It was nearly 1am on a December 1958 night in Brownsville, Pennsylvania when musical history changed. The great Ray Charles – an icon whose music transcended genres and broke down racial barriers – improvised a fledgling track that John Lennon would later describe as the original riff-based song and music historian Robert Stephens would call the birth of soul music. It was called What’d I Say.
In his superb 1992 autobiography Brother Ray, written with David Ritz, Charles reflected: “I had another twelve minutes to kill before the set closed. A typical gig of that kind lasted four hours, including a thirty-minute intermission. We played from 9:00 till 11:30, took a half-hour break, and then did the final hour. It was nearly 1:00 a.m., I remember, and we had played our whole book. There was nothing left that I could think of, so I finally said to the band and (backing singers) the Raelettes, ‘Listen, I’m going to fool around and y’all just follow me.’”
Charles, then 28, had broken through four years earlier with I’ve Got A Woman. On this night, he began “noodling” on electric piano – “just a little riff which floated up into my head,” he said. “It felt good and I kept on going.” A conga rhythm insinuated itself, as did gospel-style call-and-response that also recalled the boogie-woogie of Clarence ‘Pinetop’ Smith. Charles remembered: “One thing led to another, and suddenly I found myself singing and wanting the girls to repeat after me.”
The reaction was immediate. Charles continued: “Then I could feel the whole room bouncing and shaking and carrying on something fierce. So I kept the thing going, tightening it up a little here, adding a dash of Latin rhythm there. When I got through, folk came up and asked where they could buy the record. ‘Ain’t no record’, I said, ‘just something I made up to kill a little time’.
“The next night I started fooling with it again, adding a few more lyrics and refining the riffs for the band. I did that for several straight evenings until the song froze into place. And each time I sang it, the reaction was wild.
The studio recording of What’d I Say in February 1959 captured the explosive energy and innovative spirit that Ray Charles embodied. Recorded in two parts, the song’s structure encapsulated the raw vitality of a live performance.
The first part laid down the groundwork, showcasing Charles’ emotive vocals and the captivating call-and-response dynamics between him and The Raelettes. The second part elevated the intensity with extended instrumental solos, seamlessly blending soul, rhythm and blues, and a touch of gospel.
Upon its release, What’d I Say struck a chord with listeners worldwide. The track’s infectious rhythm and Charles’ signature blend of gospel fervour and rhythm and blues finesse resonated deeply.
The song’s suggestive lyrics, veiled in innuendo – “hey mama don’t you treat me wrong / Come and love your daddy all night long,” Charles sings – challenged conventions and added a layer of intrigue, causing both enthusiasm and controversy.
“It was banned by several radio stations,” said Charles. “They said it was suggestive. Well, I agreed. I’m not one to interpret my own songs, but if you can’t figure out What I Say, then something’s wrong. Either that, or you’re not accustomed to the sweet sounds of love.
“Later on, I saw that many of the stations which had banned the tune started playing it when it was covered by white artists. That seemed strange to me, as though white sex was cleaner than black sex. But once they began playing the white version, they lifted the ban and also played the original.”
After an initial stumble when some radio stations refused to play such a lascivious track, What’d I Say raced up the charts, solidifying Charles’ status as a music pioneer. It reached No.6 in the Billboard Hot 100, No. 1 in the R&B chart and gave Charles his first gold record.
Today, What’d I Say can be seen as a seminal work in music history. Charles effortlessly melded gospel, rhythm and blues, and a touch of rock ‘n’ roll into a seamless musical tapestry. His ability to bridge genres paved the way for a new era of music.