Ray

Ray Charles: [responding to knock on his door] Who is it?

Ahmet Ertegun: Mr. Charles, my name is Ahmet Ertegun. May I have a moment of your time?

Ray Charles: [opening door] What do you want, man? I'm at church.

Ahmet Ertegun: I'm sorry. I'll come back later.

Ray Charles: You're here now, what do you want?

Ahmet Ertegun: Mr. Charles, my company, Atlantic Records, has just acquired your contract from Swingtime. I'd like to talk about your future.

Ray Charles: Hold on, man. Don't jive me now. I ain't for sale.

Ahmet Ertegun: May I sit down?

[Sits in chair]

Ahmet Ertegun: You see it seems that Jack Lauderdale has found himself, shall we say, a little over extended and has had to unload some of his talent. When your name came up I jumped at the chance to work with you. I'm a big fan.

Ray Charles: What if I want to go to another company? There's a guy out there right now that's willing to pay me seven cents a record. Can you do that?

Ahmet Ertegun: Man, I could promise you fifteen cents a record but you won't get it. Anymore than he'll pay you seven. What I will do is promise you five cents a record and pay you five cents a record. You think pennies, Mr. Charles, you get pennies. You think dollars, you get dollars.

Ray Charles: I like the way you put things together. Omlet, you're alright with me.

Ahmet Ertegun: Ahmet.

Ray Charles: Ahmet. What kind of a name is that anyway.

Ahmet Ertegun: I'm Turkish.

Ray Charles: Well, it looks like Jack Lauderdale's bad luck is my good fortune. I always knew Atlantic was bigger than Swingtime. You do great music there. I dig Atlantic.

Ahmet Ertegun: You could have fooled me.

Ray Charles: Well, I gotta keep my eye on you city boys. Back home they call it country dumb.

[Starts laughing]

Ray Charles: It ain't Turkish.