- What'd I Say is Ray Charles’s 1959 American rhythm and blues song released as a two-part single from the album What'd I Say.
- It was recorded February 18, 1959 at Atlantic Records and produced by Jerry Wexler; the piece grew from an improvised encore in 1958 when Charles and his orchestra and the Raelettes jammed, creating a call-and-response groove that became What'd I Say Part I and Part II.
- The song blends gospel, blues, and a Latin-tinged groove, helping to inaugurate the soul genre and becoming Charles’s first gold record; it topped the R&B chart and reached the pop top 10.
- It sparked controversy for its suggestive energy and was banned by many radio stations, though a sanitized version was issued; the track is now regarded as a landmark in R&B and rock history and was added to the National Recording Registry in 2002, with high rankings on Rolling Stone’s lists.
- Charles closed many shows with What'd I Say, and its influence stretched to artists from the Beatles to the Rolling Stones, cementing its enduring legacy.
