November 6, 2002
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Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers (Specialty) In 1950, 19-year-old singer Sam Cook joined well-established gospel group the Soul Stirrers, and for six years added his soaring, smooth, unbelievably soulful tenor to their wonderful mix. This three-CD set has some 74 tracks – including alternate takes of the same song and three songs recorded live – and together they bear witness to the majesty and power of the human voice. The earliest session was in 1951, the latest in spring 1957; you can hear Cook growing up over the years – from his hopeful "Jesus Gave Me Water" in 1951 to the somewhat pop-inflected "He's My Friend to the End" in 1953 to the glorious, self-penned "Touch the Hem of His Garment" in 1956 – and the results are wonderful indeed. Of course, the reason the collection is of interest beyond the world of gospel is that in 1957 Sam Cook was reborn as Sam Cooke, whose song "You Send Me" became a huge pop hit and launched Cooke's remarkable career (which ended in his murder, under murky circumstances, in a Los Angeles hotel in 1964). The trajectory of Cooke's music – from gospel to pop, from the church to the secular world – mirrors that of pop music (with Cooke among those leading the way) as well as that of the concerns of black America as they spilled out beyond the church into the social and political arena during the civil rights battles. When the Soul Stirrers sang of freedom, they had, to some extent, earthly concerns on their minds; subsequent events revealed that when Cook sang of love, he was concerned with more (or less, depending on your perspective) than the Lord. Cooke's pop career showed the influence of the church – songs like the weary, dignified, inspiring "A Change Is Gonna Come" weren't more than a half-step outside the church door – as much as his gospel career bore the marks of the pop world. This collection is a great way to hear the changes that transpired along the way. (J.H. Tompkins) |
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