Sam Cooke: SAR Records Story 1959 – 1965

What does it sound like?:

There is a case to be made that Sam Cooke’s DNA is the basis of Soul Music. He sang with an unequalled style and grace. His rich, velvety tenor, powerful and smooth even in the high notes, was one of nature’s wonders. His tone was so pure and effortless, he had no need to resort to melisma or histrionics. He began singing in a Baptist choir, advanced into a Gospel group, transitioned to secular music, then added some sugar for a wider Pop audience. His songwriting was exemplary. A Change Is Gonna Come, for example, is a candidate for the song of its century.

However, he was much more than a superstar who met a sordid end. Smokey Robinson credits him with legitimising the afro. He was an active campaigner for black rights, close friend to Muhammad Ali and Malcom X. He was also business savvy, negotiating his own recording contracts with close attention to detail. Keen to avoid white “sharecroppers” in the music industry, he formed SAR Records with his friend, J.W. Alexander, and road manager, Roy Crain, to produce, promote and publish black artists.

SAR Records Story, a summation of their labours, was originally released on CD in 1994. Now it gets a vinyl makeover, 4 LPs in a beautiful box with a booklet outlining the history of the label. Cooke, himself, appears only on a handful of demos but it showcases his talents and his career arc. There are clips of him coaching, arranging, cajoling and producing the acts. The first two LPs are glorious Gospel performances, mainly featuring the group he used to front, The Soul Stirrers. Their original lead singer, R.H. Harris,, whose sophistication and poise Cooke modelled himself on, appears with his Gospel Paraders on five tracks. It’s almost like hearing the great man himself. The Womack Brothers, including Bobby, close out the Gospel sides with Somewhere There Is A God, a song that, with just a few minor tweaks, Cooke converts into a Pop ballad, Somewhere There Is A Girl, at the start of the secular sides. Johnnie Taylor, Mel Carter, The Simms Twins, Billy Preston, Johnnie Morisette and Sam’s younger brother, L.C. Cooke, all make their bids for fame and fortune with catchy unashamedly commercial numbers. The Womack Brothers transition to The Valentinos and the whole thing, fittingly, culminates in It’s All Over Now.

What does it all *mean*?

It’s a satisfying story that is well told.

Goes well with…

A new fangled record player

Release Date:

Out now

Might suit people who like…

The origins of Soul Music

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