January 12, 2013

"Fifty years ago Saturday, Sam Cooke stepped onstage at a club in Miami."

"The result was loud, raw, artful and raucous — but it wasn't the Sam Cooke the label was looking to sell to mainstream audiences. RCA decided to tuck the Harlem Square Club recording into its archives."

Here's "One Night Stand: Live at Harlem Square Club 1963."

Reading the above-linked article wasn't my first encounter with Sam Cooke today. Earlier, someone sang me a beautiful rendition of his version of "Mean Old World," which he'd learned from "Complete Recordings of Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers,"

10 comments:

dreams said...

I can remember where I was when I heard he had been shot dead, I was stationed in Misawa, Japan. USAF.

edutcher said...

One of the best, no doubt.

Anonymous said...

Sam Cooke was sublime and gone way too soon.

Anyone who missed his music has a treat in store if they want to check him out.

LYNNDH said...

A good radio station playing music liike this is 89.3 in Denver, CO, on Sat. nights 7 to 9, before that they have the Blues. Try it out. Goooooooooood Stuff.

Saint Croix said...

Sam Cooke is awesome.

kcom said...

Someone. :)

Anonymous said...

One of the more senseless celebrity deaths. A ho stole his money when he was in the bathroom at a hot-sheets motel, he attacked the older female desk clerk thinking that she had something to do with the theft, and she shot him in justifiable self defense.

Peter

Emil Blatz said...

ironrailsironweights said...

One of the more senseless celebrity deaths. A ho stole his money when he was in the bathroom at a hot-sheets motel, he attacked the older female desk clerk thinking that she had something to do with the theft, and she shot him in justifiable self defense.

Peter


Well, that wasn't so smart for him, was it?

sane_voter said...

There are so many good Sam Cooke songs. One of the earliest songs I remember is "Chain Gang". A lesser known one that is one of my faves of his is
this.

Anonymous said...

We live in an era of many outstanding vocal talents, especially female singers, but how many can reach inside you like Sam Cooke could?