Joe Cocker

[rollnrocker]

I just got the new Joe Cocker album, “The Ultimate Collection.” and I had heard of him but never connected him with his songs. After listening to it I was like, “Oh, I know that song. And that one. And that one.” I realized I knew at least half the songs.

It’s a great collection of his hits from his 30+ year career. I know you all know these ones: “With A Little Help From My Friends” (the theme to Wonder Years), "You Are So Beautiful", "Up Where We Belong" from Officer and a Gentleman, "Unchain My Heart", "When The Night Comes" and “First We Take Manhattan.” I love that the CD features some great guests: Jimmy Page, Jimmy Cliff, Billy Preston, and Randy Newman.

I highly recommend it. Check out this live footage I found. It is a must see. Very vintage.

http://www.hip-o.com/streaming/joeco...le-help-hi.asx
http://www.hip-o.com/streaming/joeco...le-help-lo.asx

http://www.hip-o.com/streaming/joeco...t-comes-hi.asx
http://www.hip-o.com/streaming/joeco...t-comes-lo.asx

http://www.hip-o.com/streaming/joeco...-window-hi.asx
http://www.hip-o.com/streaming/joeco...-window-lo.asx

[Whyzman]

Joe has a great sound...

I always wondered how he could sing the high notes because the quality of his voice seemed to indicate there was a definite lower range limit...

The veins on his face and neck were always so pronounced while he was singing that I always thought he was going to blow a gasket!

Streaming video...Ah, I'm on dial-up!

[pentachris]

I can't think of Joe Cocker without thinking of Belushi fishing out and flopping around on stage behind him on Saturday Night Live. That was hilarious!

Did Cocker ever actually write a song that amounted to anything?

[Paleo Pete]

I know you all know these ones: “With A Little Help From My Friends” (the theme to Wonder Years)

Hmmm...theme from Wonder Years...didn't know that. I rarely watch TV since it's basically an insult to my intelligence, especially the absolutely ignorant so-called comedies...so I didn't know that song was the theme. I know it as part of "Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band" by The Beatles.

Cocker released it later, and it took me a long time to get accustomed to the idea of the different version, I liked the original much better, but eventually came to like Cocker's remake as well. I understand he had Jimmy Page on guitar...hmmm...For a long time it just didn't sound right, same as most remakes...It was also one of the first songs Ringo Starr sang, I think maybe the very first, but not positive.

As far as remakes go though, I did like his remake of "The Letter" pretty well (the Box Tops' original was excellent too), nice job on that one. "Cry Me A River" was probably my favorite of his, the first FM radio station I ever listened to played it now and then. Usually along with the rest of "Mad Dogs and Englishmen"....at that time FM was just getting started, stations were hard to find, and the top 40 was definitely NOT their format...that was the reason for listening to FM.

I heard several old favorite albums for the first time at 6AM on an FM station in Beaumont, one of the most notable was Harry Nillsson's "The Point", which was also an animated movie. Still have a copy, and a copy of the movie, and still watch/listen to it now and then. Most people only know of a song called "Me and My Arrow". Another one I remember from that station was Pink Floyd's "Meddle". Too bad it wasn't at about 10PM after a coupl...ok never mind...

Then there was a song by Boz Scaggs called "Loan Me A Dime" with Duanne Allman on guitar, I sat down and immediately started trying to play it...never got tired of listening to that one, and eventually improved enough to do a passable job of guitar, but at that time I knew absolutely nothing about lead guitar and probably sucked real bad...

But I digress..."Feelin' Alright" was also a great effort, always liked that one with Leon Russell helping out, "High Time We Went" was a great song, (one of his originals I believe, and got a fair amount of airplay), Seems I remember "Delta Lady" vaguely, another Leon Russell assisted song, but can't get the melody back to save my life...but the last time I heard it FM radio was still 15 years from moving into the top 40 format...

Did Joe Cocker ever write a song that amounted to anything? Not really, that I'm aware of, I think "High Time We Went" was probably the most popular one of his originals ever got, he wasn't known for his songwriting ability. One of the later songs might have surpassed that one, I'm not sure who the writers were on things he recorded later on after the Leon Russell/Delaney and Bonnie days. I know at that time most of his popular tunes were remakes.