This is a letter I wrote to de auld Irish mate Verner Scott accompanying a compilation tape of Sam Cooke.
Hello dere,
It is yourself mister, er,... to be sure, to be
sure.
This is a tape of one of the greats. Sam Cooke was
extraordinarily gifted, not only as a singer but as a writer, arranger and
performer; he was a consumate musician.
The tape starts with his last recorded song,
prophetically entitled "A Change Is Gonna Come", which was released
postumously. The second song, "The Last Mile Of The Way",
was his final release as a member of the Soul Stirrers in 1956, just
prior to his entry to the secular field. He had been in the group since 1951.
The gospel audience never forgave him for his apostasy. There is a story of his
distress after having been booed when asked up on stage at a gospel concert in
the early 60s. Sam must have expected some audience reaction but he thought that
they would remember his six years in the service of the Lord, and his voice, and
his magnetic personality. Trouble was they remembered too well. You can't give
the poor God folk something so beautiful, so pure, so exclusive and then take it
to the heathen.
The Soul Stirrers were one of the top groups on the
gospel chitlin circuit. They were up there with the Hummingbirds, Swan
Silvertones, The Ward Sisters, Five Blind Boys- both groups -
At first he released a couple of singles under a
pseudonym, gentle poppy stuff, nothing offensive, then the big hit with
"You Send Me", which, although poppy, borrowed from gospel in it's
melody and expression. This was nothing new though. The gospel style
had been borrowed more blatently since the early fifties by The Five
Royales, The Dominoes and more recently in the mid fifties by Ray Charles,
Little Richard and James Brown. But none of these people had dwelt in the bosom
of gospel, none had been accepted as a son of the fraternity, none had renounced
so much for so little, knowingly.
The second side starts with a couple of live
recordings from the Harlem Club in
1964 - rare Vern, unearthed and issued in the 80s - which show that Sam utilised
the gospel style of rousing an audience, not to facilitate the coming of the
Holy Spirit within them, but to allow, as the fraternity believed it, the unholy
spirit to enter. This would have been understood as blasphemy.
But Sam was on a roll. He had seventeen top 20 hits
in the US, founded his own publishing company, management firm and record label
where he discovered Lou Rawls, the Womac brothers, Billy Preston and Johnnie
Taylor. In 1964 he was shot dead by a concierge at a motel, she claimed self
defence. A sordid end to a charmed life. There is rumour that the mafia was
involved as a result of his growing interests in the industry. It reads better
that way....although it could be so.
Another thought - "A Change Is Gonna
Come" was to be issued at a turbulant time in racial relations , there
might be those who would not wish a song which could realistically be expected
to reach a large audience, to be issued. Of course the single was released
despite Sam's death, but the verse about the "boy" being told to move
on was deleted (but included in this powerhouse compilation!!!).
His final single starts the tape, and it is fitting
that such a masterpiece found him at his gospel roots at the end. There are a
number of masterpieces here. All the major hits together with some superb Soul
Stirrers recordings and the aforementioned live recordings which show what a
powerfull entertainer he must have been. The only live album issued in his
lifetime was "Live At The Copa" which, so I've heard is a bit supper
clubish, sort of spade Vinnie Delsmootho. The "Live At The Harlem
Club" had him singing to his own people, with grit, working his audience.
The Soul Stirrers tracks are quite rare, I had to
import them. One of them, "Pray" was never released, and the group was
obviously still working on it, but it is rather unusual in it's mixture of jazz
and what sounds to me like Carribean styles, quite infectious and joyous - I
could imagine a ska group doing it. "All Right Now" is a longer
version than the one issued in 1955 and it doesn't feature Sam as the main
vocalist. The battleaxe voice of the Reverend Julius Cheeks is the cruncher
here. Julius was the reknowned lead vocalist from the Sensational
Nightingales....., or was it The Mighty Clouds Of Joy,
and joined the Soul Stirrers for a short while in '55. It's an historical
moment Vern, and I thought that I'd share it with you. I just know that you'll
appreciate it... and, no doubt will want more Cheeks after a taste of this.
The hits are taken from the digitally remastered
double album "The Man And His Music" - released in the eighties. The
sound is a vast improvement over an earlier double LP which I bought in
A Change Is Gonna Come
Somebody Have Mercy (live)
The Last Mile Of The Way
Bring It On Home (live)
Somebody Have Mercy
Another Saturday Night
Sad Mood
Meet Me At Mary's Place
Bring It On Home
Having A Party
Sooth Me
Let The Good Time Roll
Touch The Hem Of His Garment
Twisting The Night Away
Any Day Now
Shake
That's Heaven To Me
That's Where It's At
I'll Come Running Back To You
All Right Now
You Send Me
Pray
Just For You
Jesus Wash Away My Troubles
Chain Gang
He's My Guide
When A Boy Falls In Love
I Gave Up Everything
Only Sixteen
Were You There
Wonderful World
Cupid
Nothing Can change This Love