Studio Album · No. 14
Genius Loves Company Songwriting Credits by Ray Charles
Produced by John Burk, Phil Ramone, Terry Howard · Engineered by Robert Fernandez (recording), John Harris (recording), Al Schmitt (recording), Seth Presant (recording)
Holds writing credit on 0 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 0 / 12 documented
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Ray Charles carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 8
Recorded in the months before Ray Charles's death in June 2004, Genius Loves Company brought together twelve guest vocalists (Norah Jones, Elton John, Diana Krall, James Taylor, Bonnie Raitt, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, Michael McDonald, Gladys Knight, Johnny Mathis, B.B. King, and Natalie Cole) to perform duets with Charles on standards and songs from across his career. Produced by John Burk with Phil Ramone as co-producer and engineered by Al Schmitt, Robert Fernandez, and others, the album won eight Grammy Awards at the 47th ceremony in February 2005, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year for "Here We Go Again" with Norah Jones, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Gospel Performance for "Heaven Help Us All" with Gladys Knight. The album sold approximately 5.5 million copies worldwide and received RIAA 3× Platinum certification. It is one of the most decorated posthumous albums in Grammy history.
Genius Loves Company is a studio album by Ray Charles, released in August 2004 on Concord Records and produced by John Burk, Terri Lyne Carrington, and others, a collaboration album pairing Charles with twelve major artists of multiple generations, recorded in what proved to be the final year of his life, and the album that won eight Grammy Awards in 2005 including Album of the Year (awarded posthumously, as Charles died in June 2004 before the release). Charles interpreted all the material; his duet partners include Norah Jones ('Here We Go Again'), Van Morrison ('Crazy Love'), Elton John ('Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word'), Bonnie Raitt ('Do I Ever Cross Your Mind'), Gladys Knight ('Heaven Help Us All'), Willie Nelson ('It Was a Very Good Year'), and James Taylor ('Sweet Potato Pie'), demonstrating a commercial range across six decades of popular music. 'Here We Go Again' (with Norah Jones) was released as the lead single and reached the top twenty on the Adult Contemporary chart; the album itself debuted at number four on the Billboard 200, Charles's highest chart position in decades. Genius Loves Company became the best-selling album of his career since the Modern Sounds period and served as both a commercial summation and a critical rehabilitation, introducing Charles to audiences who had known him primarily as a historical figure rather than a living artist. The album's posthumous Grammy sweep made it one of the most celebrated farewell statements in popular music history.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Here We Go Again
|
Don LanierRed Steagall | Don LanierRed Steagall | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Norah Jones (Vocals) |
| 2 |
Sweet Potato Pie
|
James Taylor | James Taylor | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)James Taylor (Vocals) |
| 3 |
You Don't Know Me
|
Cindy Walker | Eddy Arnold | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Diana Krall (Vocals) |
| 4 |
Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word
|
Bernie Taupin | Elton John | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Elton John (Vocals) |
| 5 |
Fever
|
John Davenport | Eddie Cooley | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Natalie Cole (Vocals) |
| 6 |
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind?
|
Billy BurnetteMichael Smotherman | Billy BurnetteMichael Smotherman | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Bonnie Raitt (Vocals) |
| 7 |
It Was a Very Good Year
|
Ervin Drake | Ervin Drake | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Willie Nelson (Vocals) |
| 8 |
Hey Girl
|
Gerry Goffin | Carole King | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Michael McDonald (Vocals) |
| 9 |
Sinner's Prayer
|
Lowell FulsonLloyd Glenn | Lowell FulsonLloyd Glenn | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)B.B. King (Vocals, Guitar) |
| 10 |
Heaven Help Us All
|
Ronald Miller | Ronald Miller | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Gladys Knight (Vocals) |
| 11 |
Over the Rainbow
|
E.Y. Harburg | Harold Arlen | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Johnny Mathis (Vocals) |
| 12 |
Crazy Love
|
Van Morrison | Van Morrison | John BurkPhil Ramone | Ray Charles (Vocals, Piano)Van Morrison (Vocals) |