Sam Cooke--The Greatest

Meh, actually, I'm a Jerry Butler guy, when we're talking about great voices. Still, it's no doubt that Sam is just a killer. One of the great sins of our time is the syrupy, wimpy, punk-ass remakes we've been made to endure of "Having A Party." I refer you to this live version of "Having A Party." That is how you shut down a club. Rod Stewart should be ashamed.

Anyway, I caused a minor row by claiming, earlier, that "Change Is Gonna Come" isn't Sam Cooke's greatest song. Just my opinion. But I'm gonna go with "Bring It On Home," "That's Where It's At," "Somebody Have Mercy," or even "Touch The Hem My Garment." Cooke spent much of his career trying to mellow out his style, and so a lot of his stuff is mediocre teen-pop. Still, the man was a titan and taken too soon. Dig his rendition of "Blowing In the Wind." Sound quality is bad, but Sam is still great.

Of course there's more. Like the man who now talks change, Sam Cooke was straight out the South Side of Chicago.


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