
Episode #108 - Sam Cooke
From: Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Series: Juke In The Back With Matt The Cat
Length: 59:03
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- Episode #108 - Sam Cooke
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- Matt "The Cat" Baldassarri
Sam Cooke
The "Juke In The Back" features a full hour of Sam Cooke, one of the distinctive and expressive voices ever pressed in wax. Cooke's early period singing gospel with the renowned Soul Stirrers is often cited, but hardly ever featured. Matt The Cat focuses on Sam Cooke's early days from 1951 to 1957, begriming with his recordings with the Soul Stirrers up through his R&B and pop breakthrough of 1957. Matt is joined by author Peter Guralnick, who wrote the definitive biography on Cooke called "Dream Boogie: The Triumph Of Sam Cooke," filling in the background on one of the 20th Century's most revered singers. Cooke was also a noted songwriter, producer and entrepreneur, starting his own SAR Records in the late 1950s. Few African-American artists went further during the 1950s while jamming the juke boxes with tremendous gospel, R&B and pop hits. Hear the man who invented soul, this week on the "Juke In The Back."
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Piece Description
Sam Cooke
The "Juke In The Back" features a full hour of Sam Cooke, one of the distinctive and expressive voices ever pressed in wax. Cooke's early period singing gospel with the renowned Soul Stirrers is often cited, but hardly ever featured. Matt The Cat focuses on Sam Cooke's early days from 1951 to 1957, begriming with his recordings with the Soul Stirrers up through his R&B and pop breakthrough of 1957. Matt is joined by author Peter Guralnick, who wrote the definitive biography on Cooke called "Dream Boogie: The Triumph Of Sam Cooke," filling in the background on one of the 20th Century's most revered singers. Cooke was also a noted songwriter, producer and entrepreneur, starting his own SAR Records in the late 1950s. Few African-American artists went further during the 1950s while jamming the juke boxes with tremendous gospel, R&B and pop hits. Hear the man who invented soul, this week on the "Juke In The Back."
Broadcast History
"Juke In The Back" airs on over 20 radio stations each week in the US and is now carried worldwide over Voice Of America's Music Mix Network.
Transcript
Juke In The Back #108 - Playlist
1. Swanee River Boogie – Albert Ammons – Mercury 1947
2. You Send Me (Demo) – Sam Cooke – Unreleased 1957
3. Peter Guralnick Interview 1 - Beginnings
4. Peace In The Valley – The Soul Stirrers – Specialty 1951
5. Peter Guralnick Interview 2 – Soul Stirrers
6. Just Another Day – The Soul Stirrers – Specialty 1952
7. Peter Guralnick Interview 3 – Sam’s Voice
8. Touch The Hem Of His Garment – The Soul Stirrers – Specialty 1956
9. Farther Along – The Soul Stirrers – Specialty 1956
10. Peter Guralnick Interview 4 – Leaving Soul Stirrers
11. Wonderful – The Soul Stirrers –Specialty 1956
12. Peter Guralnick Interview 5 – Switch To Secular Music
13. Lovable – Sam Cooke – Specialty 1957
14. That’s Heaven To Me – The Soul Stirrers – Specialty 1957
15. GREAT 78 – Summertime – Sam Cooke – Keen 1957
16. I’ll Come Running Back To You – Sam Cooke – Specialty 1957...
Read the full transcript
Intro and Outro
INTRO:The early music of Sam Cooke is explored on this week's "Juke In The Back" with Matt The Cat.
OUTRO:For more information on the music you heard on this week's show, visit www.jukeintheback.org.
Additional Credits
Excerpts from a 2006 interview with author Peter Guralnick are used with permission.
