Ray Charles - Baby Grand (duet with Billy Joel) (1986)
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Ray Charles - Baby Grand (duet with Billy Joel)
"Baby Grand" is the 4th and final single released off Billy Joel's album The Bridge. A duet with Joel and Ray Charles, the song is a ballad dedicated to the baby grand piano, and the relationship it can share with its players. The two originally got together when Joel contacted Charles about the naming of his daughter, Alexa Ray, after Charles. Charles then suggested they create a song together.
Joel originally sang the song in his thick New York accent, but decided to do a Charles impression instead when he noticed Charles was trying to imitate his style. The song was positively received by critics. The single peaked at No. 75 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and at No. 3 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The music video features Joel and Charles recording the vocal tracks together.