True to Life (Ray Charles album)

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True to Life
Studio album by
ReleasedOctober 1977[1]
Recorded1977; R.P.M International, Los Angeles, California
GenreR&B, soul
Length38:44
LabelAtlantic
ProducerRay Charles
Ray Charles chronology
Porgy and Bess
(1976)
True to Life
(1977)
Love & Peace
(1978)

True to Life is a 1977 studio album by American musician Ray Charles.[2] It marked Charles's return to Atlantic Records. The album contains cover versions of popular songs, including Johnny Nash's "I Can See Clearly Now", Bobby Charles' "The Jealous Kind", George and Ira Gershwin's "How Long Has This Been Going On?", and the Beatles' "Let It Be". The album was arranged by Larry Muhoberac, Roger Newman, Sid Feller and Ray Charles.

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]

The Bay State Banner wrote: "His album is not new ground, the break-through his name on a song once assured; but it is sensitive, sometimes exhilarating, stuff."[6]

Track listing[edit]

  1. "I Can See Clearly Now" (Johnny Nash) – 4:22
  2. "The Jealous Kind" (Robert Guidry) – 4:38
  3. "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" (Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers) – 4:30
  4. "How Long Has This Been Going On?" (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin) –- 5:07
  5. "Be My Love" (Nicholas Brodsky, Sammy Cahn) – 4:19
  6. "Anonymous Love" (Edward Langford, Joel Webster) – 4:36
  7. "Heavenly Music" (Bob Bradstreet, Solomon Burke) – 3:38
  8. "Game Number Nine" (Dee Ervin, Tommy Payton) – 4:07
  9. "Let It Be" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney) – 3:27

Personnel[edit]

  • Ray Charles – arranger, engineer, keyboards, piano, producer, vocals
  • Sid Feller – arranger
  • Bob Gratts – engineer
  • Robert Gratts – engineer
  • Larry Muhoberac – arranger
  • Roger Newman – arranger

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Ray Charles Albums - 1970s". raycharles.com. Archived from the original on February 17, 2010. Retrieved June 11, 2011.
  2. ^ Friedwald, Will (2010). A Biographical Guide to the Great Jazz and Pop Singers. Pantheon Books. p. 82.
  3. ^ Ollio, J.P. (August 1, 2003). True to Life - Ray Charles | AllMusic. AllMusic. Retrieved on 2011-06-14.
  4. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: C". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved February 23, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  5. ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. pp. 124, 126.
  6. ^ Freedberg, Mike (22 Dec 1977). "Ray Charles True to Life". Bay State Banner. No. 11. p. 18.

External links[edit]