Ray Page #5

play from nine to one

Everybody here's gonna

have some fun

Doin' the mess around

Ah, doin' the mess around

They doin' the mess around

Everybody doin'

the mess around

Now you see that girl

with that diamond ring

She knows

how to shake that thing

Mess around

I declare

she can mess around

Ah, mess around

Everybody do

the mess around

Now we got something!

That's all right there.

What do you think, Ahmet?

Great, Ray!

Unbelievable!

Who's that?

Ray, I want you to meet

my new partner, Jerry.

Mr. Ray Charles,

Jerry Wexler.

Hey.

Don't worry, Ray. I'm going

to step back, I'm gonna watch,

I'm gonna learn how to

produce a record. I'm in awe.

That was out of sight.

That's some running

and riffing, man!

Well,

this'll make you shout, man.

We're listening to that

new recording, Mess Around

by Atlantic recording artist,

Ray Charles.

And we have the gentleman

live here in the KCOH studios.

So, Ray, when you're not making your

own music, what do you listen to?

You know what, the fact is, King

Bee, I really and truly love gospel.

One of my favorite groups

is from right here in Houston:

The Cecil Shaw Singers.

You heard it:
Ray Charles

endorses Houston's own Cecil Shaw.

We'll be playing

gospel all day Sunday

but right now,

let's hear some more

of that Mess Around

by Ray Charles.

K.B., line 1.

King Bee.

Mmm-hmm.

Yeah, he's right here.

Miss Della Antwine

of the Cecil Shaw Singers.

Hello, Miss Antwine.

You sung tenor in

Jesus Is My Shepherd, right?

Yes.

How did you pick me out?

Actually,

I... I hear like you see.

Like that hummingbird outside

the window, for instance.

I can't hear her.

You have to listen.

Yes.

Yeah.

Yes, you can.

OH-OH.

You hear that?

What?

Her heart just

skipped a beat.

Oh, did you like my record?

The one that King Bee

was playin'?

It was very nice.

Different than the others.

I've heard

a lot of your music.

Was it very nice, too?

Look, Miss Antwine, if you

don't really like the record,

you ain't got to beat around the bush

with me. I mean, my mama never did.

It's not that I don't

enjoy your music.

It's just that I feel

I've heard it before.

I keep wondering what the

real Ray Charles sound like.

Ray Charles? Who's he?

Nobody,

if you don't know.

Huh?

Sorry. I should have

kept my mouth shut.

Oh, no, no.

Then you wouldn't be you.

You know, it's not like I

haven't heard that before.

I guess I just, uh, never

really listened, that's all.

Ain't nobody ever put

it that sweet, I guess.

You know what,

Miss Della Bea Antwine?

You really are a country girl.

You know that?

Yes.

How'd you know?

I could tell by

the way you ordered.

"Let me get molasses

with my cornbread."

Were you raised

on a farm?

My mother did a little

sharecropping in Florida.

Is she still there?

God bless her heart, she passed

away when I went to school.

Ray, I'm sorry.

She never was

real healthy.

She just worked herself

to death, poor thing.

That's why she didn't want

me carrying around no tin cup.

The kids

I went to school with,

they were doing basket-weavin'

and wickerwork.

But not you.

Because of your gift.

Because of my ears.

See, I can mimic

damn near anybody,

and I... I... I... I make

a pretty decent living at it.

It's just, if I

change my style up

and people

really don't dig it,

I mean, what am I

left with, you know?

I mean, when you're blind,

Miss Antwine,

you ain't got

that many choices.

Seem to me like you got all

the choices in the world.

God gave you

the gift to sound

like anybody you please,

even yourself.

We're here.

This is where I live.

Well, you think

the preacher'd let me in?

I mean, uh, I'm a sinner,

but I need a little prayer.

His wife don't like

me having male company.

Well, tell him there's a soul

out here that needs savin'.

You know what, Miss Antwine,

you really got me thinkin'.

About what?

About my life.

About my music.

About everything.

Ray, don't... don't you think

we're movin' a little fast?

Listen, I'm... I'm gonna

go to New York

for a couple of weeks,

and when I get back,

you can take it as

slow as you want.

All right, Mr. Charles.

All right, Miss Antwine.

I'll see you

in a couple of weeks.

Well, hold on, now.

Let me call you a cab.

I got it. Three blocks up,

left for two, right for one.

Fifteen giant steps,

and I'm at the

Crystal White Hotel. Hello.

Mess Around was

a positive step for us, Ray.

We're making progress.

Oh, come on, Ahmet.

Now, you've been nice to me.

But I haven't given

you guys any hits.

Atlantic Records

has been good to me,

but if you want me to do

something special,

I'm gonna need my own band.

Oh, man. Taking a band out

on the road costs a mint, Ray.

I mean, even Joe Morris is struggling.

His band's had a hit record.

But, Ahmet, listen,

I'm not Joe Morris.

Man, you told me if I think

pennies, I get pennies.

I'm thinking dollars,

man.

Ruth Brown's got

a tour booked in Georgia.

She needs a band.

I... I'll take it.

I could write the charts

for her, I... I could do backup,

and also be an openin' act.

Okay.

But you're going to be

financially responsible.

You're gonna have

to make it work, Ray.

Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna make it

do what it do, baby.

Yeah.

Ray!

Miss Antwine,

it's been two weeks.

It's been three.

Now, where's the preacher at?

And the wife?

They in Dallas till Monday.

Well, hallelujah!

Della Bea.

Kind of like a honey bee,

right?

Can I call you Bea?

Yeah, I'd like that.

There's only been two cats that

I ever really trusted in my life.

There's Jeff Brown, he's

going to be my tour manager,

Fathead Newman,

my tenor man

and now you.

But you gotta

do me a favor.

Bea, you gotta

always tell me the truth.

Oh, yeah. Just like

you did before.

Don't feel sorry for me

just 'cause I'm blind.

How could I pity

someone I admire?

Can I play

something for you?

Now?

Yeah.

No, Ray.

Yeah, right now.

Right now. I'm gonna...

Ray!

It's right there.

You got it.

Okay.

Yeah, yeah,

this will work.

Now you go ahead and play.

I'm gonna close these drapes.

All right.

I don't want no

neighbors looking in.

Well

I got a woman

way over town

She's good to me

Oh, yeah

I got a woman

Way over town

Ray.

She's good to me

Oh, yeah

Ray!

She give me money

Ray. Ray, that's

sacrilegious.

When I'm in need

What... what?

It's a gospel song.

I know what it is.

I wrote it.

I mean, you told me

to find my own voice.

Well, Bea, this is it.

But it... it ain't... It ain't right

to be changing gospel music into this.

Into what? Is it...

Is it devil music?

Evil music? Do you think...

Do you think I'm evil, Bea?

Look, I've been

performing gospel

and blues all my life.

It's who I am.

And if I'm gonna do my own thing,

I... I gotta be natural, right?

I'm singing about

my feelings for you.

About how I love you.

What could be more

natural than that?

Huh, Bea?

Tell me.

More natural

than me and you.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes