This pairing of two totally idiosyncratic vocalists acquired legendary status over the decades in which it had been out of print.
But the proof is in the listening, and frankly it doesn't represent either artist's best work.
There is certainly a powerful, often sexy rapport between the two -- Charles in his sweet balladeering mode, Carter with her uniquely keening, drifting high register -- and they definitely create sparks in the justly famous rendition of "Baby, It's Cold Outside." The main problem is in Marty Paich's string/choir arrangements, which too often cross the line into treacle, whereas his charts for big band are far more listenable.
Moreover, Charles' sweetness can get a bit cloying, too, although some of the old grit emerges on "Takes Two to Tango." [Some reissues add the great, rare B-side to the "Unchain My Heart" single, "But on the Other Hand Baby," and two excellent if unrelated album cuts, "I Never See Maggie Alone" (1964) and "I Like to Hear It Sometime" (1966).].
| Title/Composers | Performer | Listen | Time | Size | Size | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ev'ry Time We Say GoodbyeCole Porter | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 04:41 | 10 MB | 23 MB |
| 2 | You and IMeredith Willson | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 03:29 | 7 MB | 19 MB |
| 3 | People Will Say We're in LoveOscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 02:53 | 6 MB | 15 MB |
| 4 | Cocktails for Two | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 03:16 | 7 MB | 15 MB |
| 5 | Side by SideHarry Woods | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 02:23 | 5 MB | 13 MB |
| 6 | Baby, It's Cold OutsideFrank Loesser | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 04:12 | 9 MB | 21 MB |
| 7 | TogetherBuddy DeSylva | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 01:36 | 3 MB | 8 MB |
| 8 | For All We KnowJ. Fred Coots | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 03:45 | 8 MB | 17 MB |
| 9 | Takes Two to Tango | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 03:24 | 7 MB | 18 MB |
| 10 | Alone Together | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 04:47 | 10 MB | 23 MB |
| 11 | Just You, Just Me | Betty Carter, Ray Charles | Play | 02:00 | 4 MB | 10 MB |
| 12 | We'll Be Together Again | Betty Carter | Play | 03:21 | 7 MB | 16 MB |
| 13 | But On The Other Hand Baby | Betty Carter | Play | 03:15 | 7 MB | 16 MB |
| 14 | I Never See Maggie Alone | Betty Carter | Play | 05:39 | 12 MB | 29 MB |
| 15 | I Like To Hear It Sometime | Betty Carter | Play | 02:51 | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| 51 mins | 118 MB | |||||
| 51 mins | 267 MB | |||||
| Artist | Job | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Betty Carter | Primary Artist |
| 2 | Ray Charles | Primary Artist |
| 3 | J. Fred Coots | Composer |
| 4 | Buddy DeSylva | Composer |
| 5 | Sid Feller | Producer |
| 6 | Oscar Hammerstein II | Composer |
| 7 | Gordon Jenkins | Composer |
| 8 | Frank Loesser | Composer |
| 9 | Marty Paich | Arranger, Conductor |
| 10 | Cole Porter | Composer |
| 11 | Richard Rodgers | Composer |
| 12 | Pete Turner | Cover Photo |
| 13 | Meredith Willson | Composer |
| 14 | Harry Woods | Composer |
| Quality | Format | Encoding | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard | MP3 | 320kps 44.1kHz | MP3 is an audio coding format which uses a form of lossy data compression. The highest bitrate of this format is 320kbps (kbit/s). MP3 Digital audio takes less amount of space (up to 90% reduction in size) and the quality is not as good as the original one. |
| CD Quality | FLAC | 16bit 44.1kHz | FLAC is an audio coding format which uses lossless compression. Digital audio in FLAC format has a smaller size and retains the same quality of the original Compact Disc (CD). |