1961
HIT THE ROAD JACK * RAY CHARLES AND HIS ORCHESTRA * H . M . V . 935 * UK
A Ray Charles and The Raelets biggie; this record was a real crossover in the UK, not only did it crossover from the Soul to the Pop market but it also crossed over to the MOR light entertainment audience. The song became so popular and well known that it achieved the rare situation of the phrase "Hit the road Jack" becoming part of the vocabulary, as "See you latter alligator" had several years before.
It was not Ray Charles' first UK hit that was Georgia On My Mind from the previous year which had reached # 24 on the charts, Hit The Road Jack spent a total of 12 weeks on the charts but only reached # 6. His first British #1 came the following year with I Can't Stop Loving You which spent a total of 17 weeks on the chart.
A hit of this caliber had to garner the inevitable 'follow-up' recording. The Chantels came out with Well I Told You, with Ritchie Barrett voicing the Ray Charles part of the song, Jo Ann Campbell also cut a follow-up, with I Changed My Mind Jack released in February 1962 on ABC Paramount in the US and the next month in the UK (see below).
I CHANGED MY MIND JACK * JO ANN CAMPBELL * HIS MASTER'S VOICE 1003 * UK
See also:
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| Let’s Go Get Stoned | You Be My Baby | I Don’t Need No Doctor |
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| Let The Good Times Roll | Talkin’ ‘Bout You | I’m Moving On |