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