The Sar Records Story
Tracklisting
DISC 2
Information:
Compilation producers: Jody H. Klein, Gregg Geller, Iris Keitel, Lenne Allik.
Recorded between 1959 & 1965. Includes liner notes by Bobby Womack,
Leroy Crume, and Peter Guralnick
Awards: nominated for a 1995 Grammy Award for Best Album Notes.
Reviews:
Rolling Stone (12/1/94, p.121) - 5 Stars (out of 5) - "...a generous
compilation....lovingly remastered....[It] must be counted among the most
important archival projects of the CD era. This is history that sings and soars,
history with a heart full of gold..."
Vibe (2/95, p.93) - "...Sacred/profane ambiguity...animates this 56-song
cycle of black artistry, which travels from the apex of '50s gospel...to the
commercial expertise of '60s R&B....Cooke's own vocals and production taste
convey a mellifluous genius that is still a pop measuring rod..."
Q Magazine (12/94, p.172) - 4 Stars (out of 5) - "...The arrangements are
nimble, the songs lovely, the harmonies finger-clicking and the sole drawback is
that almost everyone sounds like Sam Cooke..."
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CD Special features
Liner Notes by Peter Guralnick
January 22, 1931-December 11, 1964.
Sam
Cooke, the son of Reverend Charles Cooke, Sr., (a Baptist minister) and Annie
May Cooke was born January 22, 1931 in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The family moved
to Chicago, Illinois, in 1933. He had four brothers and three sisters -Willie,
Charles Jr., L.C., David, Hattie, Mary and Agnes. Sam graduated from Wendell
Phillips High School in 1948, where he distinguished himself as an "A"
student as well as being voted "most likely to succeed".
During his formative years, Sam, together with his brothers Charles Jr., L.C. and sisters Mary and Hattie, performed as a gospel group "The Singing Children". At the age of 15, Sam became lead singer of the famous "teenage" gospel group the "Highway QC's" until he was 19 when he was hand picked by Roy (S.R.) Crain, manager of the "Soul Stirrers", to replace the legendary R.H. Harris as lead singer.
In 1950, with the "Soul Stirrers", he began his writing and recording career on Specialty Records with such gospel classics as "Nearer To Thee", "Touch The Hem Of His Garment" and "Be With Me Jesus". For six electrifying years he established a new standard for gospel expression. "It isn't what you sing that is so important", said Sam's father, "but rather the fact that God gave you a good voice to use. He must want you to make people happy by singing, so go ahead and do so."With these words of encouragement, he did just that. At the height of his fame in the gospel world and with the screams of believers raising him up and being raised up by him, Sam left it all behind.In June of 1957 he left the gospel oriented Specialty Records, along with his producer/manager Bumps Blackwell, and signed with Keen Records where he wrote and recorded such Number 1 hits as "You Send Me", "Win Your Love For Me", "Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha", "Only Sixteen" and "(What A) Wonderful World".
Sam
didn't "cross over" he "combined" - blending sensuality and
spirituality, sophistication and soul. After the success of "You Send
Me" in 1957, Sam signed with the William Morris Agency, appeared on The Ed
Sullivan Show and performed at New York City's world famous Copacabana in March
of 1958. Soon after, he left Bumps Blackwell and hired Jess Rand as his personal
manager. In that same year, Sam married Barbara Campbell, his childhood
sweetheart, at her Grandmother's house in Chicago, with his father performing
the ceremony: They had two daughters -Linda and Tracey and a son, Vincent, who,
in 1963, died tragically at the age of three.
Sam and Roy Crain became partners in 1958 with J.W: Alexander in Kags Music (now ABKCO Music, Inc.) and in 1959, with J.W: and Roy, Sam formed SAR Records (now ABKCO Records). Kags Music controls not only Sam's 152 classic compositions but also the compositions written by artists signed to SAR.
In 1960, Sam signed with RCA Records, a deal negotiated by his manager Jess Rand and The William Morris Agency, where he continued to write and record such Number 1 hits as "Chain Gang", "Twisting The Night Away", "Bring It On Home To Me", "Having A Party" and "Cupid".
In 1963, J. w: and Sam appointed Allen Klein to manage SAR, Kags and all of the related companies; at the same time Allen became Sam's manager. On September 1st of the same year, Sam signed a new agreement whereby all of his RCA business would pass through Tracey Records (now ABKCO Records). RCA was now merely Tracey Records' distributor. This new deal guaranteed Sam a minimum advance of half a million dollars over three years and established Sam's complete ownership of his work. Everything he did from this point on would be by his own design and direction, and in fact even RCA's distribution rights of the Tracey material were limited to 30 years from the term of the agreement.
In
February, 1964, Sam left The William Morris Agency and signed with General
Artists Corporation (GAC). He then appeared on The Tonight Show With Johnny
Carson, where he debuted his quintessential "A Change Is Gonna Come."
Before producing his good friend Cassius Clay's (Muhammad Ali) recording entitled "I Am The Greatest", he and Malcolm X attended Clay's heavy-weight bout with Sonny Liston in Miami.
June
of 1964 brought Sam back to the Copa where he had unequivocal success. Shortly
thereafter, in 'September, he screen-tested for "The Cincinnati Kid"
as well as being the guest star on the premiere episode of Shindig. He then
committed to headline at the Deauville Hotel in Miami for Christmas.
Sam died on December 11, 1964. "At the Mount Sinaï Baptist Church in Los Angeles, a crowd of 5,000 persons, some of whom arrived five hours before the scheduled last rites, overran facilities designed to accommodate 1,500. In an emotion packed atmosphere, super charged by the singing of Lou Rawls, Bobby Blue Bland and Arthur Lee Simpkins, women fainted, tears fan down men's cheeks and onlookers shouted. Gospel singer Bessy Griffin, who was to appear on the funeral program, became so grief stricken she had to be carried off. Ray Charles stepped in from the audience to sing and play 'Angels Keep Watching Over Me'."
For 14 years Sam sanctified and glorified his gospel heritage and forged new paths by being the first black artist to establish his own record company (SAR) where he helped such gospel oriented artists as the Womack Brothers (Bobby, Cecil, Friendly Jr, Curtis and Harry) who later became the Valentinos, R.H. Harris & His Gospel Paraders, The Simms Twins, Johnnie Morisette, Johnnie Taylor and Billy Pres ton, as well as giving continued expression to the "Soul Stirrers".
Even
today, same 40 odd years after he began his writing and recording career, his
music endures with cover recordings by artists from all genre of the recording
industry such as Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, Jackie Wilson,
Bobby Womack, The Supremes, Hermans Hermits, The Animals, Paul McCartney, The
Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, Ray Charles, The Spinners, Nina Simone, Jim Croce,
Art Garfunkel, The Pointer Sisters, Salomon Burke, Luther Vandross, The
Manhattans, John Lennon, Bryan Adams, Dan Seals, Jimmy Buffett, James Taylor,
Michael Bolton and Tina Turner.
His legacy continues with each new generation:
Reviews
*** German Rolling Stone, probably 1995
Zu den Kuriserweise am sorgfältigsten gehüteten
Geheimnissen der Rock-Historie gehört die Tatsache, daß das legendäre
Sangestalent SAM COOKE nach seinem Weggang von Specialty Records mit J. W.
Alexander das SAR-Label gründete, das er als "Heimat" für
ambitionierte Gospel-Interpreten wie sein frühes, eigenes Vokal-ensemble
konzipiert batte. SAR leitete er dann auch fünf Jahre lang - als Komponist und
Arrangeur, Produzent, Verleger und Label-Boss in einer Person. Und das alles
parallel zu seiner Popstar-Karriere bei RCA! Unter den Künstlern die er
verpflichtete, fanden sich neben den Soul Stirrers der junge Billy Preston,
Johnnie Taylor und die Womack-Brüder, die unter dem Namen The Valentinos mit
"It's All Over Now" den letzten, nachmals weltberühmten Song des
Labels aufnehmen sollten. Als der im Dezember 1964 für die Rolling Stones zum
ersten Nr. I-Hit
wurde, war Sam Cooke auch schon tot, der Legende nach erschossen von
einer überängstlichen Hotel-Managerin. Fast drei Jahrzehnte
setzten seither die Bänder, die nun endlich in der sehr
schön aufgemachten 2-CD-Box unter dem Titel "Sam Cooke's SAR Records Story
1959-1965" wiederveroffentlicht wurden, im Archiv Staub an. Unfaßbar! Denn
das ist nun wirklich ein edles SammleTeil für Gospel- und Soul-Fans, wenn auch
bislang nur über Importe von jpc bis WOM (ABKCO Records 1131-2) zu haben.