Joe Cocker - The Letter - Live | Top Hat Crew's "Live Music Archives"

 THE LETTER - The Box Tops cover by Mad Dogs and Englishmen! 

What a line up!

Top Hat Crew's "Live Music Archives"

Voodoo Wagon - Joe Cocker ‘Shut Out The Light’ Live in Oklahoma 1972

Joe Cocker Live Oklahoma City 1972

here’s another Delta Lady for the boys (and gals?!) mostly those over at HQ of the women of music!

They DO so like a well turned ankle dontcha boys!?

Lana Del Rey - by Neil Krug

another portrait for the boys of women singers and how they portray themselves (sic?)

Those we still miss on their birthdays too | Remembering Joe Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014)

 

Photo: Linda Wolf

FEELIN’ ALRIGHT! 

(Mr David Mason)

Don's Tunes

Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs and Englishmen - Feelin' Alright

Cocker was greatly influenced by musicians such as Ray Charles, Lonny Donegan and others of that ilk. An eager performer debuting at the age of twelve, Cocker soon formed his own band with his school friends. After leaving school, Cocker’s dreams suffered a setback, as in order to survive in the real world, he had to take up a job as a gas fitter.

However, his passion couldn’t be suppressed for long. In 1961, he promptly formed another group called Vance Arnold and the Avengers and started doing small gigs in various pubs. The name Vance Arnold was influenced by an amalgamation of Elvis Presley’s Jailhouse Rock character and the celebrated country singer Eddie Arnold. The music the group performed were mainly covers of Chuck Berry and Ray Charles’ songs. His effort to make a mark with the Beatles ‘I’ll Cry Instead’ cover from Decca records in 1964 failed miserably and, ultimately, made him far more restless. He yet again formed a new band called the Joe Cocker’s Blues Band after dissolving the former one. This constant cycle of making and breaking up a group can be seen as Cocker’s effort to create something original, something defining.

 In 1968 Cocker got what he was running after for years, his first commercial breakthrough with the cover song ‘With the Little Help from My Friends’. What followed this success was years of aggressive touring in different countries which Cocker, perhaps predictably, soon got tired of.

Paul McCartney, while talking about the cover after Cocker’s death, said: “He was a lovely northern lad who I loved a lot and, like many people, I loved his singing. I was especially pleased when he decided to cover “With a Little Help from My Friends” and I remember him and (producer) Denny Cordell coming round to the studio in Savile Row  and playing me what they’d recorded and it was just mind-blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful to him for doing that.”

Pubali Dasgupta / Far Out

The Letter - Joe Cocker Mad Dogs Tour

Thanks as ever to Don Draper’s Tunes for the reminder . .

Remembering the great Leon Russell (April 2, 1942 – November 13, 2016) | Don’s Tunes - Facebook

what a brilliant photo 📸 Courtesy of the Estate of Leon Russell

Don's Tunes

"I did an album with Aretha Franklin at Columbia when she was sort of “settling in” as a recording artist. I remember she recorded “Am I Blue” and the string section tapped their music stands with their bows at the end of the session when we recorded that song. I’d never seen those guys react to anything, so that was pretty impressive.

I played a Johnny Mathis session or two, and that was great. Also played one with Sam Cooke and Bobby Womack, who wrote “Sweet Caroline” — I played on that record and Don Costa produced it. Don always used to call me, a lot of those writers, especially in New York, would call me when they had classical piano they wanted to play, but they didn’t want to write it. They’d call me and I would fake it. Those classical piano parts are too difficult to write.

Melodies are easy for me. I have this one friend — he’s a jazz player — and I was trying to get him to write some songs. He said, “Aww, I can’t write any songs.” I said, “the thing you don’t understand is you write 125 songs a night, but you don’t ever record them, you don’t ever listen to them, you don’t even know what you played.” He was playing jazz melodies. The trick is chronicling them and realizing what’s a good melody and what’s bullshit. That’s what I don’t like about jazz, generally — you’ve got to listen to all of the bullshit along with the melodies. I started writing with him and we probably wrote 70 great songs. The first song I wrote with him was incredible. He’s another guy who finds melodies so easy that he throws them away, doesn’t really pay attention to them. It’s astonishing. It’s like automatic writing for people who melodies come easy for.

I wrote a poem one time called “Mad Dogs and Englishmen.” Glyn Johns said, “We’re doing this record and they want to use ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen’ as a song. Can you write a melody for it?” So I said “OK,” and I went in and wrote three melodies for it and told him to take the one he wanted. The one that’s on the record is the one he liked the best. Melodies for me require no thought whatsoever. Lyrics, on the other hand, they’re hard for me. Always been hard. It got so hard I started researching and reading books like, How to Write Songs."

Interview by By Michael Devers / Photo Courtesy of Leon Russell

Account of working with Leon from JJ Cale . . . . 

J.J. Cale & Leon Russell Perform Same Old Blues In Session At The Paradise Studios - Los Angeles, 1979

In a 21 song set, they are having the time of their lives, and we are left to watch in wonder. Joining Cale and Russell are his wife, Christine Lakeland, along with Marty Green, Nick Rather, Jimmy Karstein, Bill Boatman and Ambrose Campbell.

Cale didn’t record his first album, Naturally, until he was thirty-two. “Eric helped me out a lot. Leon did, too. I guess the reason I made it was that people helped me out when they didn’t have to,” Cale said, not taking a lick of credit for his success. “Nobody would go for the record. We shopped it around to several labels until Leon and his friends at Shelter Records put it out. They were surprised it went anywhere.”

Many of Cale’s records were recorded at his Crazy Mama studio in Nashville and drew heavily from Delta Blues and Appalachian mountain music for its inspiration. “The South has strong roots,” he said. “The musicians on most of my albums are from the South. I’m basically a frustrated banjo picker.”

Copyright © – Classic Pictures Entertainment

Don's Tunes 

 

Where and when I first came across our Leon! Great song and great delivery here from the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour (penned from a pome by Russell) and Delta Lady a song about his love affair with breathtaking star, Rita Coolidge!

Feelin’ Alright? : Joe Cocker & The American Standard Band - LIVE in Chicago IL 1978 |FLOPPY BOOT STOMP

Joe Cocker - Live in Chicago 1978 | FLOPPY BOOT STOMP

Speaking of Dave Mason this fine set from Brother Joe the Sheffield maestro of Air Guitar and Northern Yorkshire R ’n’ B start with Feelin’ Alright!

And a mighty fine effort it is too! Now I might prefer the early Grease Band or even The Mad Dogs but this band you know Joe could pick ‘em! Check the horn section and who is that on back up vocals? Why, not Mrs Dylan?

Joe Cocker & The American Standard Band

The Unconcert

Park West

Chicago IL

1978-10-09 (Recording Date)

 

01. Radio Intro

02. Feeling Alright

03. Put Out the Light

04. A Whiter Shade of Pale

05. Lady Put The Light Out 

06. Delta Lady

07. I Know (You Don't Want Me No More)

08. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress 

09. I'm the Jealous Kind

10. Fun Time

11. I Heard It Through The Grapevine

12. With A Little Help From My Friends

13. You Are So Beautiful

14. The Letter

15. Radio Outro

Joe Cocker - Vocals

Cliff Goodwin - Guitar

Kevin Falvey - Keyboards, Vocals

Derek Dyer - Keyboards, Vocals

Bob Horn - Bass 

John Riley - Drums 

Bobby Keys - Saxophone

Phil Driscoll - Trumpet

Clydie King - Vocals

Mona Lisa Young - Vocals 

Ann Lang - Vocals

The Grease Band . . . .on their own | AQUARIUM DRUNKARD

 More from the Drunkard! . . . . . . 

The Grease Band

Posted on November 9, 2022

Like a dusty ten-dollar bottle of bonded bourbon you didn’t know was in the cabinet, Grease Band is a little bit of countrified heat that’ll sure as hell cure what ails you. It’s a loose, shambolic gem whose ragged swagger and earthy charms sound as good on Sunday morning as they do on Friday night.

Now I loved the Grease Band and those early moments of backing Joe Cocker and never quite understand why any leaving of them was anything more than merely temporary, they seemed like HIS band, he could easily have gone back and carried on the marriage IMHO but hey . . . . . check them out here and the article is as fascinating as the 43 minute YouTube posting . . . . . go there to get it, and I will post this!

Joe Cocker and The Greaseband - With A Little Help From My Friends (LIVE BBC 1968)

Joe Cocker 1981-05-02 Rainbow Music Hall, DENVER :: FRESH & ALIVE

More from Fresh & Alive and Mr Joe Cocker (boy we miss him!) live in Denver . . . . . . .crack open a fresh one (that's a glass of Sarsaparella for me!) and boogie down to this . . . . . . . . ladies and gentlemen from Sheffield Yorkshire Mr Joe Cocker!

lovely radio quality  

This band is tight as a gnats chuff!

Joe Cocker Rainbow Music Hall Denver CO - 1981 - Fresh & Alive

Denver, CO

FM Broadcast

01. radio program introduction 

02. Feelin' Alright 

03. I Can't Say No 

04. Put Out The Light 

05. I Don't  Need Anyone 

06. A Whiter Shade Of Pale 

07. Sweet Little Women

08. I Get A Feeling 

09. What's The Matter With Me 

10. You Are So Beautiful 

11.Take You On My Journey 

12. With A Little Help from My Friends 

13.The Letter 

14. The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress

15. I Heard It Through The Grapevine 

LEON RUSSELL :: Mad Dogs and Englishmen + HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Leon Russell was born as Claude Russell Bridges in Lawton, Oklahoma on this day in 1942.

She Came In Through The Bathroom Window

The Letter

Feelin' Alright!

Induction into The Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame

Come On In My Kitchen (Concert For Bangladesh outtakes)

Jumping Jack Flash

THE ARMS CONCERT - For RONNIE - Voodoo Wagon

 

The Voodoo boys (well Jobe!) reposted this classic live concert of wonderful sets from Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton Stevie Winwood, Jeff Beck and others (Andy Fairweather Low, Joe Cocker, Paul Rogers to name but three). 

Ronnie Lane of The Small Faces, Faces and Slim Chance and a happy solo career fell foul of MS in 1977 and organised a charity concert of by now legendary attendees after Clapton's run for the Prince's Trust and he extended the run at the Royal Albert Hall to arrange a follow up fundraiser for the Multiple Sclerosis charity. After living with the disease for 21 years, Ronnie died in June 1997, aged 51 leaving his wife and four children (two step children who took his surname)

It is always worth checking out and again the guys over at Voodoo Wagon have reposted part of it here again

The Ronnie Lane ARMS Concert - Voodoo Wagon

The Concert:

For the Boss and Jobe! Gimme Some Lovin'! TURN IT UP!

If this last doesn't get you dancing around the room in your pants then someone has done some serious mischief to your boogie bone!

Joe Cocker - Feelin' Alright

 There's not much being posted around lately so I chose a track to reflect the current state of affairs, here's one for lockdown from our Joe . . . . . . . hope you're all Feeling Alright, I'm not feeling' so good myself . . . . . . . . 

This first verse seemed especially relevant for lockdown to me . . .  great Dave Mason song 

"Seems I've got to have a change of scene
Every night I have the strangest dreams
Imprisoned by the way it could have been
Left here on my own or so it seems
I've got to leave before I start to scream
Won't someone lock the door and turn the key . . . . "

Turn it up and dance around the living room in your pants!

and yup you got it . . . . .  not entirely sure whether I bought this first or the titular 'Joe Cocker' but 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen' the year after was a blinder that was never off the turntable when it came out. I was influenced by a local bass player who turned me on to Joe's 'With a Little Help . . . . . ' [thanks Bill!] but the covers of Dave Mason's 'Feelin' Alright' and finding him cover a John Sebastian (of The Lovin' Spoonful) The Box tops 'The Letter' et al meant he was godlike to me then 

We loved Joe with his Sheffield builder hod carrying stance and his wild air guitar gesticulations and his awesome gravel full soulful voice and I think I must have bought the first three albums but not sure where they are now . . . . . .didn't really check in again with him until '9 1/2 Weeks' came out and Randy Newman's 'You Can Leave Your Hat On' broke big time with its naughtiness which every red blooded heterosexual male will always associate with Kim Basinger . . . . . ahem, cough cough!

On this day in music history: April 23, 1969 - “With A Little Help From My Friends”, the debut album by Joe Cocker is released. Produced by Denny Cordell, it is recorded at Olympic and Trident Studios in London circa early 1968. The first album by the Sheffield, UK born rock vocalist features musical support from musicians such as Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood, Albert Lee, Henry McCullough, as well as L.A. studio veterans like Carol Kaye, Paul Humphrey and vocalists Merry Clayton, Madeline Bell and Brenda & Patrice Holloway. It spins off two singles including a cover of the Dave Mason penned “Feelin’ Alright” (#69 Pop) and the title track (#68 Pop). The latter’s striking rearrangement provides Cocker with his commercial breakthrough. The single release of “With A Little Help From My Friends” is inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2001. The song is also used as the theme song for the long running series “The Wonder Years”. The album is remastered and reissued on CD in 1999, with two additional bonus tracks added. It is remastered again and reissued as a hybrid SACD disc in 2015. “With A Little Help From My Friends” peaks at number thirty five on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Gold In the US by the RIAA.

thanks to the most excellent Jeff Harris' blog 'Behind The Grooves

• Feelin' Alright
• Joe Cocker

A fine song from Mr Dave Mason [Traffic] and imagine if you can what it must have been like to hear Joe cover one of your songs . . . . . . . . an all time favourite 

Also in 1969 on this date I bought 

On this day in music history: April 23, 1969 - “With A Little Help From My Friends”, the debut album by Joe Cocker is released. Produced by Denny Cordell, it is recorded at Olympic and Trident Studios in London circa early 1968. The first album by the Sheffield, UK born rock vocalist features musical support from musicians such as Jimmy Page, Steve Winwood, Albert Lee, Henry McCullough, as well as L.A. studio veterans like Carol Kaye, Paul Humphrey and vocalists Merry Clayton, Madeline Bell and Brenda & Patrice Holloway. It spins off two singles including a cover of the Dave Mason penned “Feelin’ Alright” (#69 Pop) and the title track (#68 Pop), whose striking rearrangement with provide Cocker with his commercial breakthrough. The single release of “With A Little Help From My Friends” is inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame in 2001. The song is also used as the theme song for the long running series “The Wonder Years”. The album is remastered and reissued on CD in 1999, with two additional bonus tracks added. It is remastered again and reissued as a hybrid SACD disc in 2015. “With A Little Help From My Friends” peaks at number thirty five on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Gold In the US by the RIAA.

but for us a small group of friends we preferred the follow up double live album 'Mad Dogs and Englishmen' which we never stopped playing. I still have both albums . . . . . .  

another from Jeff Harris' wonderful music blog