Famous Classic Rhythm and Blues Songs Hit the Road Jack

Hit the Route Jack

Ray Charles

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"Hitting the Road Jack" is 1 of Ray Charles's all-time classics, a song that magnificently combined stone, soul, pop, jazz, and gospel. And, in a too-unusual instance of such effortless musical brilliance, information technology was phenomenally successful equally well, rising to #1 on the charts in 1961. Though strongly identified with Charles, "Striking the Road Jack" is not a Charles original but a composition by Percy Mayfield, the early 1950s R&B star who had faded from commercial prominence by the early 1960s. "Hit the Road Jack" grabs your attention from the very first confined, with their rushed clipped beats and foreboding descending horns, playing a riff not much different from the i that anchors the Ventures' "Walk Don't Run." The gospel element of the song is particularly prevalent in the telephone call-response barrack between Ray Charles and a phalanx of female backup singers, who instruct him in no-nonsense terms to hit the road as he pleas against them with soulful anguish, though to no avail. The syncopation on the chorus is marvelous, with a burst of horns thunderously punctuating each command of the women to hit the road, jack. So'southward the syncopation on the verse, in which Charles largely takes over the vocals, the horn once more punctuating the point habitation when he moans "I guess if you say and so." Afterward he finishes the couplet resignedly "I'll have to pack my bags and go," the fill-in girls are correct on his tail, reiterating "that's correct!" The finality of Ray'south adult female'south (or women's?) determination to put him on the road is brought home by the fadeout, every bit the women sing the line "don't you come back no more" over and over while Charles continues to plead for reconsideration, in subdued tones that make it clear he knows his instance is futile. Many artists have covered "Hit the Route Jack," the roll telephone call covering an unlikely span including John Cougar Mellencamp, the Easybeats, the Residents, Jerry Lee Lewis, Large Youth, Stephane Grappeli, and Suzi Quatro. But none have displaced the indelibly memorable power of the hitting Charles recording.

Appears On

Year	Artist/Album	Characterization	Time
1960	Ray Charles The Genius Hits the Road	Hold	ii:00
1963	Ray Charles I Tin't End Loving You [EP]	HMV
1981	Ray Charles Ballad in Blue	Usa / IVE
1987	Ray Charles His Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 [DCC]	DCC Compact Classics	0:00
1988	Ray Charles Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 [Rhino]	Rhino
1988	Ray Charles Anthology [Rhino]	Rhino	i:59
1988	Ray Charles The Genius 20 Greatest Hits	Platinum Entertainment	1:57
1989	Ray Charles xviii Golden Hits	Spa
1991	Ray Charles Rhythm & Blues: Ray Charles - 1954-1966	Fourth dimension / Life Music
1992	Various Artists Deja Vu Aureate Sampler	Deja Vu	2:39
1992	Ray Charles His Greatest Hits	Sandstone
1993	Ray Charles The World of Ray Charles [Garland]	Garland	one:57
1997	Ray Charles Genius & Soul: The 50th Ceremony Collection	Rhino	one:58
1998	Ray Charles Gold Collection [Retro]	Retro Music	2:38
1999	Ray Charles Ultimate Hits Collection	Rhino	one:58
1999	Various Artists Stone N Curlicue Essentials	Charly Records	2:00
2000	Ray Charles The Very Best of Ray Charles [Rhinoceros]	Rhinoceros	i:58
2001	Various Artists Back to Black: 1900-1999	Universal International	1:56
2001	Ray Charles Definitive Ray Charles	WEA International	one:58
2004	Ray Charles Ray [Original Soundtrack]	Atlantic / Rhino / Warner Bros.	2:00
2004	Ray Charles Ray Charles [Columbia River]	United Audio Entertainment	2:38
2005	Ray Charles Anthology [United Multi Consign]	AAO Music / Umme!!!	2:38
2006	Ray Charles The Distinctive Ray Charles	AAO Music	ii:36
2008	Ray Charles The Gold Album	Deja Vu / Recording Arts	2:38
2009	Ray Charles Genius: The Ultimate Collection	Concord	one:59
2009	Various Artists Patio Party!	Hear Music / Universal Distribution	one:59
2011	Ray Charles Hit the Road Jack and Other Classic Hits [Hold]	Concur	1:59
2011	Ray Charles Atypical Genius: The Consummate ABC Singles	Concord	2:02
2012	Various Artists America'due south Greatest Hits, Vol. 12: 1961	Acrobat Music	1:53
2013	Various Artists Britain'south Greatest Hits 1961	Acrobat Music / Fabulous	1:56
2013	Ray Charles The Ultimate Collection	10Ten Media / Zebralution
2016	Ray Charles The Classic Years [2016]	Stargrove	2:00
2017	Ray Charles The Genius, Vol. iii	Vintage / Zebralution
	Ray Charles Greatest Hits, Vol. i [10Ten Media]	10TEN MEDIA
	Diverse Artists Original Hits From the 50s & 60s	10Ten Media / Zebralution
	Various Artists Original and Greatest Hits From the 50's and 60'due south	10Ten Media / Zebralution
	Diverse Artists Rock 'north' Roll USA, Vol. ii: 1959-1962	Acrobat Music	1:55
	Diverse Artists The 1961 R&B Hits Drove	Acrobat Music	1:55
	Ray Charles The Very Best of Ray Charles [Phantom]	Phantom
	Various Artists When the Clock Chimes Twelve	Atomicat	1:59