RAY CHARLES - THE GENIUS SINGS THE BLUES

Released in October 1961 on Atlantic Records (SD‑8052), this historic LP compiled twelve classic blues tracks from sessions spanning 1952 to 1960. It marks the end of Charles’s Atlantic tenure and showcases his evolution from piano-driven blues to soulful, jazz-inflected R&B. The album is considered a definitive representation of his early genius, featuring deeply emotional performances and timeless hits like “Early in the Mornin’” and “(Night Time Is) The Right Time”  .

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Tracklist (Original Atlantic LP)

Side A

• Early in the Mornin’ (Bartley/Hickman/Jordan) – 2:48

• Hard Times (No One Knows Better Than I) – 2:56

• The Midnight Hour (Sam Sweet) – 3:02

• (Night Time Is) The Right Time (Brown/Cadena/Herman) – 3:25

• Feelin’ Sad (Guitar Slim) – 2:50

• Ray’s Blues – 2:55

Side B

• I’m Movin’ On (Hank Snow) – 2:13

• I Believe to My Soul – 3:01

• Nobody Cares – 2:41

• Mr. Charles’ Blues – 2:48

• Some Day Baby – 3:01

• I Wonder Who – 2:46