Legendary vocalist Joe Cocker died this week at the age of 70. The following is an overview of the highlights of his 50 years as a recording artist:
With A Little Help From My Friends
Cocker’s debut album featured support from Albert Lee, Steve Winwood, Chris Stainton and Procol Harum drummer B.J. Wilson. Aside from Cocker’s gravel-filtered coffee growl, the real revelation here is Cocker’s original backing group — the Grease Band — who are featured on a sublime version of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” Cocker would later regret leaving that band behind, and it’s easy to see why.
Live At Woodstock
Recorded in 1969 but not released in its entirety until 2004, Cocker’s set at the original Woodstock festival is a corker from start to finish. His highest profile gig with the Grease Band, this set is edgier and harder rocking than most of Cocker’s work with producer/arranger Leon Russell. Cocker is in full-on spastic mode through most of this, and it’s fantastic.
Joe Cocker!
This soulful sophomore effort features the Grease Band throughout as Leon Russell’s production starts shifting towards what would eventually come to fruition on “Mad Dogs & Englishmen.” This album contains studio versions of songs that would become massively popular on the forthcoming live album, along with takes on material by Bob Dylan, George Harrison and John Sebastian.
Mad Dogs & Englishmen
A double live album featuring a massive band led by Leon Russell, this album pushed Cocker (and Russell) into the mainstream and sold a ton. Cocker’s versions of “The Letter,” “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window,” “Feelin’ Alright,” “Space Captain” and “Delta Lady” eclipsed the original versions and kept on going.
Gold
After “Mad Dogs & Englishmen,” Cocker was never quite able to craft entire albums that were as consistent as his early releases. That being said, Cocker never lost his voice and continued to score occasional hit singles and fan favorites for the rest of his career. Along with the obvious choices from his early catalog, later days gems such as “Up Where We Belong,” “You Can Leave Your Hat On,” “You Are So Beautiful” and “Unchain My Heart” are here as well. For anyone looking to scoop up the best of Cocker’s post-”Mad Dogs” output, this is the way to go.
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Jon Dawson’s album reviews appear every Thursday in The Free Press. Contact Jon at 252-559-1092 or jon.dawson@kinston.com.
