Okay, so I realize I'm about five decades late making this discovery, but somewhere I heard the song "A Change is Gonna Come" and just had to figure out who it was and hear it again.
Of course it's Sam Cooke and it's a fantastic song. It was an anthem of the civil rights movement in the 60s. His voice is amazing.
So I remembered the name and looked for what all else he did and it turns out that of all the great old songs that I never realized who did them, lots of them are him.
So now I'm nuts over Sam Cooke! He's just so great! His songs and his singing both. I got "Sam Cooke, Portrait of a Legend" today, and next I'm going to try to score some of his early gospel stuff with the Soul Stirrers. I'm so glad I discovered him! Better late than never, I guess. Posted by jexx (Member # 3450) on :
When I was growing up, I just about wore out the grooves of my mom's Sam Cooke LP. We'd play it every Sunday while housecleaning. Mom and I would do the "Cha-cha-cha" all around the house.
Good times.
I love Sam Cooke, always have.
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
I can't believe I never realized how good he was before now!
Another one I really like off this CD.
Bring it on Home to Me "If you ever change your mind about leaving leaving me behind whoa bring it to me, bring your sweet loving bring it on home to me yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah"
Posted by T. Analog Kid (Member # 381) on :
My current make-money-only country cover project does that song Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
Okay, you guys just have no idea how great this dude is!
Go here and listen to these two NPR segments about him.
Also check out the five songs of his a little further down the page.
This guy is so awesome! Jerry Wexler, Vice President of Atlantic Records said, "Sam Cooke was the best singer who ever lived, no contest. When I listen to him I still can't believe the things he did." I agree with that assessment totally. And not just his singing but his songwriting was also phenomenal. You can't possibly listen to these songs without singing along. They are SO MUCH FUN to sing! I've been crooning along for days now, garnering strange looks wherever I go. You guys have just got to check this out! Posted by Ryuko (Member # 5125) on :
Who is Sam Cooke? I don't know if I've ever heard him, but in the Wallflowers song "Sleepwalker" the lyrics go
quote: Cupid don't pull back your bow, Sam Cooke didn't know what I know, I'll never be your valentine, it's the sleepwalker in me, the sleepwalker in me, and God only know that I've tried.
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
Abby, this is a reference to the Sam Cooke song Cupid with these lyrics:
Cupid pull back your bow And let your arrow go Straight to my lover's heart For me, for me
Another must-sing-along!
I think it's safe to assume that every single musician you've ever heard play is familiar with Sam Cooke's music, and many of them would have been influenced by him, or by the people he influenced, down the generations. He's massively important in the history of U.S. music.
[ September 06, 2003, 03:21 PM: Message edited by: ak ]
Posted by jexx (Member # 3450) on :
Psst--ak--it's actually "Cupid *draw* back your bow" Yes, I have obsessively listened to Sam Cooke.
Herman's Hermits did a cover of a Sam Cooke song, was it "Cupid"?, after he died. His death was a great tragedy and a total mystery. If he had lived, who knows what the musical landscape would be like now. Oh, probably much the same, but with lots more Sam Cooke.
One great thing, no, two great things about Sam Cooke: you can understand every word he says, and you can follow along. He doesn't use fancy phrasings (like Sinatra or other cabaret crooners who sing off-melody). He doesn't hit notes that are too high or too low, and yet...I guess it's his tone rather than his range that makes him spectacular. Like warm honey.
*gets out Sam Cooke CD...inserts into drive...listens and is soothed*
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Analog - I'm glad your country project is on a make-money-only basis. Let's keep it that way.
Thanks for the links, Anne Kate - I spent so much of my life so far behind on music that I take every chance I can get to catch up.
Posted by Sopwith (Member # 4640) on :
Sam's one of the greats and you'd be amazed at how many folks, from how many countries reference him in their songs.
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
Ah, jexx! It is draw! You are right! As soon as I saw your correction I could hear it in my head. What can I say? I'm but a neophyte Sam Cooke fangirl!
There's going to be a huge Sam Cooke convention in Chicago like next week! Check this out. (Warning, it plays music at you.) Wouldn't that be great fun to go to? Don't you know there will be a lot of crooning people there? I wonder if they have group singalongs? Sam Cara-ooke sessions? Appearances by his children, nieces and nephews, and more distant relatives?
Posted by graywolfe (Member # 3852) on :
An interesting note, I saw a quote from John Lennon about Sam Cooke once, it went something like this, "If there's any song out there, that I'd wish I had written, it's "Bring it on home to me."" That's paraphrasing from memory.
It's funny, in the later winter of the '90-'91 turn my dad introduced me to Buddy Holly and Sam Cooke, and a friend of mine introduced me to the Beatles. I fell in love with Buddy Holly and Sam Cooke, but not the Beatles (he played some stuff off Magical Mystery Tour, which remains one of only two or three Beatles albums that I don't consider nearly flawless). I listend to Holly and Sam Cooke non-stop for more than six or seven years after that deep into my twenties. Although some criticize his post-soul stirrers material as being schlocky, and beneath him, I find it sweet and beautiful in it's own way, I guess I just appreciate his singing, even if the songs are a bit silly (a good example is Teenage Sonata). "Win your love for me" is one of my true favorites (is that the name?), I'll list what I consider classics later. I need to make dinner but I must add this.
BUY NIGHT BEAT!!!! It was out of print supposedly for about 25 or 30 years and was rereleased in I think '96, though there were rumors that the rerelease was being contested in a lawsuit. Anyway I snapped it up immediately. It doesn't sound like ANY of his other material. It's essentially a concept album he made at night shortly before his death that was meant to be a soul and R&B album focusing on dark, simple, bluesy arrangements. It's amazingly beautiful, simple, and extraordinary to listen to. Get it!!!
[ September 10, 2003, 09:46 PM: Message edited by: graywolfe ]
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
Okay, I'll look for it! I'm still just so excited about his voice and his music. I'm memorizing song after song. "Bring it on Home to Me" is SO MUCH FUN to play on the piano and sing. I have to agree with John Lennon there! That one, and the gospel one about the woman who touched the hem of Jesus' garment I have memorized. When she cries "Oh, Lord! Oh lord-or-or-ord" it just makes your heart sing! <laughs>
Oh and also I've also memorized "A Change is Gonna Come", which is my very favorite of all.
I love "Wonderful World", and "You Send Me" of the pop hits. "Cupid" and "Only Sixteen" are really cheesy but still super fun to sing along with. <laughs> His voice is truly phenomenal. Have I said that? I keep meaning to go and find some more Soul Stirrers gospel stuff but haven't made it back to the CD store yet. Will update then. <singing at the top of your lungs smilie>
Posted by graywolfe (Member # 3852) on :
My favorite Cooke tunes from memory:
For Sentimental Reasons-Just a beauty of a tune, simply done and beautifully executed.
Win your love for me: this doesn't sound like anything I've ever heard and I LOVE the vocal.
Everybody loves to cha-cha-cha-Adored this song, and I recorded it for tons of friends in highschool more than a decade ago and it actually lead to a dance party in my girlfriends spanish class (I wasn't there, don't ask me why).
Only Sixteen-Is this perfect? I think it is.
Wonderful World-This is such a lovely piece of exquisite perfection, its wondrous, amazingly one of a kind, peerless and wonderfully performed and written.
Chain Gang-Terrific vocal, and a powerful song.
Teenage Sonata-ripped by most critics, I just like to listen to his vocal effort on it, even if everything else is a bit ridiculous.
Sad Mood-Boy is this song good, it's downright gorgeous, may just be flawless.
That it, I quit, I'm movin on-musically it sounds a bit odd, but it really, really gets that feeling perfectly.
Cupid-As others have mentioned, it's a very memorable, lovely little tune. Just terrific.
Twistin' The Night away-The only twist song I like, it's absolutely a joy to hear, particularly on the Harlem Live recording. Amazing.
Somebody have mercy-Can't remember how it went but I remember loving it.
Soothe Me-Its perfect pop. Very hard to accomplish and all the better when one actually manages to achieve it, particularly when the performer is as skilled as Sam Cooke.
Nothing can change this love-a traditional love song sang with power, and emotion, wonderfully.
Another Saturday Night-More perfect pop.
And of course there are many other flawless tunes he did, most of which are out of print for whatever reason, A change is gonna come is one, and there are others that currently slip my mind for some reason but without question Sam is as essential to your soul and R&B collection as Al Green or Marvin Gaye. His death was a true mystery, and tragedy for it screwed with his legacy and is still open to debate. I tend to think the latter, as the individuals involved in his killing had been arrested multiple times prior to his death and his wallet was stolen, a scam to rob him seems more likely to me than what was accused, but that might simply be my take because I don't want to believe Mr. Soul was doing what he was accused of.
Posted by ak (Member # 90) on :
Yeah, I agree. There must be an explanation that makes more sense than that.
I've been listening to him constantly, and I've decided the thing about him that's so great is something that comes through in his voice. It's like you can't listen to these songs and sing along without realizing that everything really is okay, and love and joy are what life is all about, and the rest is just details that will pass away. Somehow his voice conveys all that. Singing along with Sam Cooke this last week or so has made me gloriously unreasonably happy.
[ September 13, 2003, 02:02 AM: Message edited by: ak ]
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Yes, I have obsessively listened to Sam Cooke.