“I never wanted to be famous. I only wanted to be great.” – A man who truly needs no introduction, the “Genius” himself, Ray Charles. This music icon has been blessing the world with his music since the early age of 5 (in the 1930s) when he began playing the piano. By age 6, he contracted glaucoma that eventually left him blind. Instead of letting that thwart his passion, he studied composition in Braille and learned to play the alto saxophone, clarinet, trumpet and organ while attending the St. Augustine School for the Deaf and the Blind. At 17, he moved to Seattle and began his career performing at clubs. He is quoted as saying “I was born with music inside me. That’s the only explanation I know“. Ray Charles is considered the pioneer of soul music but has combined all genres into his music including blues, jazz, R&B, gospel, country and even pop music.
Among Ray’s countless hits, ‘Hit The Road Jack‘ has stood the test of time and is a household tune. Originally this piece was written by rhythm and blues artist / songwriter Percy Mayfield and first recorded in 1960 as an a cappella demo. In 1961 the song was rerecorded by Ray Charles with Margie Hendrix of The Raelettes and immediately hit number one upon it’s release and went on to win the Grammy for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording that same year. This single has become one of Ray’s most infamous tracks and has been featured in countless commercials, movies and even sung by sports fans around the world. ‘Hit The Road Jack’ although a great example of R&B, certainly has significant jazz and rock ‘n’ roll influence.
On June 4th, Ray Charles’ team released a vibrant new animated lyric video for ‘Hit The Road Jack‘ as part of the new Ray Charles ‘True Genius‘ boxset release. Considering the technology at the time of this song’s release, the original footage of the live performance is in black and white but the retro color palette in this music video is so brilliant and nostalgic, it truly brings the hit to life. Fans will immediately notice this lyric video is inspired by the original footage of Ray singing and playing on the piano while The Raelettes sing at the microphone in front of the bandstand. The first thing we see are cartoon illustrations of The Raelettes looking stunning in their 1960s dresses bewitchingly looking over their shoulders as they sing the titled verse. These custom illustrations are phenomenal and poignant as they appear to be stuck in time while the ladies are belting out their hook. I really enjoy the shot of the cartoon ladies popping up one by one around Ray on piano while Margie sings “you ain’t got no money, you just no good“. The cartoon illustrations of Ray in his suit at the piano are timeless and really capture his spirited energy on stage. His signature black Ray-Bans are a must and really help complete the visuals. I must take a minute to applaud the detail that has gone into these drawings, specifically the instruments like the piano, the saxophone and the stand-up bass. I love that the backup band is included throughout this video. Having those trumpets pop up each time the horns blow is really creative and adds a layer of artistic depth to this fast paced video.
The lyrics are displayed in various different colors, sizes and places around the screen. The bold retro font choice was perfect in dating this video and keeping the lyrics large with multicolored drop shadows help prevent the lyrics from blending into the background. This song is lively and upbeat and the transitions in and out between the different lines mimic that energy well. The words can be seen bouncing on screen, falling from the top or being blown away by the horns and it’s so dynamic. After 60 years, this colorful lyric video helps bridge the gap in time and breathe life back into his music once again, allowing for not only the existing fans but also a new generational audience to enjoy.
Check out the custom illustrated lyric video for Ray Charles’ ‘Hit The Road Jack‘ on YouTube here: