Ray Charles On The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (1969)

The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour was a controversial tv show. With its mix of old-school show business and counterculture comedy, the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour revolutionized the variety show format for a new generation, and ultimately paved the way for shows such as Saturday Night Live. Ray featured three times in the third season: on 19 January 1969 - performing Doot Doot Dow, I Can't Stop Loving You, You Made Me Love You, all accompanied by the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, and the Oy Vey Blues with Jackie Mason - on 2 February, and on 20 April 1969. The shows, directed by Tim Kiley, were taped at Television City in Hollywood.
The Herald Statesman from 12 February 1975 wrote that during one of these shows Ray "[...] received a standing ovation from the audience [...] when he apologized for blowing a line with the excuse, 'The cue cards are blurry'".

DVD: The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour: Season 3, Time Life, 16 September 2008, ASIN: B001BGRWRG.


Historic Films archived a reel with three Ray Charles sequences, listed as:

• You Made Me Love You
• Oy Vey Blues (with Jackie Mason) 
• I'd Have No Luck At All [should be: If It Wasn't For Bad Luck, BS]

The third tune was part of one of the later shows. In the 2nd or 3d show Ray did a skit with Tommy Smothers where they played street corner musicians. Tommy was a deaf guitarist and Ray played a blind sax player.

The whole show, incl. You Made Me Love You (at 26'00):


Oy Vey Blues (with Jackie Mason):