The Sam Cooke Thread*

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Steve Hoffman, Apr 10, 2007.

  1. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored


    The 45 rpm reissue from Analogue Productions is still available. I have to imagine that sounds great.
     
  2. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    One big thing that will be lost is that no young adults will ever be able to discover their parents old downloads or "streams" like they could their records and CDs.

    No one ever got a "stream" to celebrate a special occasion either.
     
  3. Rick Bartlett

    Rick Bartlett Forum Resident

    Ha! Yeah!
    One says to the other, 'What are you doing?
    Other: 'Aww, just going through Mum n Dads MP3 download folder and their Spotify playlist. Look at that amazing thumbnail picture!!!'

    Doesn't quite have the same ring to it does it?
     
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  4. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored

    I was listening to Tribute to the Lady from the Complete Keen Years box set. Does anyone else hear what sounds like occasional tape damage on a few tracks from the stereo mixes?
     
  5. Really enjoying the RCA albums box set. Considering how cheap I've seen it lately, a great deal for quality music.
     
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  6. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored

    What’s the deal with this 3 Great Guys album? Is the Sam Cooke material unique to that album?

    3 Great Guys - Wikipedia
     
  7. Rick Bartlett

    Rick Bartlett Forum Resident

    Any tracks specifically?
    I'd like to check it out.
     
  8. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    It was at the time, oddly enough, but the material has since appeared on lots of other Same Cooke compilations from the 70s and onward.
     
  9. Rick Bartlett

    Rick Bartlett Forum Resident

    For those who have not seen, this is a good look into why Sam Cooke is wonderful!
    'The Sam Cooke Story'.
     
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  10. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored


    I noticed it on several tracks. I’ll have to give it a close headphones listen again and note which ones.

    They had the typical “fluttering” effect when the sound makes rapid but minor left-to-right-to-left-etc jumps. And it’s not an intentional stereo effect. It can almost sound like the pressure in your ears is off.
     
    Rick Bartlett likes this.
  11. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored


    Thanks! Which ones? I’m trying to track down everything. :)
     
  12. Rick Bartlett

    Rick Bartlett Forum Resident

    Yeah....
    Maybe the Master Tapes have some deterioration.....
    I wonder how the tracks you noticed compare to the original vinyl releases....
    Would be interesting to compare.
     
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  13. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored

    Agreed.

    I have some Sinatra recordings with tape damage and it’s the same noticeable effect.
     
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  14. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored


    Never mind — I see they’re all on The Man Who Invented Soul.
     
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  15. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored

    How are the AP 45 rpm reissues of Night Beat and The Best of Sam Cooke? I already have the SACDs. But the only Sam Cooke on vinyl I have is Portrait of a Legend.
     
  16. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored

    I went ahead and ordered them. I didn’t want to end up kicking myself years later like with AP’s Nat King Cole Story — the only 45 rpm set from that series I’m missing.

    Is the book from The Man Who Invented Soul any good? I downloaded this collection from iTunes several years ago. But is it worth tracking down the physical box set?

    I read on Wikipedia about some posthumous albums from Sam. Are those worth tracking down? Or is the material available elsewhere?
     
  17. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    It is 32 pages (counting covers), about 5 inches x 10 inches. 9 pages comprise the song listing and credits (including recording dates and master numbers).

    There are 10 significantly sized color photos, all apparently from the same photo session with Sam smoking. They are good interesting photos, but are so tightly cropped (not one of his entire head), that you wish you had the uncropped images.
    There are nine small photos (about 2 inches square), but these are printed in dark duotones (purple or brown, rather than B&W), leaving them unsatisfactory.

    The essay covers about 12 full pages (after subtracting the photos). It is a pretty good essay (written by Michael Hill), and there are not many good essays written about Sam.

    It seems to me that a Sam Cooke worshipper (like me) would want to have it just because of Sam. I rarely read the essays these days, so base the decision on the overall package (and price).

    It may become your "go to" CD item for casual, enjoyable listening.

    The best image in the book is the oil painting of Sam on the last page by Gary Cooley. It is cropped but shows Sam's full face.
     
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  18. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored


    Thanks!
     
  19. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored

    What’s the deal with the posthumous albums Shake and Try a Little Love? Is there anything unique to those albums?

    How is the sound on the old ABKCO SACD of Tribute to the Lady? It’s the only SACD I don’t have now.
     
  20. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    The Abkco SACD sounds just ok. Flat. A bit lifeless. It’s mono of course. The new release is the first complete stereo release of that album in decades.
     
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  21. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    Unless it is ridiculously expensive, I cannot understand why you wouldn't get it.

    Though I do not agree about it being "lifeless" (it is much better than previous CD issues and the original LP suffered from poor pressings), I think the MONO is a strong selling point.




    When we are talking about Sam Cooke official issues, just get them all.

    I can see passing on some of the grey market compilations of greatest hits type stuff.
     
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  22. Clark V Kauffman

    Clark V Kauffman Forum Resident

    Location:
    Des Moines, Iowa
    I loved all the Sam Cooke SACDs in that series, except Tribute To The Lady. The arrangements for the songs on that album begged for a wide soundstage. To me, the mono mix sounds too claustrophobic, whereas the mono mixes of Sam’s RCA singles are nice and punchy.
     
  23. Tribute

    Tribute Senior Member

    On the other hand, to me, Sam's voice begs to be the complete focus, with no distractions from a wide soundstage for the orchestra or band. The mono mixes achieve this. A wide stereo orchestra or band only takes attention away from the singer on many vocal albums. It is the singer that attracts me.
     
  24. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored


    It’s ridiculously expensive.
     
  25. CBackley

    CBackley Chairman of the Bored

    Can anyone help explain about the posthumous albums Shake and Try a Little Love? Are those just compilations of previously released tracks? Or is there anything new (at the time) on them?
     
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