Night Beat

• Artist: Sam Cooke
• Rating:
• Release Date: 1963 08
• Total Time: 37:13
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

Saddled with soaring strings and vocal choruses for maximum crossover potential, Sam Cooke's solo material often masked the most important part of his genius -- his glorious voice -- so the odd small-group date earns a special recommendation in his discography. Thankfully, Cooke's voice took center stage on this admirably low-key session from February 1963, recorded in Los Angeles with a quartet of studio veterans. Unlike so many session crews and producers of the time, these musicians gave him plenty of space and often simply framed Cooke's breathtaking vocals. (On one of the best tracks here, "Lost and Lookin'," he's barely accompanied at all; only bass and cymbals can be heard far in the background.) The results are wonderful -- except for his early Soul Stirrers sides, Night Beat is the best place to marvel at one of the two or three best voices of the century. The songs are intimate blues, most taken at the pace of a late-night stroll, but despite the dark shading and heart-rending tempos, Cooke's voice is so transcendent it's difficult to become depressed while listening. Cooke also wrote three of the songs, including the excellent "Mean Old World," and rendered the traditional "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen" practically unfamiliar with his own re-arrangement. Cooke also stretches out on a pair of jump blues classics, "Little Red Rooster" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll," summoning some honest grit for the former and putting the uptown swing into the latter. He also allows some solo space, from Barney Kessel's simple, unadorned solo on "Get Yourself Another Fool" to Billy Preston's playful organ vocalizing on "Little Red Rooster." If Sam Cooke had lived longer, there would've been several more sessions like this, but Night Beat is an even richer treasure for its rarity. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen	Traditional	Sam Cooke	(3:26)
Lost and Lookin' (Lyrics)	James W. Alexander, James Alexander, Lowell Jordan	Sam Cooke	(2:14)
Mean Old World (Lyrics)	Sam Cooke, Traditional	Sam Cooke	(3:49)
Please Don't Drive Me Away (Lyrics)	Charles Brown, Jesse Ervin, Charles Brown	Sam Cooke	(2:15)
I Lost Everything (Lyrics)	Ella Tate	Sam Cooke	(3:26)
Get Yourself Another Fool (Lyrics)	Frank Haywood, Ernest Tucker	Sam Cooke	(4:08)
Little Red Rooster (Lyrics)	Willie Dixon, Chester Arthur Burnett	Sam Cooke	(2:53)
Laughin' and Clownin' (Lyrics)	Sam Cooke	Sam Cooke	(3:39)
Trouble Blues (Lyrics)	Charles Brown, Charles Brown	Sam Cooke	(3:24)
You Gotta Move (Lyrics)	Sam Cooke, Mississippi Fred McDowell	Sam Cooke	(2:40)
Fool's Paradise (Lyrics)	Mabel Cordle, Robert Geddins, Jerry Fuller	Sam Cooke	(2:35)
Shake, Rattle and Roll	Charles E. Calhoun	Sam Cooke	(3:16)

Credits

Billy Preston (Organ), Clifford White (Guitar), David Hassinger (Engineer), Steven Berkowitz (A&R), Dianne Spoto (Package Manager), Bob Ludwig (Material), Sam Cooke (Vocals), Eddie Hall (Drums), Jennifer Liebeskind (Research), Rene Hall (Guitar), Michael Hill (Liner Notes), Bill Lacey (Mastering), Peter Guralnick (Liner Notes), Arthur Nakata (Package Design), Barney Kessel (Guitar), Rob Santos (Reissue Producer), Jess Rand (Author), Robert Palmer (Liner Notes), Rene Hall (Leader), Victoria Sarro (Project Director), Raymond Johnson (Piano), Edward Hall (Drums), Nathan Sedlander (Project Director), Luigi (Author), Hugo & Luigi (Original Liner Notes), Ray Charles (Author), Eddie Hall (Bass), Sam Cooke (Arranger), Rene Hall (Conductor), Cliff Hills (Bass), Hal Blaine (Drums), Paul Williams (Reissue Supervisor), David Gorman (Package Design), Hugo & Luigi (Producer), Clifton White (Guitar), Clifford White (Orchestra Manager), Luigi (Original Recording Producer), Ray Johnson (Piano)

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