Ray Charles, Come Rain or Come Shine | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 111^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “Come Rain or Come Shine” by Ray Charles. 

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 111^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2023), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Come Rain or Come Shine”, performed by 🎙 Ray Charles.

“I’m gonna love you like no one’s loved you / Come rain or come shine…” The late, great 🎙 Ray Charles concludes his 1959 album, 💿 The Genius of Ray Charles, with a surefire classic: 🎵 “Come Rain or Come Shine”. “… High as a mountain, deep as a river / Come rain or come shine.” The song predates Charles’ stirring rendition, penned by 🎼 ✍ Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer in 1946 for the Broadway music, St. Louis Woman.  And oft-covered standard, Charles truly made “Come Rain or Come Shine” his own given his signature, high-flying, bluesy vocals. It’s easy to buy what he sells as he makes it crystal clear through good and bad he will ALWAYS love you!

“Days may be cloudy or sunny

We’re in or are we out of the money?

Yeah, but I’m with you always

I’m with you rain or shine.”

Furthermore, the iconic, prodigious blind musician’s pianistic chops equally allure. Beyond his own top-notch musicianship, Charles’ supporting cast are marvelous too.  The orchestra is arranged superbly by Ralph Burns.  This encompasses strings, chilling backing vocals, and of course, the wind instruments, including the prominently featured trombone. The orchestration is colorful, complementing and providing Ray with plenty of fuel for the fire.  The music speaks for itself on 🎵 “Come Rain or Come Shine” – no extensive analysis necessary.  Ray Charles was a one of a kind, once-in-a-lifetime musician.  Furthermore, this modest pop hit (no. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100) is one of the legendary, 17-time 🏆 Grammy-winning musician’s timeless classics.

🎙 Ray Charles • 💿 The Genius of Ray Charles • 🏷 Atlantic • 📅 1959

Ray Charles, Come Rain or Come Shine: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 111 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Atlantic; John Alan Sperry, PIRO via  Pixabay]