Anyone Ask For More.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Seattle, in February 1949.

Maxin Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p; Gosady McKee - g; Milton S. Garred - b.

Baby Let Me Hold Your Hand (aka Oh Baby)

Review in ,Cashbox Mar. 31, 1951.

Swing Time 250-A+, deejay promo, 78 rpm.

Note "Time" printed over "Records".

Swing Time 250-A+, 78 rpm.

Single (B): Swing Time 250. B/w Lonely Boy.  Recorded in Los Angeles, November 24, 1950.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

"Ray Charles Trio": Ray Charles - voc, p, cel; Oscar Moore - g; Johnny Miller - b.



Many years later, Ray played the song for Clint Eastwood: see this.

In 2003, for the film Ray, recorded a partial (pseudo live) cover (with Slash on guitar).

Early charting visualized in Cashbox, Apr. 21, 1951.

Baby Won't You Please Come Home

Swing Time 297-A (78 rpm).

Swing Time 297-A (45 rpm).

Single (A): Swing Time 297, b/w Hey Now.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Los Angeles, in 1951.

Ray Charles "with Orchestra": Ray Charles - voc, p; Unidentified - g, b, d. Sy Oliver - arranger.

From Billboard, September 20, 1952.

The brief Billboard review from 20 September 1952 could have influenced Charles' decision to find his own voice: "Again Charles comes up with a fine reading on an oldie in which he sounds so very much like Nat Cole. Trouble is, Nat Cole is still around and kicking up a storm of his own".

In 1970 Ray played the tune in an episode of The Name Of The Game:

Can Anyone Ask For More

Down Beat 211-B.

Single (B): Down Beat 211. B/w Alone in The City.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Seattle, in February 1949.

Maxin Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p; Gosady McKee - g; Milton S. Garred - b.

Can't You See Darling

Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

From the February 1949 recording session in Seattle.
The Maxin Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p; Gosady McKee - g; Milton S. Garred - b.

Confession Blues

Top: Down Beat 171-B. Collection Mark Cederquist.
Bottom: Down Beat 171-B; 78 RPM pressing without songwriter credit and names of musicians.

From Billboard, 
March 12, 1949.

Single (B): Down Beat 171, February 1949, b/w I Love You, I Love You.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Seattle (possibly at the KOL radio studios), February 1949.

The Maxin Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p; Gosady McKee - g; Milton S. Garred - b.

From Linden Records: Seattle's "lost" post-war music company: "By early 1946 Bobrow met up with Linden and they agreed to make a record together. By that time Linden's son Jimmy (1914 - 1972) was working as an audio engineer over at the KOL radio studios in the basement of the Northern Life Towers (1220 3rd Avenue) and a session was booked there. The result became Linden Record Company's commercial debut - and perhaps the first locally recorded, locally issued, popular jazz record: a 78RPM single featuring two Irving Berlin songs The Dark Town Strutter's Ball and Alexander's Ragtime Band, as performed by Jones' Orchestra with vocals by Bobrow.

Ad from Billboard, 12 February 1949. "It's terrif" - "Ray Charles singing with the Maxine (!) Trio".

But it was another historically significant early Seattle record - Ray Charles's 1949 debut disc Confession Blues - that holds out a possible connection to the Linden family tale.

Ad from Billboard, 
August 10, 1949. 
Note Maxim Trio and
Swing Beat label.

What little is known about the circumstances surrounding that record is this: Charles and his trio (who were hosts of a weekly KRSC radio show where they advertised their upcoming nightclub gigs) were discovered in town by a traveling Los Angeles-based music exec. A deal was struck and, according to Charles's autobiography, they proceeded to 'a little recording studio in Seattle.' It is the exact name of that studio that has remained a puzzle all these years - but it seems quite likely, given the paucity of studios existing at the time, that Charles's session took place at KOL with Jimmy Linden participating."

Don't Put All Your Dreams In One Basket

From Billboard, June 3, 1950.

Single (B): Down Beat 216, 1950, b/w Ain't That Fine.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in 1949, in Los Angeles.

Maxim Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p; Gosady McKee, Mitchell 'Tiny' Webb - g; Ralph Hamilton - b.

Guitar Blues (With The Rufus Beacham Orchestra) (?)

Promotional edition of Swing Time 300-A.

Baby, Let Me Hear You Call My 
Name/Guitar Blues on Swing Time 
300, mentioned in Billboard Releases 
on July 19, 1952.

Single (B): Swing Time 300, b/w Baby Let Me Hear You Call My Name.
Also released by Sittin' In With.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Los Angeles, 1952. The liner notes to The Way I Feel locate the taping in Miami (?), 1951, but that should probably be 1952.

Ray Charles - p; possibly Gosady McKee - g; Otto McQueen - b; Manzy Harris - ds. If you follow the Beacham lead, the taping was "With Orchestra": and the musicians were Ray Charles - p (?), Rufus Beacham - p; Jack McVea - ts; Unknown musicians -  g; d.

The original label for Guitar Blues credits 'Ray Charles on guitar'. To anyone's knowledge Ray Charles never played guitar. During a March 4, 1989 interview Joel Dufour, Ray said the name Rufus Beacham didn't ring any bells.
This is probably another track by Rufus Beacham's Orchestra, from the same session as Roly Poly.

The single was re-issued in 1960, and reviewed by Cashbox (Oct. 22).

Hey Now

Swing Time 297-A+ (78 rpm).

Swing Time 297-A+ (45 rpm).

Single (B): Swing Time 297, 1952, b/w Baby Won't You Please Come Home.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 October 2007.

Recorded in Los Angeles, in 1951.

Ray Charles "With Orchestra": Ray Charles - voc, p; arr; Billy Brooks,  Fleming Askew - tp; Marshall Royal, Earl Brown - as; Stanley Turrentine, Maurice Simon - ts; Charles Waller - bs; Frank McClure - b; Eddie Pipper - ds.

Mentioned as "Record to Watch" 
in Billboard, August 23, 1952.

Mini review from 
Billboard, September 20, 1952.

Review in Cashbox, Aug. 30, 1952.

The single
What's The Matter Now / That's The Blues* was released in 1945 by Continental in New York. Ray must have heard that flipside! Henry "Rubberlegs" Williams (vo), Dizzy Gillespie (tp), Trummy Young (tb), Charlie Parker (as), Don Byas (ts), Clyde Hart (p), Mike Bryan (g), Al Hall (b), Specs Powell (dm).



* Many thanks to Joël Dufour for sharing this find. 

Honey, Honey

Swing Time 218-A.

Single (A): Swing Time 218, 1950, b/w She's On The Ball.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 October 2007.

Recorded in Los Angeles, 1950.

"Ray Charles & Trio": Ray Charles, voc, p; Gosady Mckee, g; Milton S. Garred, b.

Mini review from 
Billboard, November 24, 1951.

How Long Blues (aka How Long)

Swing Records, 178-B.

Mentioned in advance notices, in 
Billboard, December 17, 1949. Note 
Ray is not mentioned, 
but Maxim Trio is.

Single (B): Down Beat 178, 1949, b/w Blues Before Sunrise.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 October 2007.

Recorded in Los Angeles, 1949.

Maxim Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p; Gosady McKee and Mitchell 'Tiny' Webb - g; Ralph Hamilton - b.

I Can't Do No More

Sittin' In With 651-A. Picture's source is here.

From Cashbox, Sep. 27, 1952.

Single (A): Sittin' In With 651, b/w Roly Poly. Recorded in Miami (?), usually dated in 1951 (but see date of Billboard clip, below).
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 October 2007.

Ray Charles - voc, p; possibly Gosady McKee - g; Otto McQueen - b; Manzy Harris - ds.

From Billboard, October 11, 1952. 
Mentioning release of Sittin' In With 651: 
I Can't Do No More and Roly Poly.

From Cashbox, Oct. 11, 1952.

I Can't Do No More was originally released as a tune recorded by Ray Charles with the Rufus Beacham's Orchestra on the Sittin' In With label,  #651.
Its flip side, an instrumental, was Roly Poly, released under pianist and band leader Rufus Beacham's name. Roly Poly was subsequently released as Back Home under Ray Charles' name (together with I Can't Do No More) on all subsequent re-issues. During a March 4, 1989 interview, Ray Charles expert Joel Dufour played Roly Poly to Ray who said that the name of Rufus Beacham didn't ring any bell.

I Love You, I Love You (I Will Never Let You Go) (aka I Won't Let You Go)

Down Beat 171-A. 
Collection Mark Cederquist.

From Billboard, Feb. 12, 1949. 
Note Maxine Trio.

Musicians' credits seem
to miss from this pressing.

Single (A): Down Beat 171, 1949, b/w Confession Blues.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Seattle (possibly at the KOL radio studios), February 1949.

The "Maxin" Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p; Gosady McKee - g; Milton S. Garred - b.

I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now

 Swing Time 249-A, deejay promo.

Swing Time 249-A.

Session contract.

Ad from Billboard,
June 16, 1951.

Single (A): Swing Time 249, 1951, b/w All To Myself.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.
Also listen to the album Ray Charles: Unreleased for two alternative takes.

Review in ,Cashbox Jun. 23, 1951.

Recorded in Los Angeles, November 24, 1950. Ray Charles Trio: Ray Charles - voc, p (= "88"), cel; Oscar Moore -  g; Johnny Miller - b.

If I Give You My Love

Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Seattle, February 1949.

Ray Charles, - voc, p; Gosady McKee - g; Milton S. Garred - b.

I'll Do Anything But Work

Swing Time 229-A+.

Someday (Swing Time 229)/ I'll Do Anything But Work  (Swing Time 329 [sic]) from  Billboard, Nov. 4, 1950.

Single (B): Swing Time 229, May 1950, b/w Someday.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Recorded in Los Angeles, on May 26, 1950.

Ray Charles with Orchestra: Ray Charles, voc, p; Teddy Buckner, tp; Marshall Royal, as; Jack McVea, ts; Charles Waller, bs; Louis Spiginer, g; Billy Hadnott, b; Clifton 'Rudy' Pitts, ds; Le Roy 'Snake' White, arr.

I'm Glad For Your Sake

Swing Time 274-A.

Single (A): Swing Time 274, 1951, b/w Kissa Me Baby.
Compilation album: The Way I Feel, Proper, 22 Oct 2007.

Mini review in Billboard, February 16, 1952. 

Recorded in Los Angeles in 1951.

Ray Charles "and Orchestra": Ray Charles - voc, p; Unknown musicians - g; b; d. Sy Oliver - arranger.