Genius Loves Company was soul music pioneer Ray Charles’ final studio album, released posthumously a mere three months after his passing in June 2004.
In 2003, Concord Records A&R man and producer John Burk approached Charles with the idea of an all-star duets album. The recording sessions were held between June 2003 and March 2004, featuring who’s-who of the biggest names in music–including Norah Jones, Elton John, James Taylor, B.B. King, Van Morrison, Willie Nelson, and Bonnie Raitt,
Genius Loves Company proved a massive success, reaching #1 on the Billboard Top 200 and selling over 200,000 copies in its first week. It ultimately proved to be the best-selling record of his entire half-century career, quickly achieving multi-Platinum status. The album went on to sweep the 2005 Grammy Awards, with eight wins including Album of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Record of the Year.
In addition to the standard two-channel stereo release, Genius Loves Company was also made available in the high-resolution Super Audio CD format. The SACD contained a 5.1 surround sound mix of the album from legendary engineer Al Schmitt, which was later reissued on a limited-edition audio-only "SuperDisc" from audiophile label Monster Music. At the 2005 Grammys, Schmitt's 5.1 mix won the first-ever award for Best Immersive Audio Album.
In 2024, Genius Loves Company celebrates its 20th anniversary with a brand-new Dolby Atmos mix produced by John Burk, mixed by Eric Schilling, Michael Romanowski, and Herbert Waltl, and mastered by Romanowski. Though the Atmos mix has been available to stream on Apple Music since August 2024, we at IAA–in partnership with Exceleration Music and the Ray Charles Foundation–are thrilled to now offer the album as a hi-res immersive digital download through our online shop!
The Dolby Atmos mix fully-envelops the listener, often positioning key elements like rhythm guitars, keyboards, organ, background vocals, and orchestration forcefully in the side, rear, and height speakers. The treatment of the vocals is similar to the prior 5.1 release, with Ray Charles’ voice panned halfway to the left (in both the front left and center channels) and his duet partner anchored 50% right-of-center. The center speakers also features bass guitar, as well as other lead instruments like saxophone and electric guitar.
“Here We Go Again” with Norah Jones opens the album with the drums upfront, organ in the rear surrounds, and rhythm guitar pinned to the left side speaker. Additional keyboards appear overhead, playfully circling the height array at the very end. The top speakers also contribute a fair amount of ambient signal, helping transport the listener into the recording space with the musicians.
Horns blast from the side and rear speakers for “Sweet Potato Pie,” featuring James Taylor. Different electric guitar parts appear diagonally offset between the front left and side right speakers, while the solo extends from the center channel up into the front heights.
Editor's Note: Al Schmitt's 5.1 surround sound mix of Genius Loves Company was available on the Super Audio CD (pictured above) and CD/DVD "SuperDisc" editions of the album. The new 2024 Dolby Atmos mix–created by Eric Schilling, Michael Romanowski, and Herbert Waltl–is available to stream on Apple Music and as a hi-res digital download in the IAA shop.
Piano takes the front in “You Don’t Know Me,” with strings killing up the side surrounds and Diana Krall’s vocal hovering just right of center. Elton John then joins Ray Charles for a moving cover of “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” (originally recorded for John’s 1976 double album Blue Moves). Lush strings fill up the entire room, while the guitar solo appears primarily from the height array.
Moving into “Fever,” featuring Natalie Cole, finger snaps appear centered in the side speakers–seemingly projecting inside the listener’s head. Guitars extend from the front stage out into the sides, with brass blasting from between the rears and rear heights. Charles then trades off vocals with Bonnie Raitt in “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind,” while the guitar reverb amusingly swirls around the height array.
The orchestra completely engulfs the listener in “It Was A Very Good Year,” featuring Willie Nelson. Horns take the rear for “Hey Girl,” with keyboards in the sides and Michael McDonald’s instantly-recognizable croon hovering just right of center.
B.B. King’s bluesy guitar licks from the front stage duel with organ from the rear in “Sinner’s Prayer,” with the cavernous drum reverb filling up the height array. During the guitar break at around the two-minute mark, the organ briefly moves to the side surrounds.
Charles duets with Gladys Knight for “Heaven Help Us All,” showcasing the gospel choir and rhythm guitars in the side surrounds. The horn section extends from the front stage out into the sides, while the organ protrudes from the rear speakers. The lush orchestration in “Over The Rainbow” spans the entire ground-level soundstage, with Johnny Mathis’s vocal nailed down right of center in the front stage.
Genius Loves Company then concludes with a live version of Van Morrison’s “Crazy Live,” originally recorded for 1970’s Moondance. The audience is heard mostly in the side surrounds, along with the rhythm guitars. The horn section sits between the rear surrounds and rear heights, while the harmonies sit behind the lead vocal in the front stage.
Genius Loves Company flows perfectly from start-to-finish, and–though it was perhaps not originally designed to–serves as the perfect tribute to Ray Charles' artistry and impact on popular music over a 50-year career. Though the original 5.1 surround release was considered a benchmark at the time, the new Dolby Atmos mix manages to offer an even more immersive and intimate experience.
IAA offers immersive digital downloads in the lossless Dolby TrueHD format. While streaming services offer convenience and access to a vast library of music, they also severely compress the audio to save bandwidth. With lossless TrueHD, the inner detail and sonic clarity is much better preserved for home listeners.
Purchase Genius Loves Company in the IAA Shop!
