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Sam Cooke – Portrait Of A Legend 1951-1964 (2xLP)

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Original price $48.00 - Original price $48.00
Original price
$48.00
$48.00 - $48.00
Current price $48.00
Condition: Brand New
  • Description
  • Release details
  • Tracklist
  • The progenitor of soul music, Sam Cooke was a force in the genre from his teenage debut as a full fledged member of the legendary Soul Stirrers in 1951 through his career as a rhythm and blues phenomenon. His hit songs, most of which he wrote, went on to become pop standards, enduring to this very day. Sam Cooke's amazing body of work is encapsulated once and for all in Sam Cooke: Portrait of A Legend: 1951-1964. 

    Portrait Of A Legend includes all of his essential hits and provides a major overview of a career that has left an ever lasting mark on American music. ABKCO presents tracks from Cooke's gospel and early R&B career as well as his pop/soul hits from the Specialty and RCA labels and has combined them with the cream of the masters that are part of his own company, Tracey Records. He was one of the first recording stars, black or white, to command this kind of artistic control, the most noteworthy other example at the time being Frank Sinatra.

    The 31-track, 2LP-set highlights Cooke's astounding grasp of the gospel idiom when, at age 19, he joined the world renowned Soul Stirrers. With Cooke singing lead, the veteran group recorded "Jesus Gave Me Water," on March 1, 1951 at a session for Specialty Records; Sam Cooke's professional career had begun. That same song closes this collection that starts with another Soul Stirrers song, "Touch The Hem Of His Garment," that was written by Cooke. After his decision to sing secular music as a solo artist, Cooke began to dominate the charts, starting with "You Send Me," released by Keen Records in 1957. A simultaneous Pop and R&B #1 smash hit, the career making song is included in this retrospective.

    Throughout the late 1950's and until the time of his death, Cooke was one of the most popular vocalists in the world with a streak of Top 10 Billboard Pop Chart hits that, of course, began with "You Send Me" and continued through "Chain Gang," "Twistin' The Night Away," "Another Saturday Night" and "Shake," all of which are included here. Three of these hits were also #1 Billboard R&B Chart singles; two peaked at #2. Seven other songs in the collection were also Top 10 R&B hits including "I'll Come Running Back To You," "Win Your Love For Me," "Everybody Likes To Cha Cha Cha, "Wonderful World," "Bring It On Home to Me," "Having A Party," "Nothing Can Change This Love," and "A Change Is Gonna Come."

    A bonus, hidden track entitled "Soul" is also included on the album. The melody was extemporaneously brought forth by Cooke during an interview with famed DJ Magnificent Montague of "burn baby, burn" fame. He had asked Cooke to "hum 'soul'" and this is an audio document of that moment in 1962. The songs included in Sam Cooke: Portrait Of A Legend collectively logged 273 weeks or five years and three months on Billboard's Pop Chart and a mind boggling 508 weeks (nine years and nine months) on the Pop and R&B charts, combined.

  • Artist: Sam Cooke
    Label: ABKCO
    Format: LP
    Units: 2
    Country: US
    Genre: Soul & Funk
    Style: Ballad, Gospel, Soul, Vocal
  • A1 Touch The Hem Of His Garment
    A2 Lovable
    A3 You Send Me
    A4 Only Sixteen
    A5 (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
    A6 Just For You
    A7 Win Your Love For Me
    A8 Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha
    B1 I'Ll Come Running Back To You
    B2 You Were Made For Me
    B3 Sad Mood
    B4 Cupid
    B5 (What A) Wonderful World
    B6 Chain Gang
    B7 Summertime
    B8 Little Red Rooster
    C1 Bring It On Home To Me
    C2 Nothing Can Change This Love
    C3 Sugar Dumpling
    C4 (Ain'T That) Good News
    C5 Meet Me At Mary'S Place
    C6 Twistin' The Night Away
    C7 Shake
    C8 Tennessee Waltz
    D1 Another Saturday Night
    D2 Good Times
    D3 Having A Party
    D4 That'S Where It'S At
    D5 A Change Is Gonna Come
    D6 Jesus Gave Me Water