RAY CHARLES Albums Rereleasing and Go Digital !

Concord Music Group announced today an exclusive agreement with the Ray Charles Foundation to develop the post 1960 record catalog of legendary pianist & soul singer, Ray Charles.  The deal  contains Charles's classic work from the ABC and Tangerine labels. Many of the masters will be made available digitally for the first time ever, including such iconic recordings as “Georgia On My Mind,” “Hit the Road Jack” and “Crying Time” among many others.   The reissue will start with the digital-only release of Charles’ The Spirit of Christmas and will continue into March 2009 with the release of a yet-unnamed "hits" collection. 
 
The Spirit of Christmas, was released originally in 1985 on Columbia Records, and features such holiday standards as “What Child Is This,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” and “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” The reissue includes the bonus track “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” a duet with Betty Carter, recorded in 1961. This digital-only release will be made available on November 25, 2008 at iTunes and all other digital outlets. The album will come out on cd for the 2009 Christmas season.  Then in March, Concord will release a definitive retrospective volume featuring 21 chart-topping Ray Charles hits including the aforementioned “Georgia on My Mind,” and “Hit the Road Jack,” plus “Busted,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Sticks and Stones,” “Drown in My Own Tears,” “Unchain My Heart,” “I’ve Got a Woman,” “You Are My Sunshine” and “Take These Chains From My Heart,” just to name a few. Other releases in 09 are still tbd, but the highlights will be Starbucks Opus Anthology, to be available as a Starbucks exclusive; Modern Sounds in Country Western Music, Vol. 1 & 2; The Genius Hits the Road; Genius + Soul = Jazz; Berlin, 1962; plus the late fall 09 CD release of The Spirit of Christmas.