THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

475-Ray Charles-What’d I Say.

1959-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 3.45. Ray Charles said, ‘I’m not one to interpret my own songs, but if you can’t figure out ‘What I Say,’ then something’s wrong. Either that, or you’re not accustomed to the sweet sounds of love.’

Ray Charles Robinson (see also best songs 185) was born on September 23rd, 1930, in Albany, Georgia, United States, he died of complications resulting from liver failure, on June 10th, 2004, at the age of 73. Ray Charles is considered to be one of the most influential musicians in ‘Pop Music’ history, pioneering the genre of ‘Soul Music’ during the 1950’s, by combining ‘Blues,’ ‘Jazz,’ ‘Rhythm and Blues,’ and ‘Gospel’ styles into his music, and then during the 1960’s he recorded in the ‘Country Music’ genre as well. Ray Charles who was often referred to as ‘The Genius,’ by his fellow musicians, and fans, but preferred to be called ‘Brother Ray,’ started to lose his sight at the age of four, and was blind by the age of seven, probably resulting from the disease ‘glaucoma.’ In his 1978 autobiography, ‘Brother Ray: Ray Charles’ Own Story,’ he writes that he became hooked on women after losing his virginity at 12 years old to a woman about 20. ‘Cigarettes and smack (heroin) are the two truly addictive habits I’ve known. You might add women. My obsession centres on women, did then and does now. I can’t leave them alone.’ Ray Charles fathered 12 children with 10 different women, the eldest child being Evelyn in 1949, and the youngest Ryan, in 1987. He was 18 years old when he first tried marijuana, as he thought it helped musicians ‘Create music and tap into their creativity.’ He later became addicted to heroin for 17 years, and was arrested on many occasions for possession of narcotics.

The discography of Ray Charles is complex and extensive, with at least 20 different record labels having released near identical compilations of his pre-‘Atlantic Records’ recordings. It is reckoned that there are at least 200 official compilation Albums available. The American music journalist Robert Christgau has called Ray Charles’ discography a ‘Monumental mess, and that any map of his oeuvre must be personal and provisional.’ For the discography of Ray Charles see best songs 185.

‘What’d I Say,’ which is also known as ‘What I Say,’ was the second of two singles released from Ray Charles’ sixth studio Album called ‘What’d I Say’ for ‘Atlantic Records,’ and released in October 1959. ‘What’d I Say,’ was written by Ray Charles, with the production credited to Jerry Wexler (1917-2008) (see also best songs 882-644 and 530.) ‘What’d I Say’ is considered to be a landmark song, and key in the development of what was to become known as ‘Soul Music.’ Ray Charles mixed ‘Gospel,’ and ‘R&B’ and ‘Rock ‘N Roll’ to create the song. At one show he was playing live, and the band had played all of their material, but there was still 12 minutes to fill. Ray Charles told the band to improvise, and over the course of many concerts, and due to audience appreciation, the song developed, and then it was finally recorded, it would become the song with which Ray Charles would finish every concert for the rest of his career. The female backing vocals on the track were provided by ‘The Raelettes,’ who were an American girl vocal group formed in 1958 to provide backing vocals for Ray Charles, they had been put together from a previous ‘R&B’ girl group called ‘The Cookies,’ who had been active since 1954. Ray Charles has recalled the time in 1958 at a club in Brownsville, Pennsylvania, when he improvised on stage for what would eventually become ‘What’d I Say.’ He simply asked his band to follow his lead, which they did. He told his backing singers ‘The Raelettes’ to simply repeat whatever he said. ‘I had sung everything I could think of. So I said to the guys, ‘Look, I’m going to start this thing off, I don’t know where I’m going, so y’all just follow me.’ And I said to the girls, ‘Whatever I say, just repeat after me.’

Ray Charles scored his first top 10 hit on the American Billboard Hot 100 with ‘What’d I Say,’ when it peaked at Number 6 in 1959. In America the song has reached the top 40 on three further occasions, in 1961, Jerry Lee Lewis (1935-2022) made Number 30 with his version, in 1962 Bobby Darin (1936-1973) took the song to Number 24, and in 1964 Elvis Presley (1935-1977) made Number 21. ‘What’d I Say,’ has never been a hit single in the UK, but the Ray Charles recording was very influential. Paul McCartney has said that after hearing it that he wanted to be involved in music. George Harrison (1943-2001) remembered an all-night party he attended in 1959 where the song was played for eight hours non-stop. ‘It was one of the best records I ever heard.’ The opening electric piano in the song was the first John Lennon (1940-1980) had ever heard, and he tried to replicate it with his guitar. Lennon later credited Charles’ opening of ‘What’d I Say’ to the birth of songs dominated by guitar riffs.

‘Hey mama, don’t you treat me wrong, come and love your daddy all night long,all right now, hey hey, all right. See the girl with the diamond ring, she knows how to shake that thing all right now, now, now, hey hey, hey hey.’