Ray Charles 3x At La Salle Pleyel In Paris (1972)

Photo by Michel Artault/Corbis.

On 16 and 17 October 1972 the Ray Charles Band once again played a series of - probably four - concerts at the Pleyel Room in Paris. Three of the shows were recorded by Europe-1. It's not clear whether and when any of them was aired by the station. The setlists were:

Concert A (16 October, 07.30 pm):

1. Swing A Little Taste (With Ray Charles Orchestra) (quick walk-on version)
2. Hallelujah I Love Her So
3. Yesterday
4. You Made Me Love You
5. Georgia On My Mind
6. Feel So Bad (ft Ralph Byrd on guitar, John Henderson on organ) 
7. The Sun Died
8. Falling In Love All Over Again (ft Dorothy Berry) 
9. I Can't Stop Loving You
10. Look What They Have Done To My Song, Ma
11. Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong
12. Shake (The Raelettes)
13. What'd I Say (intro So Soon broken off) + Finale

Concert B (16 October, 10.30 pm):

1. Introduction Ray Charles
2. Swing A Little Taste (With Ray Charles Orchestra) (quick walk-on version)
3. Let The Good Times Roll
4. Georgia On My Mind
5. The Bright Lights And You Girl
6. The Sun Died
7. Feel So Bad (ft Ralph Byrd on guitar, John Henderson on organ)
8. Going Down Slow (ft  Ralph Byrd on guitar)
9. Look What They Have Done To My Song, Ma
10. I Can't Stop Loving You
11. Shake (The Raelettes)
12. So Soon (ft John Henderson)
13. What'd I Say (ft John Henderson)
14. Outro/Finale

Backstage. Photo by Ton den Haan.

Concert C (17 October, 10.30 p.m); incomplete:

1. Introduction Ray Charles
2. Swing A Little Taste (With Ray Charles Orchestra) (quick walk-on version)
3. Let The Good Times Roll
4. Georgia On My Mind
5. You Made Me Love You
6. The Sun Died
7. Feel So Bad (ft Ralph Byrd on guitar, John Henderson on organ)
8. Going Down Slow (ft Ralph Byrd on guitar)
9. Somebody (ft Ralph Byrd on guitar, John Henderson on organ)
10. I Can't Stop Loving You
11. Look What They Have Done To My Song, Ma
12. Indian Love Call (ft Susaye Greene)
13. Shake (The Raelettes)
14. [missing: What'd I Say]

Cover souvenir brochure.

This was an inspired series of performances, with a few sumptuous portions of blues. As always during the 1972 tours, John Henderson* had a special role - musically on his organ of course, but also as a (willing) victim of Ray's teasing.
Falling In Love (#A.8) received a much better (5:40) treatment than the Pleyel-version of 1971. Seems Like I Gotta Do Wrong (#A.11) is the earliest known recorded live version of this tune, and a good one (the tune was originally released with the 1972 album Message From The People). As usual with The Genius, all versions of Feel So Bad are splendid, but the #B.7-version, with a Jimmy Smith-like organ solo by Henderson is really brilliant. Ray gave Somebody (#C.9), originally penned by the man himself, an extra bluesy rendition; until today I only knew the tune from the 1973 Come Live With Me album. So Soon (#B.12) got a super-slow, hilarious, 8:30 version with special (siren) sound effects; Ray urging Henderson (introduced as "Deacon John") several times to "Take It!". The #B.13 version of What'd I Say was a (highly unusual!) duet with Henderson.

Personnel:

Musicians: Mike Conlon (ct), Tommy Cortez, Joe Mitchell, Tommy Turrentine, Tony Farrell - trumpets; Glenn Childress, Al Hall Jr., Fred Murrell, Steve Turre - trombones; James Clay, Don Garcia - alto saxophones; Andy Ennis - tenor saxophone, flute; Fred Smith - tenor saxophone; Leroy Cooper - baritone saxophone, band leader; John Perrett - drums; Ralph Byrd - guitar; Edgar Willis - bass; John Henderson - organ. The Raelettes: Dorothy Berry, Susaye Greene, Mable John, Vernita Moss, Estella Yarbrough.

* The man seems to have disappeared after working with Brother Ray, but I have heard rumors that he has been living  (maybe even still is working) in Texas. Who knows more about John Henderson?