by Sam Cooke (1963, released 1984)
Sam Cooke is considered one of the founders of soul music. His short career boasted many well known hits, most of which he plays here on One Night Stand! Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club including the toe tapping Twistin’ the Night Away, Having a Party, and Chain Gang as well as some great love songs like my favorite Bring It On Home To Me, It’s All Right and Cupid.
Even if you’ve heard these songs before, they have new life in this quick, dynamic live performance at the cramped, hot (and according to the liner notes, scorpion infested) Florida club. The audience is palpably enthusiastic, Cooke is charismatic, and it just sounds like tons of fun. Only a year before his untimely and sordid death, none of the impending tragedy hangs in the air – just a passion and energy that’s hard to capture on tape. It’s considered one of the best live soul performance albums of all time.
But what do you think?