Here We Go Again (Ray Charles song)
"Here We Go Again" is a country music standard written by Don Lanier and Red Steagall that first became notable as a rhythm and blues single by Ray Charles from his 1967 album Ray Charles Invites You to Listen. It was produced by Joe Adams for ABC Records/Tangerine Records. To date, this version of the song has been the biggest commercial success, spending twelve consecutive weeks on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at number 15.
"Here We Go Again"
"Somebody Ought to Write a Book About It"
1967
1967
RPM International (Los Angeles)
3:18
Joe Adams
The most notable cover version is a duet by Charles and Norah Jones, which appeared on the 2004 album Genius Loves Company. This version has been the biggest critical success. After Genius Loves Company was released, "Here We Go Again" earned Grammy Awards for Record of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration at the 47th Grammy Awards in February 2005, posthumously for Charles, who died before the album's release. Another notable version by Nancy Sinatra charted for five weeks in 1969. Johnny Duncan charted the song on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart for five weeks in 1972, while Roy Clark did so for seven weeks in 1982.
The song has been covered in a wide variety of musical genres. In total, five different versions have been listed on the music charts. Although its two most successful versions have been rhythm and blues recordings, many of its other notable covers were featured on country music albums. "Here We Go Again" was first covered in an instrumental jazz format, and many of the more recent covers have been sung as duets, such as one with Willie Nelson and Norah Jones with Wynton Marsalis accompanying. The song was released on their 2011 tribute album Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles. The song lent its name to Red Steagall's 2007 album as well. Cover versions have appeared on compilation albums by a number of artists, even some who did not release "Here We Go Again" as a single.
"Here We Go Again"
"Here We Go Again"
January 31, 2005
RPM International (Los Angeles)
3:59
John R. Burk
Country chart versions[edit]
Johnny Duncan charted a version of the song for Columbia Records that missed the Hot 100 chart. It debuted on the Hot Country Songs chart on September 30, 1972, peaking at number 66 and spending a total of five weeks on the chart.[102] The song also spent five weeks on the Cashbox Country Singles Chart, debuting on October 7, 1972, and peaking at number 61 three weeks later.[103]
In 1982, Roy Clark produced a version of the song on his Turned Loose album for Churchill Records that he performed on the November 6, 1982 (season 15, episode 9), episode of Hee Haw.[104][105] It missed the Hot 100 chart, but it entered the Hot Country Songs chart for the week ending October 30, 1982, at 88.[106] The song was one of only two mentioned in the October 30, 1982, Billboard album review and was described as "a solid country number".[107] The song peaked at number 65 in the week ending November 27 and remained in the chart for two more weeks, making the total run seven weeks.[108][109] The song also spent seven weeks on the Cashbox Country Singles Chart, debuting on November 6, 1982, and peaking at number 61 for two weeks (December 4 and 11).[110]
Other versions and uses[edit]
Billy Vaughn covered "Here We Go Again" on his 1967 Ode to Billy Joe instrumental album,[111] as did Dean Martin on his 1970 album My Woman, My Woman, My Wife.[112] Glen Campbell's version appeared on his 1971 album The Last Time I Saw Her,[113] Eddy Arnold's on his 1972 album Lonely People,[114] and George Strait's on his 1992 album Holding My Own.[115] Steagall performed it with Reba McEntire on his 2007 Here We Go Again album, but she did not include it on her 2007 duets album Reba: Duets, which was released four weeks later.[116][117] Their collaboration was favorably reviewed, and McEntire was said to reinvigorate this country standard by Nathalie Baret of ABQ Journal.[118] Martin's version was 3:07, and it later appeared on compilation albums, starting with the 1996 Dean Martin Gold, Vol. 2. It has appeared on a handful of other Martin compilation albums.[112] Campbell's version was only 2:26.[113] Strait's version is 2:53 and appears later on his 2004 Greatest Collection at a 2:55 length.[115] Steagall's version with McEntire (who Steagall discovered at a 1974 county fair)[118][119] is 3:10.[120] R&B and boogie-woogie pianist and singer Little Willie Littlefield recorded a version for his 1997 album The Red One.[121][122] Peters and Lee made a version of the song on their 1976 on their Serenade album.[123] Joe Dolan produced a 1972 single of the song[124] that he included on his 1976 album Golden Hour Of Joe Dolan Vol. 2 and several of his greatest hits albums.[125][126]
Willie Nelson and Wynton Marsalis, along with Norah Jones, performed two concerts at Lincoln Center's Rose Theatre on February 9 and 10, 2009. A 2011 live tribute album by Nelson and Marsalis featuring Jones entitled Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles was recorded on these two live dates. The album, which was released on March 29, 2011, included a track entitled "Here We Go Again".[127][128] The vocals on "Here We Go Again" were performed by Jones and Nelson, while instrumental support was provided by Marsalis (trumpet), Dan Nimmer (piano), Mickey Raphael (harmonica), Walter Blanding (tenor saxophone), Carlos Henriquez (bass) and Ali Jackson (drums and percussion).[86] The song, which had a length of 5:10, was arranged by Andy Farber and performed in a rhythm and blues 12/8 shuffle.[86] BBC music reviewer Bill Tilland noted that Jones added her usual "style and panache" to this performance.[129] At one concert performance, The New York Times critic Nate Chinen felt the song sounded unrehearsed.[130] Although critique of this track is sparse, Pop Matters's Will Layman notes that the album reveals "how decisive and strong Jones sounds while singing with a truly legitimate jazz group" and how Nelson predictably "breezes through his tunes with cavalier grace". Meanwhile, he praises the professional mastery of Marsalis' quintet.[131] Tilland also notes that on the album Marsalis' band "compensates quite adequately for occasional lacklustre vocals."[129]
George Strait's country music version was performed with the instrumental support of Joe Chemay (bass guitar), Floyd Domino (piano), Buddy Emmons (steel guitar), Steve Gibson (acoustic guitar), Johnny Gimble (fiddle), Jim Horn (saxophone, alto flute), Larrie Londin (drums), Liana Manis (background vocals), Curtis Young (background vocals), and Reggie Young (electric guitar). The album was produced by Jimmy Bowen and Strait.[132] In 1992 Entertainment Weekly's Alanna Nash regarded the album as Strait's "most hard-core country album" up to that point in his career.[133] Allmusic staff noted that the album held its own at the time of release against most of its competitors and has aged better than most country music albums.[134] Ralph Novak, Lisa Shea, Eric Levin, and Craig Tomashoff of People said the album represents the most straightforward style of singing.[135] The iTunes Store describes the album as the result of a transition in eras of country music.[136]
The song plays during the opening credit dance by Franz (Harry Baer) and Margarethe (Margarethe von Trotta) in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's 1970 film Gods of the Plague.[137][138] However, the song was on neither the eponymous soundtrack for the 2004 film Ray nor the limited edition additional soundtrack album More Music From Ray.[139][140]