Ray Charles Masterpiece ‘Modern Sounds in Country’ to Finally Be Reissued
If you didn’t have a physical copy, or perhaps matured during the streaming era of music, then you’ve possibly never experienced what is considered one of the greatest works in country music history—Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music by Ray Charles. Recorded in February of 1962 and released in April of that year, it found the classic R&B singer contributing his renditions of country music classics such as “You Win Again” and “Hey, Good Lookin'” by Hank Williams, Don Gibson’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” and Eddy Arnold’s “You Don’t Know Me.”
The recording has become so revered over the years, it was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and has been given credit for being one of the most influential records in history, especially for spreading the love of country music throughout popular culture. Far from the “crossover” records of today, Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music caught popular R&B performer Ray Charles showing reverence for country music as opposed to piggy-backing off of it for his own fame. “I’m not a country singer,” Ray Charles would say. “I’m a singer who sings country songs.”
Nonetheless, the record would start off a long relationship with country music for Ray Charles, including subsequent country releases, and legendary collaborations with Willie Nelson and others. But nothing has withstood the test of time like Modern Sounds in Country, even though the record has basically been out-of-print for recent memory.
That will all change on February 22nd, 2019, when Concord Record will re-issue the album as Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vols. 1 & 2 . It will be released digitally, to streaming outlets, on CD, vinyl, as well as a 180-gram deluxe vinyl edition. It will also be expanded to include some of the bonus tracks that have appeared on later editions of the record, including renditions of “You Are My Sunshine,” “Oh, Lonesome Me” and “Your Cheating Heart.” 24 total tracks will be included on the new album.
Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music, Vols. 1 & 2 is now available for pre-order.
TRACK LIST:
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]
December 16, 2018 @ 9:24 am
What great news. I happen to have an original vinyl record….but would love this expanded version.
December 16, 2018 @ 9:54 am
Songs with substance and melody. Songs with musical backbones that musicians enjoy playing and elaborating. That’s what this is about.
December 16, 2018 @ 9:54 am
“showing reverence for country music as opposed to piggy-backing off of it for his own fame. “I’m not a country singer,” Ray Charles would say. “I’m a singer who sings country songs.”
That puts an interesting spin on some of our recent debates. Will have to pick this up. For any blues fans out there, Moanin’ in the Moonlight by Howlin Wolf just got rereleased as well.
December 16, 2018 @ 10:12 am
There was a 4 disc box set that came out in 1998 that covered his country output from 1959-86, but it’s hard to find and sometimes expensive if you do. Mr. Charles had a real love for this music.
December 16, 2018 @ 11:18 am
I have this Rhino box set, and it’s absolutely killer.
December 16, 2018 @ 10:49 am
Woo hoo! Missed it when it came out (except for Born to Lose, which was a huge radio hit at the time).
Hopefully this reissue will draw new fans back to the classics (by both Ray Charles and the original artists).
December 16, 2018 @ 11:38 am
Ray Charles and Willie Nelson Singing seven Spanish Angels is still one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.
December 16, 2018 @ 8:11 pm
That song, to me, is the standard by which all duets with country artists & pop artists should be judged.
December 16, 2018 @ 11:57 am
My favorite cover of his was ” I Can’t Stop Loving You ” . He puts so much raw emotion in it, you feel like his heart has broken. To me, that’s the sign of a great singer.
December 17, 2018 @ 10:09 am
I always thought the backup singers on that were too much. It would’ve been perfect with just him and his piano.
December 16, 2018 @ 12:30 pm
Ray may not have been a country singer, but the emotion in his vocals was second to none and that worked great for country material. I love his version of You Win Again and also that fantastic duet with Willie Nelson on Seven Spanish Angels.
December 16, 2018 @ 12:54 pm
This is very cool! Very fortunate to have found an original vinyl copy at a antique shop for .50 cents! Lol. It plays great also, clearly to guy had no idea what he had. Like others have said, the emotion Ray put in his arrangements were unprecedented. Never could find an original of Vol. 2, but look forward to hearing all extras remastered!
December 16, 2018 @ 3:15 pm
Ray had legitimate cultural ties, and a birthright to C(c)ountry Music. Had he referred to himself as a C(c)ountry singer, he would’ve been justified in doing so. He was probably just trying to be honest about the fact that most of his music wasn’t C(c)ountry.
December 16, 2018 @ 3:19 pm
I’d love to hear Leon Bridges recreate it. That man can do anything.
December 16, 2018 @ 5:29 pm
Awesome to hear. One of the most talented American musicians ever.
This is one of my favorite songs, this rendition specifically, of all time. Tell me this isn’t about the countriest damn thing you ever heard….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax6TyTWQVtA
December 16, 2018 @ 7:37 pm
I’s forgotten about that tune …what a gem and yes….Ray had as authentic and as original a vocal style as you’ll find …honest , rootsy , from the heart and as COUNTRY as the day is long…not unlike Stapleton’s style
December 16, 2018 @ 8:02 pm
That’s some feel good vibe right there.
December 17, 2018 @ 7:20 am
1962 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPbIAjvfB_g
I was a teen aged kid in west Texas. At night our radio station was KOMA out of Oklahoma City and occasionally, if the wind was blowing the right way, we could get WolfMan Jack out of Del Rio and this song was in regular rotation. I liked it so much I had “Born to Lose” tattooed onto my left fore arm- many people have asked me why I put something like that on my arm. My reply; Because it’s a beautiful song.
December 17, 2018 @ 9:19 am
I bought this record on vinyl- brand new- back in late 2016, so I’m surprised this is only being reissued till now- I used to think it simply wasn’t available digitally
December 17, 2018 @ 4:02 pm
I’ve got both the originals in mono
December 18, 2018 @ 2:14 am
I don’t know why the Country Music H-o-F has not inducted Ray Charles.
That’s one instance where the induction would have been a bigger boon for the H-o-F than for the artist being inducted. The Hall could have garnered a lot of publicity and attention if they had done it while Charles was still alive or even after he died, if they had gotten members of his family to participate. It’s not like Charles doesn’t deserve it on the merits.
The Rock & Roll H-o-F has inducted Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen (among others), for heaven’s sake, and seems to take a much wider view of the genre.