RAY CHARLES - HIT THE ROAD JACK ON SATURDAY

 HIT THE ROAD JACK ON SATURDAY

RAY CHARLES

SONGWRITER: PERCY MAYFIELD

COUNTRY: U. S. A.

ALBUM: HIT THE ROAD JACK

LABEL: ABC RECORDS

GENRE: R & B

YEAR: 1961

 

          Ray Charles Robinson (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, and composer. Among friends and fellow musicians he preferred being called "Brother Ray." He was often referred to as "The Genius." Charles was blinded during childhood due to glaucoma.

          Charles pioneered the soul music genre during the 1950s by combining blues, jazz, rhythm and blues, and gospel styles into the music he recorded for Atlantic. He contributed to the integration of country music, rhythm and blues, and pop music during the 1960s with his crossover success on ABC Records, notably with his two Modern Sounds albums. While he was with ABC, Charles became one of the first Black musicians to be granted artistic control by a mainstream record company.

        Charles' 1960 hit "Georgia On My Mind" was the first of his three career Nº. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. His 1962 album Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music became his first album to top the Billboard 200. Charles had multiple singles reach the Top 40 on various Billboard charts: 44 on the US R&B singles chart, 11 on the Hot 100 singles chart, 2 on the Hot Country singles charts.

     Charles cited Nat King Cole as a primary influence, but his music was also influenced by Louis Jordan and Charles Brown. He had a lifelong friendship and occasional partnership with Quincy Jones. Frank Sinatra called Ray Charles "the only true genius in show business," although Charles downplayed this notion. Billy Joel said, "This may sound like sacrilege, but I think Ray Charles was more important than Elvis Presley".

           For his musical contributions, Charles received the Kennedy Center Honors, the National Medal of Arts, and the Polar Music Prize. He won 17 Grammy Awards, including 5 posthumously. Charles was honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1987, and 10 of his recordings have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Rolling Stone ranked Charles No. 10 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time and No. 2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

        "Hit the Road Jack" is a song written by the rhythm and blues artist Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a cappella demo sent to Art Rupe. It became famous after it was recorded by the singer-songwriter-pianist Ray Charles with The Raelettes vocalist Margie Hendrix, and eventually became one of Charles' signature songs.

        Charles's recording hit number one for two weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, beginning on Monday, October 9, 1961. "Hit the Road Jack" won a Grammy award for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording. The song was number one on the R&B Sides chart for five weeks, thereby becoming Charles's sixth number-one on that chart. The song is ranked number 387 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

          The Chantels released an answer song, "Well, I Told You" which charted at #29.

(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more
No more, no more, no more)
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more)
What you say?
 
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more
No more, no more, no more)
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more)
 
Woah, woman, oh woman, don't treat me so mean
You're the meanest old woman that I've ever seen
I guess if you said so
I'd have to pack my things and go (that's right)
 
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more
No more, no more, no more)
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more)
What you say?
 
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more
No more, no more, no more)
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more)
 
Now baby, listen, baby, don't ya treat me this-a way
Cause I'll be back on my feet some day
(Don't care if you do 'cause it's understood)
(You ain't got no money you just ain't no good)
Well, I guess if you say so
I'd have to pack my things and go (that's right)
 
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more
No more, no more, no more)
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more)
 
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more
No more, no more, no more)
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more)
What you say?
 
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more
No more, no more, no more)
(Hit the road, Jack and don't you come back no more)
 
(Don't you come back no more)
(Don't you come back no more)
(Don't you come back no more)
(Don't you come back no more)
 
Well
(Don't you come back no more)
 
Uh, what you say?
(Don't you come back no more)
 
I didn't understand you!
(Don't you come back no more)
 
You can't mean that!
(Don't you come back no more)
 
Oh, now baby, please!
(Don't you come back no more)
 
What you tryin' to do to me?
(Don't you come back no more)
 
Oh, don't treat me like that!
(Don't you come back no more).