Ray Page #9

Yeah.

It's s-sexual.

It's just too

damn sexual for kids.

Let's do it.

Yeah, baby! That's

why I love y'all, man.

All right. What the hell?

It's Atlantic, right?

Atlantic!

We'll release it

in the summer.

There's less censorship,

school's out.

The kids are ready

to kick loose.

Ha, okay!

Tom, let's see if we can

cut this pumpkin in two.

Show me what your

genius is all about.

You got it, boss.

Yeah, that is it. You put one

on Side A, put another on Side B.

Man, that sounds

out of sight.

How you feeling, Ray?

I feel groovy, baby.

I'm talking about the junk.

What?

It's starting

to show.

You're scratching

all the time.

You can't sit still.

Hey, man, have I ever

missed a date?

No, you never have.

Who's the one who delivers

a record in one take, hmm?

Ray, you deliver better

than anybody I know

but I'm not talking to you

as a businessman.

Now come on,

listen to me.

I'm worried about you.

As a friend, I'm telling you,

man, your slip is hanging.

"Your slip is hanging."

You been hanging out with us

country boys too much, man.

Uh, don't worry about this, man. If

this monkey gets too heavy on my back,

I'll get an organ grinder,

man, and put him to work.

One more time

One more time

He's off the Chitlin' Circuit.

Down Beat voted him Best Male

Jazz Vocalist by a 2-to-1 margin.

Well, if you want to keep him

in Philadelphia,

you're going to find him

a bigger venue.

Make me feel so good

What'd I Say!

Make me feel so good

Make me feel so good

Make me feel so good, yeah

Forget second billing.

Ray Charles headlines at

a thousand per or no deal.

Make me feel so good, yeah

Terrific.

Make me feel so fine

Make me feel so fine

Make me feel so fine

Make me feel so fine

Baby, it's all right

Baby, it's all right

Ray, I'm... I'm having

second thoughts about this.

I don't... I don't know

nobody in L.A.

Bea, I don't want my kids

growing up in the South.

Now, L.A. Is where, you know, a

Negro can spread his wings and fly.

Ray, my whole family's

in Texas.

That's why

we're moving to L.A.

Tell you what, Jeff, tell

the boys they can go ahead

and start their

vacation right now.

All right, boss.

Once I get you inside.

Make me feel all right

Look at that

huge coconut tree!

That ain't no coconut tree,

Della. That's a palm tree.

There's thousands

of them.

Okay.

Here's the keys to your

life, a brand-new life.

Oh, Ray.

Ray, this is too much.

Have you seen

the dining room?

But, baby,

it's October.

But you know what, I

wanted to celebrate early,

because the band is gonna be

playing during the holidays.

You are unbelievable.

Look at your presents.

Baby, look at what

Santa brought you.

You must have been good.

Go ahead! Christmas is early, baby!

Go get it.

What's he taken?

A guitar.

A musician just

like your daddy.

Can you play?

Hello?

What else you got?

What's that?

How'd you get this number?

How do you think I got it?

Put Ray on the phone.

Ray, telephone.

Deal with it, man.

Ray, it's important.

Telephone.

I-I'll be right back.

All right.

Who is it?

It's Margie, man.

Junior, come... come and help your

mama change your brother's diaper.

I don't want to go.

I want to stay and

open my presents.

All right, come on!

I don't want to go.

I don't care.

Don't let me tell you twice.

Hello.

Hey, baby.

Surprise! I came to L.A.

To surprise you.

Surprise me?

Are you out of your mind?

I'm with my wife

and my kids.

Well, on the road,

I'm Mrs. Ray Charles.

That's on the road.

Yeah, but, baby, come on, I

got everything set up for us.

Did you hear what

I just said to you, huh?

Oh, wait a minute, baby, look,

I got a bottle of Bols, and...

Shut up. Shut up. Listen,

we record in two weeks, okay?

I'll see you then.

Wait a minute, Ray!

Bye.

Ray!

One of these days,

and it won't be long

You're gonna look for me

and I'll be gone

'Cause I believe

I believe, yes

I say I believe right now

I believe

Yes I believe

Well I believe

to my soul now

You're tryin' to make

a fool of me

I believe, yes I believe

Hold on, wait, wait.

Cut, cut, cut. You know,

y'all know that sounds off.

Ahem, you know what,

the three-part harmony is off.

Let's start it all over again,

uh, from the top with the band.

I believe it,

I believe it

Whoa, pardner!

Uh, what was that?

I knew you'd like that, Ray. It's

an eight-track. We just got it.

We can record

each part separately.

Whoa, Nellie! You know,

I can't wait to see that.

What's so funny?

Nothing, "pardner."

Margie's drunk. Jeff?

You should go home

and sleep it off.

Margie, come on now,

let me take you home.

No! I'll leave when I'm good

and goddamn ready!

She's good and goddamn

ready right now.

Why don't you make me

leave this, sucker!

Teach you to treat me

like some piece of meat!

I ain't shutting up!

Should we get in there?

No.

Get them all out, right now.

You'll have to make me leave!

You know what, Jeff?

Get all of them out of here.

You're a cold-ass bastard!

Let go of me, Jeff!

You're a cold-ass bastard,

Ray!

See, he wouldn't spit on me

if my ass was on fire!

Damn right I wouldn't.

Put me down, Jeff!

Put me down! Damn it!

You dropped your shoe.

All right, come on,

let's get back to work.

Tom, this is

what I want you to do.

We'll lay my vocals down

and finish the harmony parts.

Uh, how're we gonna do

the harmonies, Ray?

You sent the girls home.

I know what I did with the

girls. Let me take care of that.

You just turn that eight-track on,

and I'll do the girls' parts myself.

And go out here somewhere and

find me an "Oh, Johnny" girl.

Uh, one minute.

What the hell's

an "Oh, Johnny" girl?

I think I've got an idea.

Last night

you were dreaming

and I heard you say

Oh, Johnny!

When you know

my name is Ray

That's why

I believe right now

I believe

Yes I believe

I say I believe right now

I believe

Yes I believe

The sky's the limit, Ray.

I got you

a $5,000-a-night raise.

They're gonna up you

to 15 per.

Rehearsal in

10 minutes.

Jeff, could you get

me some cigarettes?

Okay, boss.

15 per, huh?

You know, Ray, your contract with

Atlantic is expiring in four months.

Yeah.

Yeah, I've got

the contract with me.

They're going to

double my royalties.

Before we jump back

in that pond,

I thought I'd find out

what else was out there.

I had a very productive chat

with ABC-Paramount yesterday.

ABC? Who told you

to do that, huh?

And you know, Atlantic is

family, just like the Shaw Agency.

Ray, my job is to get you

the best deal possible.

ABC is very interested.

No.

How interested?

How about a $50,000 advance

each year for three years?

You produce

your own records.

They'll deduct recording costs

and give you

75 percent.

Ahmet and Jerry are

flying in tonight,

so will you put them off until

I can talk things out with ABC?

Well, my mama said, ain't

nothing wrong with talking.

Hey, enough of

the formalities.

Come on, let's go back

into the office, Ray.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes