Tangerine Records
Tangerine Records was an American record label founded by Ray Charles in 1962 and active primarily through the 1960s and early 1970s.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Tangerine Records was an American independent record label established in 1962 by musician and singer Ray Charles. The label operated during a period when prominent recording artists were increasingly seeking greater control over their recordings, publishing, touring organizations, and associated businesses. Its catalog centered on soul, rhythm and blues, gospel-influenced popular music, and related Black American musical styles, while its roster also included performers from jazz and established pop and R&B traditions. The label was not initially a conventional vehicle for Ray Charles's own recording career. In its early period, Tangerine issued records by artists including Percy Mayfield, a major rhythm-and-blues songwriter and performer, and other acts connected with Charles's professional network. Charles later moved his recording activity to Tangerine in 1966. That change gave the label a much stronger public identity and made it the home of a substantial body of his late-1960s and early-1970s work. Releases from this period included the album "Crying Time," as well as "Ray's Moods," "Ray Charles Invites You to Listen," "A Portrait of Ray," "Volcanic Action of My Soul," and several successful singles. Tangerine's business arrangement combined artist control with the infrastructure of a larger record company. ABC-Paramount Records promoted and distributed the label's releases. This relationship allowed Tangerine recordings to reach the national commercial market while retaining a distinct imprint identity. The label's visual presentation changed over time: early singles used orange labels, while later issues adopted black, red, and white designs. These variations are significant to collectors and help distinguish different stages of the label's release history. The catalog was broader than Ray Charles alone. Tangerine-associated artists included the Raelettes, Ike & Tina Turner, Jimmy Scott, Al Grey, Emile Griffith, Percy Mayfield, Louis Jordan, the Ohio Players, Lula Reed, and David Thorne. The label's releases therefore connected Charles's established soul audience with performers working across R&B, jazz, blues, and popular music. Among its notable charting singles were Percy Mayfield's "River's Invitation," Ray Charles's "Here We Go Again," "Eleanor Rigby," "Don't Change on Me," and "Booty Butt," the Raelettes' "One Hurt Deserves Another," and Ike & Tina Turner's "Dust My Broom." Tangerine remained associated with ABC until Ray Charles left ABC in 1973. Following that departure, Charles closed Tangerine Records and established Crossover Records, bringing the label's original operating history to an end. The Tangerine catalog is owned by Ray Charles Enterprises. Because the imprint is defunct, its continuing relevance is primarily historical and catalog-based: it documents an important phase in Charles's career and preserves recordings by a varied group of soul, R&B, jazz, and blues performers.
History
Tangerine Records emerged in 1962 as an American record label founded by Ray Charles. Its creation reflected the growing importance of artist-controlled enterprises in popular music. Rather than functioning only as a label for one performer, Tangerine developed a roster that drew on Charles's connections across soul, rhythm and blues, jazz, blues, and popular music. The early catalog included releases by performers such as Percy Mayfield, while the label also became associated with the Raelettes and other artists connected with Charles's musical organization. The label operated with support from ABC-Paramount Records, which promoted and distributed its records. This arrangement combined Tangerine's separate imprint identity with the commercial reach and logistical resources of a major record company. Tangerine's physical releases can be identified in part through their changing label designs. Early singles used orange labels; later issues used black, red, and white presentations. These changes provide useful markers for collectors and discographers studying the label's output. A major turning point occurred in 1966, when Ray Charles shifted his own recording activity to Tangerine. His move transformed the imprint from a relatively broad artist label into the principal home of an important phase of his catalog. The album "Crying Time" was among the notable releases from this period. It was followed by albums including "Ray's Moods," "Ray Charles Invites You to Listen," "A Portrait of Ray," and, later, "Volcanic Action of My Soul." Charles also achieved notable singles through the label, including "I Don't Need No Doctor," "Here We Go Again," "Eleanor Rigby," "Don't Change on Me," and "Booty Butt." Tangerine's output was not limited to Charles. The Raelettes recorded several releases and charting singles for the imprint, including "One Hurt Deserves Another," "I'm Gett'n Long Alright," "I Want To Thank You," "I Want To (Do Everything for You)," and "Bad Water." Rita Graham, who had been a Raelette, released "Vibrations" in 1969. The Raeletts also appeared with Ike & Tina Turner on the 1970 album "Souled Out," while Ike & Tina Turner recorded the single "Dust My Broom" for Tangerine. Other associated names included Jimmy Scott, Al Grey, Emile Griffith, Louis Jordan, the Ohio Players, Lula Reed, David Thorne, and Percy Mayfield. This range illustrates the label's connection to both Charles's personal network and the wider American R&B and jazz ecosystem. Tangerine's commercial history included appearances on the American pop and R&B charts. Percy Mayfield's "River's Invitation" reached the lower portion of the pop chart and a higher position on the R&B chart. Ray Charles's "Here We Go Again" reached the top 20 of the pop chart and the top five of the R&B chart, while "Eleanor Rigby" also crossed into the pop and R&B listings. The Raelettes and Ike & Tina Turner supplied additional charting records, demonstrating that the imprint had an active release program beyond Charles's albums. The label's operating history ended in 1973. Ray Charles left ABC that year, after which he closed Tangerine Records and founded Crossover Records. Tangerine therefore had a finite lifespan, but its catalog remained significant as part of Charles's recorded legacy and as a record of collaborations involving the Raelettes, Ike & Tina Turner, and other performers. Ray Charles Enterprises owns the catalog. The brand is now defunct as an operating label, with its importance resting on its historical releases, physical records, and continuing catalog interest.
- 1973
Tangerine Records closes
[1]Charles leaves ABC, closes Tangerine, and later starts Crossover Records.
- 1971
Volcanic Action of My Soul is released
[1]Ray Charles issues another major album through Tangerine during the label's final period.
- 1967
"Here We Go Again" charts
[1]Ray Charles's single reaches number 15 on the American pop chart and number 5 on the R&B chart.
- 1966
Ray Charles begins recording for Tangerine
[1]Charles switches his recording activity to the label, beginning its most prominent period.
- 1966
Crying Time is released
[1]The Ray Charles album becomes a central release in Tangerine's catalog.
- 1963
Percy Mayfield releases "River's Invitation"
[1]Percy Mayfield's single becomes one of the label's early charting releases, reaching both the American pop and R&B charts.
- 1962
Tangerine Records is founded
[1]Ray Charles establishes Tangerine Records as an American record-label imprint.
Products and positioning
An artist-led American soul and rhythm-and-blues label built around Ray Charles's creative and business interests, with a broader roster spanning established and emerging performers in R&B, jazz, blues, and popular music.
Album · 1966
Crying Time
A 1966 Ray Charles album and one of the defining releases associated with the period in which Charles began recording through Tangerine. It helped establish the label's stronger public connection with Charles as a recording artist.
Album · 1967
Ray's Moods
A 1967 Ray Charles album issued through Tangerine during the label's principal Charles-centered period. It forms part of the imprint's core album catalog.
Album · 1967
Ray Charles Invites You to Listen
A 1967 album by Ray Charles released on Tangerine. Its title and artist credit reflect the label's role as the home of Charles's recorded work after his 1966 move to the imprint.
Album · 1968
A Portrait of Ray
A 1968 Ray Charles album in the Tangerine catalog, representing the label's continuing focus on Charles's soul and popular-music recordings.
Album · 1969
Vibrations
A 1969 Tangerine album by Rita Graham, who had been a Raelette. The release demonstrates that the imprint extended beyond Ray Charles's own albums and supported performers from his musical circle.
Album · 1970
Souled Out
A 1970 release credited to the Raeletts with Ike & Tina Turner. It illustrates Tangerine's crossover between Charles-associated vocal performers and prominent figures in soul and R&B.
Album · 1971
Volcanic Action of My Soul
A 1971 Ray Charles album released during the label's final active years and part of the later Tangerine catalog.
Singles · 1962
Tangerine singles catalog
The label issued singles by Ray Charles, the Raelettes, Percy Mayfield, and Ike & Tina Turner, among others. Notable tracks include "River's Invitation," "Here We Go Again," "Eleanor Rigby," "Don't Change on Me," "Booty Butt," "One Hurt Deserves Another," and "Dust My Broom."
Brand decisions
1973
Tangerine Records is closed after the ABC departureStrategyBackground
Ray Charles left ABC in 1973, ending the business relationship that had supported Tangerine's promotion and distribution.
Action taken
Charles closed Tangerine Records and subsequently founded Crossover Records.
Aftermath
Tangerine ceased operating as an active label, while its catalog continued under the ownership of Ray Charles Enterprises.
1966
Ray Charles moves his recording activity to TangerineStrategyBackground
Tangerine had been operating as a broader label with releases by several artists. Charles's decision to switch his own recordings to the imprint gave it a more prominent artist-led identity.
Action taken
Charles issued his subsequent albums and singles through Tangerine while ABC-Paramount handled promotion and distribution.
Aftermath
The label became closely identified with Charles's late-1960s and early-1970s catalog and achieved several pop and R&B chart successes.
Sources1 sources
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