John Robert Joe Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English rock and blues singer, who came to popularity in the 1960s, and was known for his gritty voice, his spasmodic body movement in performance and his cover versions of popular songs, particularly those of the Beatles. Cockers cover of the Beatles With a Little Help from My Friends reached number one in the UK in 1968, and he performed the song live at Woodstock in 1969. His version became the theme song for the TV series The Wonder Years. His 1975 cover of Billy Prestons You Are So Beautiful, reached number five in the US. Cocker is the recipient of several awards, including a 1983 Grammy Award for his US number one Up Where We Belong, a duet with Jennifer Warnes. In 1993 he was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male, in 2007 was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown, and in 2008 he received an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. Cocker was ranked No. 97 on Rolling Stones 100 greatest singers list. With a Little Help from My Friends is the first album by singer Joe Cocker, released in 1969. It was certified gold in the US and peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard 200. The title track was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and originally performed by The Beatles on the album Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band; it has been inducted into both the Grammy Award Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.[1] Cockers version was the theme song to the television series The Wonder Years during the 1980s and 1990s. With a Little Help from My Friends met with a favourable review from Rolling Stones John Mendelsohn. Mendelsohn stated that Cocker has assimilated the [Ray] Charles influence to the point where his feeling for what he is singing cannot really be questioned. And, in answer to the question of why someone should listen to Cocker when there is Charles to listen to – how many times in recent years has the latter applied himself to such exceptional modern material [...] or such contemporary Dylan... ? He also stated that Cordells success in fusing a consistently marvelous backing unit out of Americas premier studio soul singers and Englands most famous rock musicians and delicate egos cannot be exaggerated. He concluded that its a triumph all around. And the thought of Cockers next album [...] is an exceptionally pleasant one. A retrospective review from Allmusics Bruce Eder was fairly positive. Eder stated that the album holds up extraordinarily well across four decades, the singers performance bolstered by some very sharp playing, [...] Its Cockers voice, a soulful rasp of an instrument [...] that carries this album and makes Change in Louise, Feeling Alright, Just Like a Woman, I Shall Be Released, and even Bye Bye Blackbird into profound listening experiences. He concluded that the surprises in the arrangements, tempo, and approaches taken help make this an exceptional album. Tracks like Just Like a Woman, with its soaring gospel organ above a lean textured acoustic and light electric accompaniment, and the guitar-dominated rendition of Dont Let Me Be Misunderstood [...] all help make this an exceptional listening experience. R.I.P
Posted on: Tue, 23 Dec 2014 09:50:28 +0000
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