RAY CHARLES: MODERN SOUNDS IN COUNTRY & WESTERN MUSIC VOL 1 & 2 CONCORD

Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Vol.1 became an instant classic when it was first released in 1962. The album’s integration of soul and country music bent racial barriers in popular music, amid the height of the Civil Rights Movement. In the process of recording the album, Charles became one of the first African-American musicians to exercise complete artistic control over his own recording career. The album spawned four chart topping singles, “Born to Lose”, “Careless Love”, “You Don’t Know Me”, and “I Can’t Stop Loving You”, the latter (and the album itself) being RIAA-certified Gold in only a month.

The success led to the recording of Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vol. 2. Focusing more on balladry, one side featured performances by the Ray Charles Big Band with the Raelettes, and the other with a string section and the Jack Halloran Singers. Like its predecessor, it was released to both critical and commercial acclaim. Both albums have been regarded by many critics as Ray Charles’s best studio albums, with Vol. 1 being inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame for “historical significance”.

1 Bye Bye Love [As Made Famous By the Everly Brothers]2 You Don’t Know Me [As Made Famous By Eddy Arnold]3 Half As Much [As Made Famous By Hank Williams]4 I Love You So Much It Hurts [As Made Famous By Tennessee Earl Ford and Later Patsy Cline]5 Just a Little Lovin’ [As Made Famous By Hank Williams]6 Born to Lose [As Made Famous By Don Gibson and Later Johnny Cash]7 Worried Mind [As Made Famous By Ted Daffan’s Texans]8 It Makes No Difference Now [As Made Famous By Eddy Arnold]9 You Win Again [As Made Famous By Hank Williams]10 Careless Love [Jazz Standard, As Made Famous By Eddy Arnold]11 I Can’t Stop Loving You [As Made Famous By Don Gibson]12 Hey, Good Lookin’ [As Made Famous By Hank Williams]13 You Are My Sunshine [As Made Famous By Gene Autry]14 No Letter Today [As Made Famous By Ted Daffan]15 Someday (You’ll Want Me to Want You) [As Made Famous By Elton Britt]16 Don’t Tell Me Your Troubles [As Made Famous By Don Gibson]17 Midnight [As Made Famous By Chet Atkins]18 Oh, Lonesome Me [As Made Famous By Don Gibson]19 Take These Chains from My Heart [As Made Famous By Hank Williams]20 Your Cheatin’ Heart [As Made Famous By Hank Williams]21 I’ll Never Stand in Your Way [As Made Famous By Joni James and Later Kitty Kallen]22 Making Believe [As Made Famous By Jimmy Work and Later Kitty Wells]23 Teardrops in My Heart [As Made Famous By Sons of the Pioneers and Later Jim Reeves]24 Hang Your Head in Shame [As Made Famous By Foy Willing and His Riders of the Purple Sage and Later Red Foley]