Live at The Harlem Square Club, 1963: Sam Cooke: Amazon.ca: Music

1. Feel It

2. Chain Gang

3. Cupid

4. Medley: It's All Right/For Sentimental Reasons

5. Twistin' The Night Away

6. Somebody Have Mercy

7. Bring It On Home To Me

8. Nothing Can Change This Love

9. Having A Party

Product Description

Amazon.com essential recording

Most of Sam Cooke's pop hits were sugary, blanched affairs. This album was the real deal, giving us the church-reared R&B singer who liked to tear up the clubs along the Southern chitlin circuit. Recorded in Florida in 1963, Live at the Harlem Square captures the man at his sanctified, sandpapered best--the voice worshipped by disciples from Otis Redding to Rod Stewart. No syrupy glissandos or polite Hollywood chorales here: this is sweat-drenched, back-to-basics R&B, with Sam tearing up "Feel It" and "Chain Gang," and rasping his way through "Somebody Have Mercy" and "Bring It on Home to Me." This set only makes it seem sadder that Cooke never lived to reign in the soul era he inaugurated. --Barney Hoskyns

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33 Reviews

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Average Customer Review

5.0 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Sam Cooke Still Has the Power to Transfigure the Listener, July 28 2004

By

Matthew St Amand (Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Live at The Harlem Square Club, 1963 (Audio CD)

Have you ever heard the classic recording of Sam Cooke live at the Harlem Club in Miami in 1963? Side 2 begins with the music of the previous song ("Somebody Have Mercy") still rolling along, and Sam Cooke says, "I think it's time I told you about my baby..." And he takes the audience through five minutes of spontaneous combustion, talking about how he and his baby "fuss and fight, and sometimes my baby leaves home 'cause things ain't right..." culminating in a rendition of "You Send Me" that is absolutely pyrotechnic. The audience responds, applauding, crying out, and when the moment has reached its emotional apex, Sam Cooke explodes into a heart-shattering version of "Bring It On Home To Me." I do the same thing in my collection of poetry, Forever & a Day (www.murphyslawpress.com).

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5.0 out of 5 stars Gospel, Soul, Rock, Like Sam really was, Jun 22 2004

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M. Buisman (Amstelveen, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Live at The Harlem Square Club, 1963 (Audio CD)

Too bad that most singles cut in the 50's and 60's were dumbed down to appeal to a greater audience. The quality of songs like Chain Gang or Cupid is of course great but on this album they sound like they should sound.

It starts with Sam urging the crowd to shout along but it doesn't happen just yet. Through Chain Gang and Cupid the crowd get into it a little more and in the medley it's allright/sentimental reasons the crowd starts singing along. Then the most amazing thing happens: Cooke reverts back to his old craft; the tell and answer style of his gospel days with the Soul Stirrers. The start of Bring it on home to me is pulsating, slowly building up with Sam telling a story (I want my baby!!) about his girl and then the guitar starts the opening riff and the crowd goes wild. The song ends with a shouting match between him and the crowd. Nothing can change this love and Having a Party end this amazing live show.

At the Copa is a lot more decent and big band style. This one is so soulful and gospellike that you get into every time. One of the best live albums ever and it will certainly make you a bigger Sam Cooke fan. Now we finally know where Otis got his stuff.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Nothing Compares, Jun 4 2004

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Gail (Winsted, CT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Live at The Harlem Square Club, 1963 (Audio CD)

The other reviewers pretty much sum up how great this album is. It must be heard to believe. I came to this album and to Sam Cooke backwards. I was already a huge Otis Redding fan and I sort of had an idea that Cooke was a big influence on him. I found this in a box of tapes and it completely blew me away. Eventually I got it on CD as well and I still listen to it all the time. I've shared it with friends who aren't especially into this kind of music and all of them are equally amazed by it. Best live album ever. Period.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Better than James Brown Live At The Apollo
Yo, pick up this album. Some people don't like average sound quality but if you can let go of that this set is something to behold. Read more

Published on Mar 19 2004 by Pairadeau Mars

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb!
Read the editorial review, it's great.

There, that's my review right there.