Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Okay . . . let's try this again.

Moderators: Shirley, Sabo, brian, rass, DaveInSeattle

Post Reply
User avatar
Jerloma
The Dude
Posts: 7050
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 2:10 pm

Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by Jerloma »

Uh-huh.

And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. - God
User avatar
Steve of phpBB
The Dude
Posts: 8438
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 10:44 am
Location: Feeling gravity's pull

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by Steve of phpBB »

He is one of those guys who has seemed old forever.
And his one problem is he didn’t go to Russia that night because he had extracurricular activities, and they froze to death.
User avatar
A_B
The Dude
Posts: 23323
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 7:36 am
Location: Getting them boards like a wolf in the chicken pen.

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by A_B »

I had a, um, "sprited" argument with a friend years ago, before it was easy to disprove such things, that Joe Cocker had died of an overdose. I was the one arguing that he was dead.

And yes, I did just send that friend an "I told you so" e-mail.
You know what you need? A lyrical sucker punch to the face.
User avatar
Giff
The Dude
Posts: 10804
Joined: Mon Mar 25, 2013 3:26 pm

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by Giff »

Yeah, count me in the "I thought he was already dead" camp.
well this is gonna be someone's new signature - bronto
User avatar
Jerloma
The Dude
Posts: 7050
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 2:10 pm

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by Jerloma »

Steve of phpBB wrote:He is one of those guys who has seemed old forever.
I know. It's crazy in that SNL clip above, he was only like 32.
And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness. - God
User avatar
mister d
The Dude
Posts: 29048
Joined: Tue Mar 12, 2013 8:15 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by mister d »

Recently turned 25 ...

Image
Johnnie wrote: Sat Sep 10, 2022 8:13 pmOh shit, you just reminded me about toilet paper.
User avatar
rass
The Dude
Posts: 20209
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:41 am
Location: N effin' J

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by rass »

Give me a better lyric, ever, by anyone, than:
She came in through the bathroom window.
It means nothing. It means everything.

/Flagged for when Paul kicks it.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
User avatar
rass
The Dude
Posts: 20209
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:41 am
Location: N effin' J

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by rass »

Though what he did after quitting the police department has always stuck with me.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

rass wrote:Give me a better lyric, ever, by anyone, than:
She came in through the bathroom window.
It means nothing. It means everything.

/Flagged for when Paul kicks it.
I think this was pretty much a simple historical fact rather than a bit of whimsy.
User avatar
rass
The Dude
Posts: 20209
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:41 am
Location: N effin' J

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by rass »

DC47 wrote:
rass wrote:Give me a better lyric, ever, by anyone, than:
She came in through the bathroom window.
It means nothing. It means everything.

/Flagged for when Paul kicks it.
I think this was pretty much a simple historical fact rather than a bit of whimsy.
So we're good, right?
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

The later Beatles did a lot of songs that I thought were actually pretty weak. But they got over, sometimes as hits, largely because they were both novel and, well, The Beatles.

Joe Cocker took a few of these tunes and gave them soul and life. At least to my ears. 'Help From My Friends' is the classic of this type.

Of course, others have done the same. But covering Beatles tunes is not actually anything like a sure bet. For example, I'm a Hendrix acolyte. Never played a wrong note, listen to even the Alan Douglas desecration of his incomplete tapes -- that guy. But the Hendrix versions of 'Sergeant Pepper' do very little for me. They add little to what the Beatles did with the song.

Cocker was different. He owned the songs he covered. Even when the originals were revered treasures created by the most unique band anyone had ever heard.
User avatar
rass
The Dude
Posts: 20209
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:41 am
Location: N effin' J

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by rass »

Pops had to remind me tonight that The Letter wasn't his. Cocker's that is.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

rass wrote:
DC47 wrote:
rass wrote:Give me a better lyric, ever, by anyone, than:
She came in through the bathroom window.
It means nothing. It means everything.

/Flagged for when Paul kicks it.
I think this was pretty much a simple historical fact rather than a bit of whimsy.
So we're good, right?
Just sucking our thumbs and wandering, by the banks of our own lagoon.
Last edited by DC47 on Wed Dec 24, 2014 11:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

rass wrote:Pops had to remind me tonight that The Letter wasn't his. Cocker's that is.
The 16 year old Alex Chilton absolutely killed that vocal. And then Cocker killed it even more, with a much better band. One of the greatest pop songs ever too.
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

I have had little use for anything Paul McCartney did after around 1967. And certainly after leaving the Beatles. But I have to say, this is an amazing song and performance -- and Paul made every sound but some backing vocals. The ultimate love song.

It's almost like the space aliens decided to gift him with just one more classic, before he went out on his own to lay in a puddle of his own making for the next 40+ years.



As great as this performance is, Joe Cocker did this one at least as well. Perhaps my favorite of his Beatles covers. Can't find it on line, but I remember it well. Another great version was done by Rod Stewart with the Faces.
Last edited by DC47 on Thu Dec 25, 2014 12:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

I was wrong. Here's Cocker's studio version. As usual, he tears it up more in concert, at least in the old days. But I can't find that on the internet.

User avatar
rass
The Dude
Posts: 20209
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 9:41 am
Location: N effin' J

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by rass »

I heard at some point this fall that Paul has made $15MM+ from Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas time.

Definitely take Paul's version of Maybe I'm Amazed.
I felt aswirl with warm secretions.
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

There's a strong case to be made for Paul's. Listening to it again, I'm convinced.

Of all the Beatles, only Yoko has exceeded Paul in terms of business sagacity.
User avatar
sancarlos
The Dude
Posts: 18065
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 1:46 pm
Location: NorCal via Colorado

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by sancarlos »

I've always thought Joe Cocker's best work was his cover of the Boxtops' The Letter.

Coincidentally, recently deceased Bobby Keys played sax on that tune.
"What a bunch of pedantic pricks." - sybian
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

Keys certainly played with Cocker. Most famously as witnessed in 'Mad Dogs and Englishman.'

But I wonder if you're referring to the Chilton/Box Tops original version of The Letter? I think the much younger, just starting out, Bobby Keys played on that one too.
howard
Karl Hungus
Posts: 9467
Joined: Mon Mar 18, 2013 12:00 pm

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by howard »

Maybe I'm Amazed is Sir Paul's masterpiece. Second all the Cocker praise.
Who knows? Maybe, you were kidnapped, tied up, taken away and held for ransom.

Those days are gone forever
Over a long time ago
Oh yeah…
User avatar
sancarlos
The Dude
Posts: 18065
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 1:46 pm
Location: NorCal via Colorado

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by sancarlos »

DC47 wrote:Keys certainly played with Cocker. Most famously as witnessed in 'Mad Dogs and Englishman.'

But I wonder if you're referring to the Chilton/Box Tops original version of The Letter? I think the much younger, just starting out, Bobby Keys played on that one too.
My source was Steve Earle, who was hosting his Sirius Radio show on the Outlaw Country station. He did a special a couple weeks ago featuring songs that recently deceased Bobby Keys and Ian McLagan played on. Steve introduced Joe Cocker's version of The Letter as a song featuring Bobby Keys. That's not to guarantee Steve Earle had his facts straight, but that's what he told us.
"What a bunch of pedantic pricks." - sybian
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

I have no doubt that he is right. Keys played a lot with Cocker.

I believe that -- in addition -- several years earlier, the unknown Bobby Keys was primarily a session player. Whence he played sax on the classic Chilton/Box Tops recording of The Letter. Which makes what he later did with Cocker even cooler.

But I can't find anything about this in a quick internet search. So perhaps I'm just creating my own urban myth. Still, I loved The Letter in 1967 (check out the boss jet plane effect), a big Alex Chilton fan, and I'm interested in session players in that era. So I might have actually heard this thing about Keys being on that track, which would have been a bit under the radar because that was before they would have been listing full recording credits.

No, scratch that. I heard about that Boxtops recording date directly from Bobby Keys' lips, drinking shots at a crummy bar in Nashville just before he died. He also told me that Keith Richards fascination with scarves came from his fling with Diana Ross; he used to wear her underwear on stage. May as well make this an urban legend with some grit to it.
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

sancarlos wrote:My source was Steve Earle, who was hosting his Sirius Radio show on the Outlaw Country station. He did a special a couple weeks ago featuring songs that recently deceased Bobby Keys and Ian McLagan played on.
I'd have loved to hear this. I'm a fan of Keys (and Earle) from way back, and just missed McLagen, who died a couple days before his show here with Nick Lowe. I wonder if Earle knew Keys during his wasted time in Tennessee? I think Keys lived there.
User avatar
sancarlos
The Dude
Posts: 18065
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 1:46 pm
Location: NorCal via Colorado

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by sancarlos »

DC47 wrote:No, scratch that. I heard about that Boxtops recording date directly from Bobby Keys' lips, drinking shots at a crummy bar in Nashville just before he died. He also told me that Keith Richards fascination with scarves came from his fling with Diana Ross; he used to wear her underwear on stage. May as well make this an urban legend with some grit to it.
I'm envious. That's pretty cool that you drank and hung out with Bobby Keys. As I posted in the obit thread, Keith Richards had some interesting stuff about Bobby Keys in his autobiography. I think Bobby wrote a book, too, so I'm going to have to read that, as well. I am also a fan of the Boxtops, Alex Chilton and Big Star. In fact, we have a Christmas CD sampler that we were just playing that includes a great Big Star cut.
"What a bunch of pedantic pricks." - sybian
User avatar
DC47
Walter Sobchak
Posts: 3090
Joined: Mon Mar 11, 2013 12:49 am

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by DC47 »

I regret to say that I was joking re: the bar conversation with Keys. Still, the Diana Ross bit may be true even though I just made this up off the top of my head. Just trying to bulk up the urban myth I had apparently begun about Keys playing on both the Chilton/Box Tops and the Cocker versions of two-and-change minutes of pop perfection that is "The Letter."
User avatar
sancarlos
The Dude
Posts: 18065
Joined: Fri Mar 15, 2013 1:46 pm
Location: NorCal via Colorado

Re: Joe Mother Effin' Cocker

Post by sancarlos »

We had a conversation in this thread some time ago about the late great Bobby Keys, who played sax for everybody from Elvis and Dion when he was young, to Joe Cocker and the Rolling Stones in his prime, to Dr. John and Joe Ely later on. Keith Richards devoted a good chunk of his autobiography to talking about him and Bobby wrote an autobiography I read, too.

Anyhow, now they have made a documentary film about him called Every Night's a Saturday Night. (Same title as his book.) Trailer, here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8CoPEMId0tk

Image
"What a bunch of pedantic pricks." - sybian
Post Reply