Various (blacked! 'n' Ray'd!)
Blacked! Vol. 7
Ray Charles influenced an entire generation of rhythm & blues artists who transitioned into soul, but his versatility never pigeonholed him into a specific style, extending into jazz, rock 'n' roll, and even country. Many artists were inspired by Ray to create their own versions of his repertoire. In this EP, four of them are included, showcasing a diverse range of styles. Jerry Lee Lewis, in his early sessions for Smash, revisited Ray's hit "HIT THE ROAD JACK," recording two very different versions. One was released as a single, while the more powerful was relegated to a company's greatest hits LP. This EP marks its first reissue in glorious 7" format. Another major name we highlight here is the king of surf guitar, Dick Dale. Dick, along with his Del-Tones, covered Ray Charles' most famous track, "WHAT'D I SAY," on their third LP for Capitol Records. Despite being a magnificent version blending Dick's reverberated guitars with the original magic of the song, the company never released it as a single. This EP fixes that issue. The lesser-known artists included here are equally impressive. Scotty McKay was a member of The Blue Caps, the legendary band that backed Gene Vincent in his early years. After leaving the group, he launched a solo career, releasing several singles on different labels. In 1963, he delivered a fantastic and dynamic version of "MESS AROUND," one of Ray's early singles for Atlantic in the mid-50s, on the small Texas label Desk Records. The record was reissued by Phillips in the same year, and now, for the first time since then, it's reissued on 7". Lastly, The Remicks from Nashville released their only single in 1965 on their own label, Eye Records. The original single is incredibly rare, and on its B-side is perhaps the best version of Ray's "THIS LITTLE GIRL OF MINE," with permission from The Everly Brothers. Never compiled before, it's a pleasure to include it on this EP.