Crying Time (With The Raelettes, Ft Lillie Fort)

Single (A): ABC/Paramount 10739, October 1965, b/w When My Dream Boat Comes Home.
Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.

Recorded on June 23, 1965 at RPM Studios in Hollywood.

Ray Charles (vocals, piano); John Audino, Conte Candoli (trumpet); Milton Bernhart, Frank D. Strong (trombone); Bill Perkins (tenor saxophone); Bill Carson (alto saxophone); Jewel Grant (baritone saxophone); Red Callender (tuba); René Hall (guitar); Joe Comfort (bass); Jack Sperling (drums); Sid Sharp, Jerome V. Fisher, Leonard Malarsky, Ralph Schaeffer, William Kurasch, Arnold Belnick, Jimmy Getzoff, Victor Arno, Tibor Zelig, Israel Baker (violin); Al Neiman, Joe DiFiore (viola); Jesse Ehrlich, Joseph Saxon (cello); The Raeletts (Lillie Fort, Gwen Berry, two unidentified girls), The Jack Halloran Singers (unidentified members) (background vocals)
Lillie Fort sang lead.
Don Peake remembers playing guitar, but only the distinct sound of Rene Hall can be heard. Earl Palmer has been credited for the drums parts, but only Jack Sperling was mentioned on the studio contract.

The version on Greatest Country & Western Hits has about five seconds of studio chatter ("rolling nine..." etc) between Ray and Joe Adams. Ray, working on the compilation with remastering engineer Steve Hoffman, wanted Joe's voice on the disk. When Joe found out about it, he claimed extra royalties.

Steve Hoffman also wrote that:

"[...] later country Ray Charles songs like Crying Time were recorded [sic?! BS] at Bell Sound in New York" and "that there are two different stereo mixes of Crying Time, the first version mixed at Bell Sound and the second mixed at RPM International, both vintage mixes. 

The Bell Sound stereo mix is on the Greatest Country & Western Hits DCC Gold CD and the RPM mix is on the DCC/Sandstone Ray Charles  - His Greatest Hits two disk set (SAN 2 5002.) The RPM mix is also on the old ABC-Paramount LP ABC-544, Crying Time. 

The way to tell the difference between the two mixes? At the end, the 'choir' singing on the left channel is 'wet' on the Bell Sound mix (properly) and on the RPM mix a few months later they are dead dry on the same channel. Ray liked both mixes and used them equally when we worked together. He didn't remember why the song was remixed at his studio but then realized it was because he felt like it. Heh."

Don't miss the girls in the Hollywood Palace clip below!



Hollywood Palace, 1967 - with Gwen Berry (starts at 24'10):


With Glen Campbell, 1969:


With Tom Jones, 1970 (starts at 3'34):


With Barbra Streisand, 1973:


Live:
'67 TV Grammy
'67 TV Palace
'67 LC Pleyel
'67 LC Berlin
'67 LC Frankfurt
'68 LC Bluesthing
'68 LC Bakersfield
'68 LC Amsterdam NM
'68 LC Fresno
'69 TV Glen - With Glen Campbell
'70 TV Hee Haw - With Buck Owens
'70 TV Tom - With Tom Jones
'73? LC Germany - Pseudo Basie - Released
'73 TV Barbra - With Barbra Streisand - Released
'76 LC Antibes
'76 LC Stuttgart
'78 LC Montreux - Part of medley
'80 LC Northsea
'81 LC Prague
'81 LC Barcelona
'81 LC Rome
'82 LC Antibes
'89 FS Snoops
'92 TV Classa - With Fausto Leali
01 TV Michael - With Cassandra Wilson

Don't You Think I Ought To Know

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.

Recorded in February 1965 at the United Studios in Hollywood.

With Ray's piano, a rhythm section (including Rene Hall on guitar, and Earl Palmer on drums), strings, and singers (all uncredited).



Live:
The song was longlisted as being part of the live repertoire in tour brochures from 1966 to 1968, and must have sounded considerably different then. Unfortunately live recordings have never surfaced.

Drifting Blues

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.

Recorded in Q3 of 1965 at RPM International in Los Angeles. Arranged by Onzy Matthews.

With his rhythm section, a few strings and a choir. The violins and the (white) singers may seem odd in a blues number like this, but it worked our marvelously.
The album doesn't credit any of the musicians (but Ray Crawford - guitar; Jim Crutcher - bass; Chiz Harris - drums).



Live:
A 1968 tour souvenir brochure longlisted the tune as being part of the live repertoire, but no recordings have surfaced.
Ray may have accompanied Joe Williams - playing or even singing the tune - in a 1973 episode of the Mike Douglas Show.

Going Down Slow

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.

Recorded during the second fall sessions of 1965, at RPM International in Los Angeles.

With Ray on piano, Billy Preston on organ, Rene Hall on guitar and Earl Palmer on drums.

The 1968 rendition in Paris, with Billy, is a monument for all the times they worked together.



Paris 1968 (Billy Preston on Hammond):


Live:
'67 LC Pleyel
'67 LC Berlin
'67 LC Frankfurt
'68 LC Amsterdam NM
'68 LC Paris
'70 LC Paris
'70 LC Geneva
'72 LC Copenhagen
'72 LC Paris - 2x
'83 TV Man - With Lou Rawls

Let's Go Get Stoned

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.
Single (A): ABC 10808, May 1966, b/w The Train.

Recorded the second fall session in 1965 at RPM International in Los Angeles.
Ray may have* listened to Ronnie Milsap's interpretation before he taped his own.

With The Raelettes. Billy Preston on organ. Bass and drums uncredited. Carole Kaye remembers that Rene Hall played guitar and Earl Palmer played drums (Don Peake also remembers playing guitar - was he overdubbed?).
Bobby Hutcherson remembered that his sister Peggy was one of the singers backing Ray (and even that she was a Raelette at that time). Vermettya Royster has also declared that she backed Ray during this session.

* Here is proof!



Live:
'67 LC Berlin
'68 LC Bluesthing - Released
'68 LC Bakersfield
'73 LC Arbor

No Use Crying

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.

One of Ray's darkest masterpieces. Recorded during the second fall session of 1965 at RPM International in Los Angeles.

With Rene Hall on guitar, Earl Palmer on drums, probably Billy Preston on organ, and The Raelettes. Don Peake remembers playing the guitar intro on his 1931 Gibson L5 acoustic (but was he overdubbed by Hall?).



Live:
According to concert souvenir booklets from 1966 and 1968, this number was part of the live repertoire then, but no recordings with the band have surfaced.

Peace Of Mind

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.

Recorded during the first fall session of 1965 at RPM International in Los Angeles.

With woodwinds (probably all session musicians), a rhythm section including Rene Hall on guitar and Earl Palmer on drums, and The Raelettes.



Live:
According to concert souvenir booklets from c. 1966 and 1968, this number was part of the live repertoire then, but no recordings with the band have surfaced.

Tears

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.

Recorded in Q3 of 1965 at RPM International in Los Angeles.

With strings and singers (uncredited).



Live:
According to a concert souvenir booklet from c. 1966, this number was part of the live repertoire then, but no recordings with the band have surfaced.

We Don't See Eye To Eye

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, 1966-01.

Recorded in Q3 of 1965 at RPM International in Los Angeles.

With the Ray Charles Orchestra. The album doesn't credit any of the musicians.

Listen here.

Live:
According to a concert souvenir booklets from c. 1966 and 1968, this number was part of the live repertoire then, but no recordings have surfaced.

You're In For A Big Surprise

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.

Recorded in June 1965 at the United Studios in Hollywood.

With the Ray Charles Orchestra and The Raelettes. The album doesn't credit any of the musicians or backing vocalists. Billy Preston's distinct organ playing is the major factor in the great sound of the bluest tracks on the album. Rene Hall played guitar and Earl Palmer was on drums.

Live:
According to contemporary concert souvenir booklets, this number was part of the live repertoire, but no recordings have surfaced.

You're Just About To Lose Your Clown

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544,  January 1966.
Single (B): ABC 10785, March 1966, b/w Together Again.

Recorded during the second fall session in 1965 at RPM International in Los Angeles.

With Rene Hall on guitar(s), Earl Palmer on drums, possibly Billy Preston on organ, and The Raelettes. Who delivered the male backing vocals on this one?

You've Got A Problem

Album: Crying Time, ABC/Paramount/Tangerine 544, January 1966.

Recorded in Q3 of 1965 at RPM International in Los Angeles.

With the Ray Charles Orchestra and The Raelettes. The album doesn't credit any of the musicians or backing vocalists. Billy Preston's distinct organ playing is the major factor in the great sound of the bluest tracks on the album. Don Peake and Bobby Womack played the guitar parts.

Live:
According to contemporary concert souvenir booklets, this number was part of the live repertoire, but no recordings have surfaced.

Crying Time (1966)

Cover illustration by 
William "Snooky" Alexander.

During his rehab-year off - without any live gigs to speak of - in 1965, Ray spend a lot of time in his studio. These sessions resulted in an avalanche of singles and three albums, each - seemingly - with a random distribution of songs*: Country & Western Meets Rhythm Blues a.k.a. Together Again (1965), Crying Time (Jan. 1966) and Ray’s Moods (Jul. 1966). To my taste, Crying Time entailed the best selection of songs.

*As observed by Joël Dufour.

1. Crying Time
2. No Use Crying
3. Let's Go Get Stoned
4. Going Down Slow
5. Peace Of Mind
6. Tears
7. Drifting Blues
8. We Don't See Eye To Eye
9. You're In For A Big Surprise
10. You're Just About To Lose Your Clown
11. Don't You Think I Ought To Know
12. You've Got A Problem

In No Use Crying and Going Down Slow he showed the bottom of his soul. With Let's Go Get Stoned he seemed to make clear that he didn't have too much regret about his former drugs habit. The song Crying Time hit the Top Ten on all the charts and won two 1966 Grammy Awards for Best Rhythm & Blues Recording and Best Rhythm & Blues Solo Vocal Performance.

#11 was recorded in February 1965 at United Studios in Hollywood; #01, 09 at the same venue in June 1965; #05 at RPM in Los Angeles in the fall of 1965; #02, 03, 04, 10 at RPM in a second fall session. On all these tracks Rene Hall was on guitar, and Earl Palmer on drums. Don Peake remembers playing guitar on #1 and #2 (was he overdubbed?). On Drifting Blues (#7) Ray Crawford was on guitar, Jim Crutcher on bass; and Chiz Harris on drums.
Billy Preston's distinct organ playing is the major factor in the great sound of the bluest tracks on the album.
Also with uncredited strings and choir, and with The Raelettes* on some tracks.

ABC/Paramount 544, January 1966.

* Bobby Hutcherson remembered that his sister Peggy was one of the singers backing Ray on Let's Go Get Stoned (and even that she was a Raelette at that time).