What'd I Say

Atlantic released it in late 1959. At the time it was more a compilation of uncollected material than a conventional album, gathering 1958 and 1959 singles such as That's Enough, Tell Me How Do You Feel and the title track, and older ones that reach back to Roll with My Baby from 1952 and Jumpin' in the Mornin' from 1953. Charles plays a Wurlitzer electric piano on the opening track and Hammond organ on Tell Me How Do You Feel, with David Newman on saxophones and the Raelettes backing him.

A reviewer for Billboard called it a fine, swinging album. It became his first gold record and reached number 20 on the Top LP's chart after entering it in September 1961, spending seventy-three weeks there. Robert Christgau included it in his Basic Record Library of 1950s and 1960s recordings.