2 SIDES OF SAM COOKE

Label:

• Specialty SPS-2119, LP: 1970 (stereo)
• Specialty SPCD-2119, 1987 CD
• CD: Jun 30-1989
• Image ILP 4968
• Specialty SNTF 5009. 1972 release from Specialty London. The circle mentions some songs.

Songs: 

1. The Last Mile Of The Way 
2. Touch The Hem Of His Garment
3. Jesus Gave Me Water
4. Were You There
5. Pilgrim Of Sorrow 
6. He's My Guide
7. I'll Come Running Back To You
8. I Don't Want To Cry 
9. Lovable
10. That's All I Need To Know 
11. Forever 
12. Happy In Love 
13. Bonus Track 1 

Produced by Art Rupe and Bumps Blackwell

Compiled by Barrett Hansen and Mike Akopoff

Front Cover Design by Augustus Art Advertising    Liner Design by Gabor Halmos

Remasterd by Little Walter DeVenne (from the original master tapes)

Sale: For sale at Amazon.com for $12,97, also try Gemm.

Reviews

• Specialty Records' jump into the CD market hasn't been marked by anything special, unfortunately. These are straight reissues of titles already available on vinyl. Soundwise they are all okay, but hardly spectacular. Still, collectors of the label should jump at the chance to own this music on compact disc while it's out there. The Cooke is especially resonant, the vocals on both the gospel and pop sides pushed out front where they belong.     (From Goldmine December 1, 1988)

• French review from Rock & Folk, April 1975

2 Sides Of Sam Cooke

Inside Text

Pop, Gospel . . . two sides of one incredible, irreplaceable, unforgettable voice. No Soul singer ever cam by his Soul more naturally than Sam Cooke. Before he took up pop music in 1956, Sam was nationally renowned as the lead voice of the original Soul Stirrers. He brought a new brilliance to Gospel music with his highly original style. Listeners marveled at the way he combined soaring emotion with perfect grace and smoothness. His phrasing and his famous vocal turns between lines were imitated - but never equated - by a whole generation of singers.

With the coming of rock 'n' roll in the middle 1950's, millions of Americans becamse aware of styles of singing that had formerly been considered outside the realm of popular music. Among them was the Black Gospel style, which exceeded in emotional sincerity and intensity anything previously known in the pop field. When Sam decided to sing pop songs, all he had to change was the lyrics. His success was instantaneous - but it could never have happened without the years of experience Sam gained while singing pure Gospel music.

Our Pop side leads off with one of Sam's greatest all-time hits - "I'll Come Running Back To You" - and continues with five other equally relaxed and swinging tunes. A special treat is "Happy in Love," taken from an informal tape of Sam singing with only his own guitar accompaniment.

The Pop side is a gas - but the Gospel side is a revelation. "Jesus Gave Me Water" is from Sam's very first recording session, when he was only 19. As the Soul Stirrers sing in the classic a capella style, the purity and exultation of Sam's young voice will bring tears to your eyes. "Were You There" and "Touch The Hem Of His Garment" (the latter from Sam's final Gospel session, in 1956) were among the Soul Stirrers greatest hits. Topping off the Gospel side are two overpowering Sam Cooke performances never before released in any form: "The Last Mile Of The Way" and "He's My Guide."

Soul music will go on and on, and Gospel singers will always praise the Lord, but there will never be another Sam Cooke.

        -Barrett Hansen