Track of the Day: 'Cry Me a River' by Joe Cocker
Editor’s Note: This article previously appeared in a different format as part of The Atlantic’s Notes section, retired in 2021.
The latest reader submission via hello@:
One of my favorite cover songs is also an old standard, “Cry Me a River.” Julie London made it famous, I believe, and Ella did a terrific job, in her prime. Somehow, though, only a few years later, the late, great Joe Cocker saw a spark of soul in this song and made a gospel-tinged, blues-shouter version for the ages. Mad Dogs and Englishmen, indeed.
(Track of the Day archive here. Access it through Spotify here.)