Ray Charles Is In Town - Chronology 1971

With Aretha Franklin at Ambassador Hotel ("by a Time/Life photographer", according to Ebay submission).

Photo: ITV/Shutterstock, c. 1970.

Spread from a Sunn (amplifiers) brochure (also with Eric Clapton and Johnny Cash).

Photo by Ingo Barth, 1971.

Interviewed by Wink Martindale for KPMC Radio (c. 1971).

 

Photo by Norman Hunter.

1971
Booty Butt peaks at #31 on Pop Chart and #13 on R&B, Don't Change On Me at #36 on Pop and #13 on R&B, Feel So Bad at #68 on Pop and #16 on R&B.
Volcanic Action Of My Soul peaks at #52 on Pop Album Chart.
At some time during the year, Ray was on a BBC TV show. See this.
Tangerine release of album Souled Out, by Raelettes + Ike & Tina Turner.


6 January 1971
On the Flip Wilson Show; Ray sings Look What They've Done and Feel So Bad.

12 January 1971
On Andy Williams Show (air date). See this.

Later in January 1971
El Dorado, Mexico City.

February 1971

Release of the single Don't Change On Me / Sweet Memories.

With Aretha Franklin at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco.

12 - ?? February 1971
The Raelettes on slate of club dates in and around Tokyo, their "first solo tour of Japan".

 From Atlanta Daily World, Jan. 21.

22 - 23 February 1971

At Jesse Jones Hall, Prairie View College campus in Houston TX; with Houston Symphony and the college's chorale, performing Quincy Jones' Black Requiem (22nd dress rehearsal, 23d the real concert); see this.

This collage was published on the Facebook page of the Prairie View A&M University. Its caption reads: "On February 22, 1971, two of the most dynamic, prolific names in music history made their way to the Hill. Ray Charles and Quincy Jones brought their talents to PVAMU during a special concert."

Quincy, rehearsing Black Requiem with Joe Newman and Ray Charles (from Cashbox, Mar. 20, 1971).

25 February 1971
First time on Flip (Wilson) show. See this.

March 1971

Release of the single Booty Butt / Sidewinder.

Billboard trade ad for Ray Charles, Orchestra, Raelettes - April 3.

7 March 1971

Ray Charles "had been performing over in Berkeley and came into the city to catch the end of Aretha's show," one eyewitness remembered.



On stage with Aretha Franklin at Fillmore West in San Francisco, doing Spirit In The Dark. See this,  this and this.

The second photo has also been associated with the Winterland Ballroom gig in February '71, and has been attributed to Robert Altman.

Photos by Jim Marshall.

20 March 1971

Receives gold plaque from the governor of Florida for his efforts for the Florida School for the Deaf and Blind in St. Augustine.

April 1971

Release of album Volcanic Action Of My Soul.

25 April 1971
Meehan Auditorium, Brown University, Providence RI.

28 April 1971

Uihlein Hall, Milwaukee WI.

1 May 1971
Whiting Auditorium, Flint MI.

2 May 1971

Concert at Veterans Memorial Building, University of Detroit MI.

4 May 1971

Southeast Louisiana University, Hammond LA.

5 May 1971

Municipal Auditorium, New Orleans LA.

7 May 1971

With Muhammad Ali at RKO Albee in Brooklyn NY (2 shows).  See this.

Ad in New York Amsterdam News, May 1.

Ad in Village Voice, May 6.

Poster

8 May 1971

With Muhammad Ali at Symphony Hall in Newark NJ

9 May 1971

Mother's Day concert at the Spectrum in Philadelphia PA.

11 May 1971
Sheraton-Hyannis Inn, Hyannis MA.

14 May 1971
Auditorium Theatre, Chicago IL.

28 May 1971

Ft. in Name of the Game. See this.

June 1971
Losers Club, Mid-City Building, Memphis.

3 - 8 June 1971
Circle Star Theatre, San Carlos CA; with The Supremes.

Circle Star program.

9 June 1971
Basin Street West, San Francisco CA.

Poster.

19 June 1971
Municipal Auditorium, Austin TX.

23 to 29 June 1971

Apollo Theatre, New York City NY. Schiffman index card: "$30,000/50/60,000", "Did poor business and Ray accepted $25,000. The usual great piano and voice but has now added a comedic touch - excellent program. Excellent patter".

Ad in New York Amsterdam News, Jun. 26.

July 1971

Release of the single Feel So Bad / Your Love Is So Doggone Good.

1 July 1971
Temple University Music Festival, Philadelphia.

2 July 1971

Festival Field, Newport RI.

Cover of the festival's program brochure, with Ray Charles (photo probably shot in '68).

Line-up from festival program.

3 July 1971
Starlite Revue benefit of WDIA Radio in Memphis TN.

5 - 8 July 1971
Sheraton-Hyannis Hotel (Cape Cod), Hyannis MA.

12 - 17 July 1971
Fisher Theatre, Detroit MI, with Bill Cosby.





?18 or 19? July 1971

Concert at Tanglewood in Lenox MA (reviewed in Berkshire Eagle, Pittsfield on 21 Jul.; 3 of 4 Raelettes in neck braces because of recent car accident).

Photo by P.L. Gould (Getty).

20 July 1971

Music Hall, Houston  TX.

21 to 23 July 1971

With Bill Cosby at Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD.

Around this time, the show was also staged in Denver.

23 July 1971

Special guest at The Bill Cosby Show, at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Baltimore MD (two of the Raelettes in neck braces, one wisked away to hospiutal by ambulance; "Charles was ushered off-stage to sound of ear-shattering applause"; "probably the most entertaining evening that I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy"; read review here.

29 July 1971

Viscount, virtually filled with smoke (from a melting battery) forced to land at Florence Municipal Airport.

29 July to 1 August 1971

Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami ("[…] superb performance [...] Charles went into a Bill Cosby-like comedy routine - only it was spicy, racy. He had another comedy talking session later in the show, and his funnier lines can't be repeated here. It was a nightclub kind of humor"; read full review here.

8 August 1971

 Turin; International Jazz Festival. Bootlegged; see this.

14 August 1971
Steel Pier Show in Philadelphia; with B.B. King and Cab Calloway, Chuck Berry, Hugh Maseketa. The show was televised by WPVI-TV (Channel 6).

28 August 1971

Internationale Funkausstelling, Berlin: Ray was guesting (with The Raelettes?), taking care of the show's finale. The program was televized live by WDR; a selection including Ray with What'd I Say was released on an album titled Gala-Abend Der Schalplatte, Teldec TST 77244, 1971.

September 1971
Subject of a radio 'audio-biography', produced and licensed by P Diamond:

Ad in Broadcast Magazine, Sep. 1971.

Cashbox insert with congratulary ads celebrating Ray's 25th anniversary in showbusiness.

 

The line-up in this ad is quite different from the 3 documented line-ups in the summer and autumn of 1971... Did the personnel listed in this ad ever perform together? From Cashbox, Sep. 4, 1971.

2 September 1971
Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver BC.

3 - 5 September 1971

P.J.'s, West Hollywood CA.

5 September 1971

Silverbird Hotel, Las Vegas.

7 to 12 September 1971

Mill Run Theater, Chicago; with The Supremes ("Brother Charles was laying down his charismatic pianist abilities in a wave of sparkling brilliance".

16 - 18 September 1971
Aladdin Casino Theatre, Las Vegas.

From venue's programme brochure.

Late September/early October 1971

 

First lap of 2 weeks in late September/early October: Dusseldorf, Hamburg, London, Bristol, Machester, Paris, Zurich. Second lap from Mid to end October: Scala Milan, Rome, Venice, Bologna, Framkfurt, Vienna, Budapest, Genoa, Geneva and Madrid.

22 September 1971

Phillips Halle, Dusseldorf.

24 September 1971

Musikhalle, Hamburg.

  

Photos by Heinrich Klaffs.

25 September 1971

Royal Festival Hall, London (2 shows).

26 September 1971

Hammersmith Odeon, London (2 shows).

Ad from New Musical Express, Sep. 25.

Review in Melody Maker, Oct. 31.

27 September 1971

Colston Hall, Bristol.

29 September 1971
Free Trade Hall, Manchester.

Souvenir brochure.

Handbill.

1 to 3 October 1971

La Salle Pleyel, Paris. 2 shows were taped for radio; see this.

(Collection André Monnot).

Musicians: Marcus Belgrave, Tommy Cortez, Frank Szabo, Jack Walrath - trumpets; Glenn Childress, Jules Rowell, Mayo Tiana - trombones; Dana Hughes - bass trombone; James Clay, Jay Cloyd Miller - alto saxophones; Andy Ennis - tenor saxophone, flute; David Newman - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone, band leader; John Perrett - drums; Ralph Byrd - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass; Charles “Bags” Costello - organ. The Raelettes: Dorothy Berry, Susaye Greene, Mable John, Vernita Moss.

4 October 1971

Paleis voor Schone Kunsten, Brussels.

5 October 1971

Basel.

6 October 1971

Kongresshaus, Zurich.

8 October 1971

Palasport Primo Carnera, Udine ("un trionfo"; read this and this).

9 October 1971

PalaRuffini, Torino.

10 October 1971

Teatro Lirico, Milan. Dorothy Berry making her debut in The Raelettes, flown in to replace Estella Yarbrough because of ill health.

11 October 1971

Rome.

12 October 1971
Florence.

13 October 1971

Venice.

15 October 1971
Festival Internationale del Jazz, Bologna.

16 October 1971

Jahrhunderthalle, Frankfurt.

17 October 1971

Vienna.

Photo by Erwin Kneidinger.

18 October 1971

Budapest.

Photo by Díner Tamás - prob. shot during this concert.

This photo (by Miroslav Zajíc/Corbis) is also associated with a concert in Budapest.

22 - 23 October 1971

Genoa.

24 October 1971

Théâtre de Beaulieu, Lausanne. Read review here.

25 October 1971

Club Fiesta, Sheffield (double concert).

Ad from New Musical Express, Oct. 16.

November 1971

Release of the single What Am I Living For / Tired Of My Tears.

From Billboard, Nov. 6.

12 November 1971
Start of 3-week tour in Japan.
Festival Hall, Osaka.

Japan 1971 Tour, poster.

13 November 1971
Prefectural Cultural Center, Wakayama.

14 November 1971
Festival Hall, Osaka.

15 November 1971
Kaikan 1st Hall, Kyoto.

16 November 1971
Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, Club Golden Gessekai, Tokyo.

Ticket for show on 16th.

18 November 1971
Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, Club Golden Gessekai, Tokyo.

20 November 1971
Miyagi Kenmin Kaikan, Sendai.

21 November 1971
Bunkyo Valley Public Hall, Tokyo.

22 November 1971
Welfare Pension Hall, Sapporo.

24 November 1971
Culture Center, Chiba.

25 November 1971
Prefectural Civic Center, Niigata.

26 November 1971
Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, Club Golden Gessekai, Tokyo.

27 November 1971
Gunma Music Center, Miyazaki.

30 November 1971
City Hall, Nagoya.

1 December 1971
Kosei Nenkin Kaikan, Club Golden Gessekai, Tokyo.

From Billboard, Dec. 11.

18 November 1971
Queen Business Corporation announcing exclusive agency representation of Ray Charles.

Source: Hollywood Reporter.

4 December 1971
Freeborn Hall, UC, Davis CA, Sacramento ("one of those rare nights when the performer and the audience were right on").

5 December 1971

State College, San Francisco CA.

Photo by Michael Zagaris; print for sale at Wolfgang's Vault.
Zagaris wrote: "[...T]he stage which was poorly lit. I kept moving closer and closer to Ray, getting better and better shots and I thought to myself, 'Hell, Ray's blind, he's not going to see me, I can actually go and put my camera right up on the piano keys', which I ended up doing for two frames, at which point Ray stopped the show, grabbed the microphone and addressed the crowd, saying 'I know you all paid to see me play, and I'm really sorry there's somebody here taking pictures who's taking away from the show… and I'm going to ask him to step away now.' I remember thinking 'Is there a trap door I can please fall through?'" 

Photos by [i.e. often attributed to 'the other'] Robert Altman.

12 December 1971

San Francisco. Photo here.

In the band's dressing room with bone player Al (Sanifu) Hall. Photo by alto player Don Garcia (1971 or 1972).

25 December 1971
Ray Charles Orchestra voted #1 in Cashbox' "Best Instrumentalists".