Ray Charles, Hit The Road Jack | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 158^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “Hit The Road Jack” by the iconic, late musician, 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 158^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2023), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Hit The Road Jack”, performed by 🎙 Ray Charles.

“What’d you say?” Ah, who doesn’t love a great, tongue in cheek classic! That is what the late, great 🎙 Ray Charles serves up on 🎵 “Hit The Road Jack”, which was penned by 🎼 ✍ Percy Mayfield. “Hit The Road Jack” is one of the 17-time 🏆 Grammy winner’s most beloved and most popular songs.  Notably, it spent two weeks at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1961 – impressive.  Furthermore, the record is credited to Charles, and his orchestra, with 🎙 The Raelettes, who provide superb background vocals. Yes, it is Ray’s lead vocals that take the cake, but The Raelettes play a sizable role in the success of this classic joint.

The incredibly catchy chorus of “Hit The Road Jack” is one of the most easily recognizable of all time: “Hit the road, Jack, and don’t ya come back / No more, no more, no more, no more.” Charles serves up gritty, soulful lead vocals. He sings with an incredible amount of personality which is always a win.  There are no shortage of memorable lyrics aside from the chorus.  Perhaps the best example is the first verse:

“Old woman, old woman, don’t treat me so mean

You’re the meanest old woman that I’ve ever seen

I guess if you say so

I’ll have to pack my things and go (That’s right).”

Beyond the epic vocals – lead and backgrounds – the instrumental arrangement and production (🎛 Sid Feller produces) are on-point too 💪.  Idiomatic of the early 1960s, listening to 🎵 “Hit The Road Jack” north of 70 years later, it still sounds epic to the n^th degree.  This is a two-minute-long oldie that never, ever gets old.

🎙 Ray Charles • 💿 True Genius • 🏷 Tangerine • 🗓 2021

Ray Charles, Hit The Road Jack: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 158 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Tangerine; John Alan Sperry, PIRO via Pixabay]