Sunday Late Show featuring James Ray Who's "Got My Mind Set On You!"

by Robert Wilkinson

Today’s late show features a short set from an obscure R&B hitmaker. While we don’t know his birthday, he gave us two gigantic tunes made into hits by the greatest of the great!

George Harrison took James Ray’s last hit into the stratosphere, where it hit #1 on the charts! So tonight, we celebrate the life and work of James Ray (1941 – c. May 1963). Since we have no birthday on him, today's as good as any day to dance to James Ray!

From Wiki, edited for brevity, “Born in Washington, D.C., Ray stood just 5' tall and first recorded as Little Jimmy Ray, releasing "Make Her Mine" in 1959. By 1961 he was destitute and living on a rooftop, though still performing in clubs. Songwriter Rudy Clark befriended him and he got signed to Caprice Records. Using the name James Ray, his first recording was Clark's song, "If You Gotta Make a Fool of Somebody," which became a Top 10 hit on both the pop and R&B charts. The Beatles did a cover, and then Freddie and the Dreamers took it to the top 5 of the UK Singles Chart.

In the US, that single was followed by an eponymous album with a follow-up single "Itty Bitty Pieces", which reached No. 41 on Billboardas well as "Got My Mind Set on You", also written by Clark. That was issued on December 8, 1962 as a single, but his career came to an abrupt end due to a drug overdose sometime in April or May of 1963. (Not to know when he died is in itself very weird.)

Here’s the best of the short career of an obscure R&B talent!

“If You Gotta Make A Fool of Somebody”

From 1963, a very upbeat version by Freddie and the Dreamers! “If You Gotta Make A Fool of Somebody”

An awesome live version performed by Keith Richards, Rod Stewart, Ron Wood, and Ian McLagan in 1974 of “If You Gotta Make A Fool of Somebody”

From 1962, here’s the fairly obscure “Itty bitty Pieces”

Here’s his final hit before success killed him. Here's the original 1962 version of "Got My Mind Set On You" by James Ray. Testify!

In a reprise, enjoy dancing to the original music video of George Harrison doing his last hit, the irresistably danceable "Got My mind Set On You."

We’ll close this brief tribute with his only album. James Ray with the Hutch Davie Orchestra & Chorus

© Copyright 2022 Robert Wilkinson

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