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Joe Cocker, Grammy-winning singer, dies at age of 70

webfact

By webfact
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jerrybeirne Senior Member

jerrybeirne

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i remember coming back through the bayof biscay, homeward bound on my firsrt trip to sea.tuning into radio luxembourg and hearing "with a little help from my friends"

me and my young mates could not believe he was a white guy from sheffield until we saw him on top of the pops.

the live woodstock version of "little help from my friends" in my humble opinion is the best beatles cover ever.

also check out "bye bye blackbird" from his first solo album with a stunning guitar solo from jimmy page.

r.i.p. joe.

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Prbkk Platinum Member

Prbkk

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Nice obit in today's New York Times. Until I read it I'd forgotten his version of The Letter. Just played it, still sounds great 40 years on ( also in the NYT today, obit of Udo Jurgens, Austrian singer/composer of note from the 60s and 70s , dead at 80).

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Bredbury Blue Platinum Member

Bredbury Blue

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Very very sad to read of the loss of Joe Cocker who was my no.1 singer in my school/uni years.

Since seeing his wild actions and amazing voice on late 60s Top of the Pops, both my dad and I were hooked.

Around about 13 to 14 yrs old I started buying albums and Mad Dogs and Englishmen was one of the first I bought and was played so often (Stevie Wonders Talking Book...then Innervisions ...then Bill Withers Live at Carneghie were my first 3 albums). Amongst my school friends at 15 to 18 when most were in to Prog, for me Joe was no.1 interest.

I bought everything until after Sheffield Steel when I lost interest (thought he became too middle of the road).

Top 3 albums for me:

Mad Dogs... cry me river, Feelin alright, the Blues Medley...not a bad track on the album...and such power and energy from Joe and his massive touring band.

2. Catfish..a strange choice many might think but I loved it...such a brilliant backing band...some real cool songs like the title track...The man in me...A song for you.

3. Joe Cocker (Something to Say)...not a bad track but contains some of his best...like: Do Right Woman...Midnight Rider...Black-Eyed Blues...High Time We Went. You want to hear Joe at his very best then listen to St. James Infirmary such power and tenderness in one song...I used daydream that I was singing it...awesome.

You'll be greatly missed Joe...one of the greatest blues/rock voices ever!

Check out - great tracks (but I hate the Warnes duet)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/11309352/joe-cocker-dies-70-best-songs.html

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bannork Ruby Member

bannork

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I missed Woodstock...the Army got in the way...but with a little help from my friends I survived

many an ordeal. Thanks Joe...Rest In Peace.

A 2013 version...Live in Cologne...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kna5om5rxGY

One of my personal favourites...

' Talking back to the night' was so good- it's so true that you don't realize how precious something is till it's gone.

Hell, I don't feel old at 59, but we keep losing all the musicians I grew up with, and when they die it's as if you've lost something of yourself.

We talk here of how when we first heard or saw Joe Cocker and the impact he had on us,and or what we were doing at the time but as lives went on, people got married, divorced, moved jobs, whatever..., so the memories of his music lay in the subconscious for years without us ever perhaps thinking about it except when we heard one of his songs which reminded us of a certain time and how good a singer he was. And for those who followed his career it seemed like he would go on for a long while yet, that gravely voice still strong.

But when someone dies, we know there are no more songs from there and that part of ourselves has stopped,.... the dream is over.

It's true that when people die, those living weep for themselves.

Apologies for being so maudlin.

rock till you drop

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bendejo Ruby Member

bendejo

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I still remember my dad's reaction to seeing Joe Cocker on our black and white TV for the first time. At the time us young teens were in thrall at the idea of someone of his ilk breaking the set, puritanic mould that infested NZ after WWII, as much as we were stunned by a performer who gutsed it, as we put it. So dad's "What kind of creature is that?" comment helped seal Joe's place in our rebellious hearts. And he remained there, and did not fade like others. RIP you awesome "creature".

Saw him at the Fillmore East in NYC in 1969 as an opening act for Ten Years After. It must have been around the time his first album came out, never heard of him before. On the way home my friend I talked about him. We were both working class kids who lived in lousy tenements with households dominated by alcoholic fathers. We went to shows for guitars, jam sessions etc, and agreed Cocker was something our parents would probably like, and that he was an old drunk, the sort they would have as pals. Only when I read the obit did I realize he was only eight years older than myself, so the old drunk we saw that night was only 25. Damn! I always figured if he hadn't 'made it' he would probably have turned out to be the old lush who never leaves the pub "Hey Joe, sing 'Danny Boy' for us and I'll buy you a drink."

You've got to be miserable to really sing the blues, been said for years. That's Joe. He kills it on "Bye Bye Blackbird."

No one here can love or understand me

I think Cohen's 'Bird on a Wire' was his signature piece

...like a drunk in a midnight choir

If I didn't know any better I'd swear that song was written for him.

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ThePlant Silver Member

ThePlant

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Sad news, made worse by the fact that the current #1 in the UK is some limp dross by some talentless no-mark from the X Factor. Are we really the nation who has led the world in popular music for so long? Is the UK public and media now so inexorably musically bereft that we have to see bilge like this top our charts now? Is this crap and 1D all we have to offer the World now? Sorry World. As a Brit proud of our popular music heritage, I'm cringing today.....whither the next Joe Cocker or the like?

" ..inexorably musically bereft..." All?, Hardly! You clearly don't listen to much coming out from the UK these days otherwise you wouldn't have made such an uninformed comment. To name but a few of the UK's current crop of singer song writers: Sam Smith, Adele, Ed Sheeran, Paloma Faith, Jessie Jay, Emile Sande, and Alex Clare. All of them taking the world by storm with some amazing music. Probably not your cup of tea?

No one will have heard of any of them in five years. Crock of media hyped shit, I'm afraid.

Edited by ThePlant
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Bredbury Blue Platinum Member

Bredbury Blue

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Very very sad to read of the loss of Joe Cocker who was my no.1 singer in my school/uni years.

Since seeing his wild actions and amazing voice on late 60s Top of the Pops, both my dad and I were hooked.

Around about 13 to 14 yrs old I started buying albums and Mad Dogs and Englishmen was one of the first I bought and was played so often (Stevie Wonders Talking Book...then Innervisions ...then Bill Withers Live at Carneghie were my first 3 albums). Amongst my school friends at 15 to 18 when most were in to Prog, for me Joe was no.1 interest.

I bought everything until after Sheffield Steel when I lost interest (thought he became too middle of the road).

Top 3 albums for me:

Mad Dogs... cry me river, Feelin alright, the Blues Medley...not a bad track on the album...and such power and energy from Joe and his massive touring band.

2. Catfish..a strange choice many might think but I loved it...such a brilliant backing band...some real cool songs like the title track...The man in me...A song for you.

3. Joe Cocker (Something to Say)...not a bad track but contains some of his best...like: Do Right Woman...Midnight Rider...Black-Eyed Blues...High Time We Went. You want to hear Joe at his very best then listen to St. James Infirmary such power and tenderness in one song...I used daydream that I was singing it...awesome.

You'll be greatly missed Joe...one of the greatest blues/rock voices ever!

Check out - great tracks (but I hate the Warnes duet)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/11309352/joe-cocker-dies-70-best-songs.html

CORRECTION

2. Stingray (not Catfish...Catfish is a track).

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cup-O-coffee Platinum Member

cup-O-coffee

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Hey Joe. All my love. You got me through some tough times. Say "Hey" to my mum and dad when you get there. Maybe sing 'em a few tunes, if you please? LOL. I'll see you in a few (quite a few, I hope). RIP, Joe. You are one for the ages. Sympathy and big hugs to your loved ones still in this plane of existence.

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Aftrmidnyt Explorer Member

Aftrmidnyt

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I have only had the pleasure of seeing Joe Cocker once live, as an opening act no less! He was simply amazing! I was a moderate fan before that experience but his giving of himself and that wonderful talent had me leaving a true fan. What a truly gifted and great showman. He has my respect and admiration for his contribution to music and providing a soundtrack to some very cool parts of my life. Thank you for that. Rest in Peace Joe....you rock.

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Aftrmidnyt Explorer Member

Aftrmidnyt

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I still remember my dad's reaction to seeing Joe Cocker on our black and white TV for the first time. At the time us young teens were in thrall at the idea of someone of his ilk breaking the set, puritanic mould that infested NZ after WWII, as much as we were stunned by a performer who gutsed it, as we put it. So dad's "What kind of creature is that?" comment helped seal Joe's place in our rebellious hearts. And he remained there, and did not fade like others. RIP you awesome "creature".

Saw him at the Fillmore East in NYC in 1969 as an opening act for Ten Years After. It must have been around the time his first album came out, never heard of him before. On the way home my friend I talked about him. We were both working class kids who lived in lousy tenements with households dominated by alcoholic fathers. We went to shows for guitars, jam sessions etc, and agreed Cocker was something our parents would probably like, and that he was an old drunk, the sort they would have as pals. Only when I read the obit did I realize he was only eight years older than myself, so the old drunk we saw that night was only 25. Damn! I always figured if he hadn't 'made it' he would probably have turned out to be the old lush who never leaves the pub "Hey Joe, sing 'Danny Boy' for us and I'll buy you a drink."

You've got to be miserable to really sing the blues, been said for years. That's Joe. He kills it on "Bye Bye Blackbird."

No one here can love or understand me

I think Cohen's 'Bird on a Wire' was his signature piece

...like a drunk in a midnight choir

If I didn't know any better I'd swear that song was written for him.

WOW!!!

What an amazing show that would have been.

I am left speechless whist I imagine being there.

Cheers and Merry Christmas, Thanx for the great mental image.

Rest in Peace Joe

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