A Peggy Lee & Ray Charles Time Capsule From 1961

1. Intro; 2. I Got A (Wo)Man; 3. You Won't Let Me Go; 4. Just For A Thrill; 5. Yes, Indeed.

Peggy Lee was a huge fan of Ray Charles, who called her "Sister Peggy". She studio-recorded some of his tunes as early as 1959. A few years later she embedded an extensive Tribute To Ray Charles in her club show. At least two* of these shows, at the Basin Street East club in February 1961, were live-recorded: the February 9 "supper show" Basin Street East Proudly Presents Miss Peggy Lee Recorded At The Fabulous New York Club (Capitol T1520, 1961), and the February 8 "dinner show" Peggy At Basin Street East (Collectors' Choice CCM 2942, 2002).

Ray at that time was living in New York for a part of the year, and was a participant in Peggy's late night party entourage - probably thanks to Quincy "Brother Gump" Jones. Q wrote some charts for her, conducted her band when she returned to the Basin Street East in November 1961, and had a wild love affair with her.

Not too long before this second stint at the club, the three of them were part of a dinner event at the Backstreet Restaurant. One of the participants was a Dr. Robert Walters. For some reason, all guests were asked to sign the menu for him. This menu was auctioned in early March, 2018.
RR Auction House decribed the "Ray Charles" doodle (below) as a genuine signature, but that's a highly questionable authentication. Everybody who knew the Genius, also knew that he never signed anything. Nevertheless, seven or eight similar "signatures" from the years 1961 - 1964 have popped up over the past years.** My best guess is that this pseudo signature was routinely jotted down by Ray's personal assistant (or "valet" as he was often called), Duke Wade.
The "Mrs" added to the name may have been another result of Wade's discreet fantasy. It's much more feasible that the lady was Ray's current NYC girlfriend (or just one of them).

Peggy Lee writes, "Happy Birthday, with deep love always, Doctor Darlin," and  Quincy Jones adds, "To my wonderful district attorney — may all your days be as beautiful as you are." 

Program for the "Gala Premiere Dinner of Peggy Lee" at the Basin Street East nightclub on October 30, 1961.
It lists Quincy Jones as musical director.

Basin Street East photo holder: Jones posing with four people at the dinner event, one of whom was the recipient of the Back Street menu above, Dr. Robert Walter.

These memories, from Phoebe Jacobs, Peggy's closest friend, may glue all the information above together.
From: Peter Richmond, Fever: The Life and Music of Miss Peggy Lee (New York, Picador, 2007).

* The February 9 dinner show remains unissued. **For some fascinating discussions. see the Autograph Magazine forum.

It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) (With Cast)

Album3 (VHS, France): Duke Ellington - We Love You Madly, VRV 1124, S.a.

Opening of the 1973 CBS TV special Duke Ellington... We Love You Madly, recorded at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles, on 10 and 11 January 1973. With Roberta Flack, Sarah Vaughan, Peggy Lee, Count Basie, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine, Quincy Jones, Joe Williams, Marva Cally.

Ray Charles On Duke Ellington... We Love You Madly (1973)

Ad in Billboard.

Photos taken during  rehearsals for the show(or was this taken 
at a rehearsal for the 1971 episode of the Merv Griffin Show?).

Duke Ellington... We Love You Madly was a tribute to Duke Ellington, recorded at the Shubert Theatre in Los Angeles, on 10 and 11 January 1973 in an ABC special (aired on February 11th). Ray performed I Like The Sunrise, and he did a breathtaking duet on Ain't But The One with Aretha. Both were also part of the chorus line in the opening act, where the whole cast united in It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing), and Ray did a quatre mains with Count Basie.

 Exterior of a theatre advertising a screening of  the TV Special.
Photo by Ted Williams.

Personnel:
Cat Anderson, Bill Berry, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry, Cootie Williams, Snooky Young (tp); Bob Brookmeyer, Jimmy Cleveland, Tyree Glenn, Maurice Spears, Britt Woodman (tb); Vince DeRosa, Art Maebe, Dick Perissi (frh); Red Callender (tu); Harry Carney,

The producers and Atlantic played with the
idea to release an album (from Cashbox,
May 26, 1973). At the time they did'nt execute on
the idea, but the later "rare" Aretha track
discussed below was clearly made possible
because of this abandoned plan.

Harry Carney, Paul Gonsalves, Bill Green, Murray McEachern, Bill Perkins, Russell Procope, Jerome Richardson, Marshall Royal, Murray McEachern, Paul Gonsalves, Bill Perkins, Bill Green, Harry Carney (reeds); Count Basie (p); Dave Grusin (kb); Kenny Burrell (g); Ray Brown (b); Chuck Rainey (el-b); Louis Bellson, Paul Humphrey (d). Luther Henderson, Jimmy Jones, Phil Moore (arr); Quincy Jones (arr, cond); 4 violins, 12 violas, 4 violin cellos, 1 harp.

Performers:
Ray Charles, Cornerstone Baptist Church Choir, Sammy Davis Jr., Billy Eckstine; Duke Ellington; Marva Cally, Roberta Flack, Aretha Franklin, Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Joe Williams.

Cover of French VHS release.

Produced by Norman Lear and (exec) Quincy Jones, directed by Bud Yorkin. Phil Ramone was responsible for the sound mix.

Later Ray remembered, "[Ellington] was on an oxygen tank until they called him to come out onstage. But he went out there and you'd never have known there was anything wrong with the man. That's what music can do."

Read review here. Behind the scenes-photos are here. The show was released by RCA on VHS, in France (VRV 1124)*.

Quincy looking back:



It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) (with Roberta, Sarah, Peggy, Count, Sammy, Billy, Quincy, Joe and Marva):



Ain't But The One (with Aretha) - this song was also released (in an altered version) on: Aretha Franklin, Rare & Unreleased Recordings From The Golden Reign Of The Queen Of Soul (Atlantic B00122MKI0):

   [Clip removed from YouTube]

*Remarks made by Joël Dufour.