#240 Sam Cooke, 'Live at the Harlem Square Club, 1963' (1985)

Previously #439

This is a surprise! This album has leapfrogged over ‘Portrait Of A Legend’ (#307). Considered too raw and gritty to release in 1963, the album was shelved for 22 years. RCA was trying to establish Cooke as an international pop star, and the artist portrayed on this record is anything but a polished popstar. It’s a loud, it’s raucous and dripping with sex appeal. But one more thing – the audience was almost exclusively black. RCA was trying to sell him to a white audience and they were scared that white audiences might be scared off by this fact if they heard this record.

The atmosphere on this record is palpable. Close your eyes and listen to this album and I guarantee, you’ll feel as if you’re there in those sweaty, hot club in Florida 1963. The crowd noise makes this album. Cooke would die 23 months later at 33 years old. The story of his death is worthy of the most extraordinary thriller. I’d recommend reading up about it.

#rs500albums