The album showcased Charles’ breakout from rhythm and blues and onto a broader musical stage. Atlantic Records gave him full support in production and arrangements. As originally presented, the A side of the album featured the Ray Charles band with David “Fathead” Newman supplemented by players from the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands, and arrangements by Quincy Jones.
The B side of the original album consists of six ballads with arrangements by Ralph Burns and a large string orchestra. Charles’s performance of “Come Rain or Come Shine”, a song identified with Frank Sinatra, brought public attention to his voice alone without the “distractions” of his soulful piano and his snappy band.
Each side contains a tribute to Louis Jordan with two songs he had hits with “Let the Good Times Roll” and (“Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Crying”).
Review by Scott Yanow of allmusic:
Some players from Ray Charles’ big band are joined by many ringers from the Count Basie and Duke Ellington bands for the first half of this program, featuring Charles belting out six songs arranged by Quincy Jones. “Let the Good Times Roll” and “Deed I Do” are highlights, and there are solos by tenorman David “Fathead” Newman, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, and (on “Two Years of Torture”) tenor Paul Gonsalves. The remaining six numbers are ballads, with Charles backed by a string orchestra arranged by Ralph Burns (including “Come Rain or Come Shine” and “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’”). Charles’ voice is heard throughout in peak form, giving soul to even the veteran standards.
Review in Rolling Stone:
Charles spent the Fifties working hard to pioneer his own sound, fusing jazz, gospel and the blues into a new soul style that changed American music. But here he relaxes: Genius is easy – swinging pop, featuring big-band accompaniment. When he sings “Am I Blue?” the only answer is “Hell, yeah!”
LP Track Listing
Side One
1. “Let the Good Times Roll” (Sam Theard, Fleecie Moore) – 2:49
2. “It Had to Be You” (Gus Kahn, Isham Jones) – 2:41
3. “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” (Irving Berlin) – 2:50
4. “Two Years of Torture” (Percy Mayfield, Charles Joseph Morris) – 3:22
5. “When Your Lover Has Gone” (Einar Aaron Swan) – 2:47
6. “‘Deed I Do” (Walter Hirsch, Fred Rose) – 2:23
Side Two
7. “Just for a Thrill” (Lil Hardin Armstrong, Don Raye) – 3:21
8. “You Won’t Let Me Go” (Bud Allen, Buddy Johnson) – 3:16
9. “Tell Me You’ll Wait for Me” (Charles Brown, Oscar Moore) – 3:21
10. “Don’t Let the Sun Catch You Cryin’” (Joe Greene) – 3:42
11. “Am I Blue?” (Grant Clarke, Harry Akst) – 3:35
12. “Come Rain or Come Shine” (Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen) – 3:40
Personnel
* Ray Charles – piano, vocals
* Clark Terry – trumpet
* Ernie Royal – trumpet
* Joe Newman – trumpet
* Snookie Young – trumpet
* Marcus Belgrave – trumpet
* John Hunt – trumpet
* Melba Liston – trombone
* Quentin Jackson – trombone
* Thomas Mitchell – trombone
* Al Gray – trombone
* Frank Wess – flute, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone
* Marshall Royal – alto sax
* Paul Gonsalves – tenor sax (and solo on “Two Years of Torture”)
* Zoot Sims – tenor sax (on “Let the Good Times Roll”, “Alexander’s Ragtime Band” and “‘Deed I Do”)
* Billy Mitchell – tenor sax (on “It had to be You”, “Two Years of Torture” and “When Your Lover Has Gone”)
* David “Fathead” Newman – tenor sax (and solos on “Let the Good Times Roll”, “When Your Lover Has Gone”, “‘Deed I Do”)
* Quincy Jones – arranger, conductor
* Allen Hanlon – guitar
* Wendell Marshall – bass
* Ted Sommer – drums
* Bob Brookmeyer – valve trombone
* Harry Lookofsky – concertmaster
* Unidentified – large woodwinds and strings section
* Ralph Burns – arranger
Released: 2009 (originally released in 1959)
Recorded: 1959
Genre: R&B
Length: 37:47
Label: Atlantic/Rhino - Rhino R1 1312 (2009)
Producers: Nesuhi Ertegun, Jerry Wexler
Let the Good Times Roll
Ray Charles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let's have some fun
You only live but once
And when you're dead you're done
So let the good times roll,
I said let the good times roll,
I don't care if you're young or old,
You oughtta get together and let the good times roll-a
Don't sit there mumbling
Talkin' trash
If you want to have a ball,
You got to go out and spend some cash
And let the good times roll now,
I'm talkin' 'bout the good times,
Well it makes no difference whether you're young or old,
All you got to do is get together and let the good times roll
Hey y'all tell everybody! Ray Charles's in town,
I got a dollar and a quarter and I'm just ringing the clock,
But don't let no female, play me cheap,
I got fifty cents more than I'm gonna keep.
So let the good times roll now,
I tell y'all I'm gonna let the good times roll now,
Well it don't make no difference if you're young or old,
All you got to do is get together and let the good times roll
Hey no matter whether, rainy weather,
If you want to have a ball, you got to get yourself together,
Oh, get yourself under control, woah, and let the good times roll.
The lyrics of Ray Charles's song "Let the Good Times Roll" encourage listeners to let loose and have a good time. Charles begins by urging everyone to have fun because life is short and death is final. He then implores listeners to refrain from being negative or pessimistic and instead go out and spend money, as one must be willing to invest in the good times. Throughout the song, Charles emphasizes the importance of coming together to celebrate regardless of age or any other factor that might divide people.
This song has a good rhythm and upbeat tempo that urges people to move and dance. The phrase "Let the Good Times Roll" became a popular catchphrase during the 1950s and 1960s used to encourage people and to mark times of celebration. Ray Charles's version of the song became a big hit in 1960, and it has since been performed by many artists, including B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix, and Stevie Wonder.
One interesting fact about the song is that it was written by Leonard Lee and Shirley Goodman of the R&B group Shirley and Lee. They released their version of the song in 1956, but it did not achieve the same level of success as Ray Charles's version. Another interesting fact is that Ray Charles's "Let the Good Times Roll" is part of the soundtrack of the 1988 film "Scrooged," starring Bill Murray.
Another interesting fact is that the song has been covered by several other artists, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, who included a version of the song on his 1989 album "In Step." In 2011, Eric Clapton and Wynton Marsalis performed the song together as part of a tribute concert to blues legend Buddy Guy.
The chords of the song are:
Verse: A / A / A / A /
Chorus: A / D / A / E / A / D / A / E / A /
Line by Line Meaning
Hey everybody!
Everyone listen up!
Let's have some fun
We should enjoy ourselves
You only live but once
Life is short
And when you're dead you're done
Death is final
So let the good times roll,
Let's have a great time
I said let the good times roll,
I mean it, let's party
I don't care if you're young or old,
Age doesn't matter
You oughtta get together and let the good times roll-a
We should all hang out and have fun
Don't sit there mumbling
Stop complaining
Talkin' trash
Being negative
If you want to have a ball,
If you want to have a good time
You got to go out and spend some cash
You need to loosen the purse-strings
And let the good times roll now,
It's time to start having fun
I'm talkin' 'bout the good times,
We should focus on positive experiences
Well it makes no difference whether you're young or old,
Age doesn't matter
All you got to do is get together and let the good times roll
If we hang out, we'll have a great time
Hey y'all tell everybody! Ray Charles's in town,
Spread the word that Ray Charles is here
I got a dollar and a quarter and I'm just ringing the clock,
I have limited funds but I want to have a good time
But don't let no female, play me cheap,
Don't let anyone take advantage of me
I got fifty cents more than I'm gonna keep.
I'm willing to spend money on this event
So let the good times roll now,
Let's start having a great time
I tell y'all I'm gonna let the good times roll now,
I'm committed to having fun
Well it don't make no difference if you're young or old,
Age doesn't matter
All you got to do is get together and let the good times roll
If we hang out, we'll have a great time
Hey no matter whether, rainy weather,
Even if the weather is bad
If you want to have a ball, you got to get yourself together,
To have a good time, you need to be ready to enjoy yourself
Oh, get yourself under control, woah, and let the good times roll.
Stay calm and have a great time
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Earl King
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind