Complete Recordings of Sam Cooke with Soul Stirrer

Rating

Album: Complete Recordings of Sam Cooke with Soul Stirrer
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Come, Let Us Go Back to God
2)	Peace in the Valley
3)	I'm Gonna Build on That Shore
4)	I'm Gonna Build on That Shore
5)	I'm on the Firing Line
6)	I'm on the Firing Line
7)	Joy, Joy to My Soul
8)	Until Jesus Calls Me Home
9)	Jesus Done Just What He Said
10)	Jesus Gave Me Water
11)	He's My Rock (Wait on Jesus)
12)	How Far Am I from Canaan?
13)	Christ Is All
14)	It Won't Be Very Long
15)	It Won't Be Very Long - (take 2, alternate take)
16)	It Won't Be Very Long - (take 3, alternate take)
17)	Jesus Will Lead Me to That Promised Land - (take 1, alternate take)
18)	Jesus Will Lead Me to That Promised Land - (Incomplete Take, alternate take, incomplete)
19)	Jesus Will Lead Me to That Promised Land
20)	Just Another Day
21)	Let Me Go Home - (take 1, alternate take)
22)	Let Me Go Home
23)	Jesus Paid the Debt
24)	Jesus Paid the Debt - (take 2, alternate take)
25)	How Far Am I from Canaan?
26)	How Far Am I from Canaan? - (Incomplete Take, alternate take, incomplete)
27)	How Far Am I from Canaan? - (take 3, alternate take)
28)	Someday Somewhere
29)	Someday Somewhere
1)	End of My Journey
2)	He'll Welcome Me
3)	He's My Friend Until the End
4)	He's My Friend Until the End - (take 2, alternate take)
5)	I Have a Friend Above All Others
6)	Come and Go to That Land
7)	Come and Go to That Land - (Composite Take 1/Alt., alternate)
8)	Come and Go to That Land - (take 3, alternate take, alternate)
9)	I'd Give Up All My Sins and Serve the Lord
10)	I'm So Happy in the Service of the Lord
11)	All Right Now
12)	All Right Now - (take 2, alternate take, alternative)
13)	All Right Now - (take 3, alternate take, alternate)
14)	He'll Make a Way
15)	He'll Make a Way - (take 2, alternate take, alternate)
16)	Jesus, I'll Never Forget
17)	Jesus, I'll Never Forget - (take 5, alternate take, alternate)
18)	Any Day Now
19)	Any Day Now - (take 6, alternate take)
20)	One More River
21)	Nearer to Thee
22)	I'm So Glad (Trouble Don't Last Always)
23)	Be With Me Jesus
24)	He's My Guide - (take 4, alternate take)
25)	He's My Guide - (Incomplete Take, alternate take, incomplete)
26)	He's My Guide - (Take 13)
27)	Pilgrim of Sorrow
28)	Pray - (Incomplete Take, incomplete)
29)	Last Mile of the Way, The - (Incomplete Take, alternate take)
30)	Last Mile of the Way, The - (Take 2A/Alt., alternate take)
1)	Last Mile of the Way, The
2)	He's So Wonderful
3)	Touch the Hem of His Garment
4)	Jesus, Wash Away My Troubles
5)	Farther Along
6)	Must Jesus Bear This Cross Alone?
7)	Pilgrim of Sorrow
8)	Happy in Love
9)	I Need You Now
10)	I'll Come Running Back to You
11)	Lovable
12)	I Don't Want to Cry
13)	That's All I Need to Know
14)	Forever
15)	Lord Remember Me
16)	That's Heaven to Me - (take 1, alternate take)
17)	That's Heaven to Me
18)	Were You There? - (Takes 1-4)
19)	Were You There? - (alternate take)
20)	Were You There?
21)	Mean Old World - (take 3, alternate take)
22)	Mean Old World
23)	I Have a Friend Above All Others
24)	Be With Me Jesus
25)	Nearer to Thee

Album: Complete Recordings of Sam Cooke with Soul Stirrer
#	Song Title	Time
1)	Come, Let Us Go Back to God
2)	Peace in the Valley
3)	I'm Gonna Build on That Shore
4)	I'm Gonna Build on That Shore
5)	I'm on the Firing Line
6)	I'm on the Firing Line
7)	Joy, Joy to My Soul
8)	Until Jesus Calls Me Home
9)	Jesus Done Just What He Said
10)	Jesus Gave Me Water
11)	He's My Rock (Wait on Jesus)
12)	How Far Am I from Canaan?
13)	Christ Is All
14)	It Won't Be Very Long
15)	It Won't Be Very Long - (take 2, alternate take)
16)	It Won't Be Very Long - (take 3, alternate take)
17)	Jesus Will Lead Me to That Promised Land - (take 1, alternate take)
18)	Jesus Will Lead Me to That Promised Land - (Incomplete Take, alternate take, incomplete)
19)	Jesus Will Lead Me to That Promised Land
20)	Just Another Day
21)	Let Me Go Home - (take 1, alternate take)
22)	Let Me Go Home
23)	Jesus Paid the Debt
24)	Jesus Paid the Debt - (take 2, alternate take)
25)	How Far Am I from Canaan?
26)	How Far Am I from Canaan? - (Incomplete Take, alternate take, incomplete)
27)	How Far Am I from Canaan? - (take 3, alternate take)
28)	Someday Somewhere
29)	Someday Somewhere
1)	End of My Journey
2)	He'll Welcome Me
3)	He's My Friend Until the End
4)	He's My Friend Until the End - (take 2, alternate take)
5)	I Have a Friend Above All Others
6)	Come and Go to That Land
7)	Come and Go to That Land - (Composite Take 1/Alt., alternate)
8)	Come and Go to That Land - (take 3, alternate take, alternate)
9)	I'd Give Up All My Sins and Serve the Lord
10)	I'm So Happy in the Service of the Lord
11)	All Right Now
12)	All Right Now - (take 2, alternate take, alternative)
13)	All Right Now - (take 3, alternate take, alternate)
14)	He'll Make a Way
15)	He'll Make a Way - (take 2, alternate take, alternate)
16)	Jesus, I'll Never Forget
17)	Jesus, I'll Never Forget - (take 5, alternate take, alternate)
18)	Any Day Now
19)	Any Day Now - (take 6, alternate take)
20)	One More River
21)	Nearer to Thee
22)	I'm So Glad (Trouble Don't Last Always)
23)	Be With Me Jesus
24)	He's My Guide - (take 4, alternate take)
25)	He's My Guide - (Incomplete Take, alternate take, incomplete)
26)	He's My Guide - (Take 13)
27)	Pilgrim of Sorrow
28)	Pray - (Incomplete Take, incomplete)
29)	Last Mile of the Way, The - (Incomplete Take, alternate take)
30)	Last Mile of the Way, The - (Take 2A/Alt., alternate take)
1)	Last Mile of the Way, The
2)	He's So Wonderful
3)	Touch the Hem of His Garment
4)	Jesus, Wash Away My Troubles
5)	Farther Along
6)	Must Jesus Bear This Cross Alone?
7)	Pilgrim of Sorrow
8)	Happy in Love
9)	I Need You Now
10)	I'll Come Running Back to You
11)	Lovable
12)	I Don't Want to Cry
13)	That's All I Need to Know
14)	Forever
15)	Lord Remember Me
16)	That's Heaven to Me - (take 1, alternate take)
17)	That's Heaven to Me
18)	Were You There? - (Takes 1-4)
19)	Were You There? - (alternate take)
20)	Were You There?
21)	Mean Old World - (take 3, alternate take)
22)	Mean Old World
23)	I Have a Friend Above All Others
24)	Be With Me Jesus
25)	Nearer to Thee

Performer Notes

Personnel includes: Sam Cooke (vocals); R.B. Robinson, Paul Foster, Senior Roy Crain, Thomas L. Bruster, Jesse J. Farley.
Includes liner notes by Daniel Wolff.
THE COMPLETE SPECIALTY RECORDINGS was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Awards for Best Album Notes and for Best Historical Album.
Personnel: Sam Cooke (vocals); Roy Crain, SR. (tenor); Bob King , Leroy Crume (baritone, guitar); R.B. Robinson, Thomas L. Bruster (baritone); Jesse J. Farley (bass voice); Edgar Blanchard (guitar); Edward David Robinson, Warren Myles, Faidest Wagoner, Evelyn Gay (piano); Willie Webb (organ); Earl Palmer , Abe Mills, L.C. Cook (drums).
Liner Note Author: Daniel Wolff.
Recording information: Cosimo's Studio, New Orleans, LA (03/01/1951-07/22/1955); Master Recorders, Hollywood, CA (03/01/1951-07/22/1955); Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, CA (03/01/1951-07/22/1955); Universal Recorders, Hollywood, CA (03/01/1951-07/22/1955); Universal Recording Studio, Chicago, IL (03/01/1951-07/22/1955).
Photographer: Lloyd Yearwood.
Arrangers: Rev. Julius Cheeks; Sam Cooke; Roy Crain, SR.
They were known as the Soul Stirrers when they did the 1951-1957 recordings on this three-CD, 84-song collection. It's billed to Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers, though, as it's the ultimate collection of sides he recorded as a member of the group for Specialty Records, along with seven tentative secular pop/rock sides he did for the label as a solo singer in 1956. Cooke doesn't sing lead on all of the Soul Stirrers' tracks, though there are plenty of his leads to hear throughout the set; he shares lead duties with Paul Foster, although by the end of his time in the outfit, Cooke was taking most of the solo leads. There's also one cut, "All Right Now," on which Cooke shares lead with Rev. Julius Cheeks (two alternate versions of the song are also on the set). Even if Cooke isn't always the solo lead, however, he's a big presence on all of these sides, which represent both an important summary of his career prior to achieving pop stardom and a major body of gospel music. While much of the material is traditional (with Cooke contributing some originals), the arrangements do evolve, including some drums, organ, piano, bass, and electric guitar at various points. The link between gospel, R&B, and rock & roll becomes evident to more secular-minded listeners, sometimes strikingly so in Cooke's phrasing, which, even on songs as far back as 1953 ("I'd Give up All My Sins and Serve the Lord"), contained clear antecedents to his vocals on his first breakthrough pop hit, "You Send Me." Naturally those antecedents are heard strongest on the seven 1956 solo cuts that represented his first pop ventures, and although these are on the innocuous side, they're enjoyable foreshadowings of his rock & roll years. Numerous alternate takes and three 1955 live songs (with good sound) complete the most comprehensive portrait of Cooke's gospel years. Note, though, that the version of "I'll Come Running Back to You" -- a Top 20 entry in the wake of "You Send Me" -- lacks the overdub on the hit single. ~ Richie Unterberger

Professional Reviews

Q (1/03, p.132) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Cooke was one of soul music's first and most inspirational voices..."

Uncut (2/03, p.94) - 4 stars out of 5 - "...Prime gospel, many of these tracks are classics....This is an historic anthology..."

Living Blues (5/03, p.89) - "...Listening to him forge a style here, it's hard not to conclude that all his work clearly represents one long, luscious continuum in American music..."

Mojo (Publisher) (1/03, p.73) - Ranked #6 in Mojo's "Best Box Sets & Compilations of 2002"

Mojo (Publisher) (1/03, p.104) - "...The three CDs here work on every level. Ordered chronologically, the tracks form a picture of the evolution of American gospel music in the '50s; shadow the growth of the civil rights movement; and tell the story of Cooke's artistic growth..."