A Change Is Gonna Come - Music
A Change Is Gonna Come by Sam Cooke
Sam Cooke
Artist Biography For Sam Cooke
Samuel Cooke Born January 22 1931 In Clarksdale Mississippi Died December 11 1964 In Los Angeles California Was A Popular And Influential American Gospel R&B Soul And Pop Songwriter And Singer Recognized As One Of The True Founders Of Soul Music. Often Referred To As The King Of Soul Cooke Had 29 Top 40 Hits In The U.S. Between 1957 And 1964 Including Major Hits You Send Me A Change Is Gonna Come Chain Gang And Wonderful World. Cooke Was Also Among The First Modern Black Performers And Composers To Attend To The Business Side Of His Musical Career He Founded Both A Record Label And A Publishing Company As An Extension Of His Careers As A Singer And Composer. He Also Took An Active Part In The American Civil Rights Movement. On December 11 1964 Cooke Was Allegedly Shot To Death By The Manager Of The Hacienda Motel In Los Angeles California At The Age Of 33. At The Time The Courts Ruled That Cooke Was Drunk And Distressed And The Manager Killed Cooke In What Was Later Ruled A Justifiable Homicide. Since That Time The Circumstances Of His Death Have Been Widely Questioned. Sam Cooke He Added An "e" Onto The End Of His Name Because He Thought It Added A Touch Of Class Was One Of Eight Children Of Rev. Charles And Mrs. Annie Mae Cook. The Family Moved To Chicago Illinois In 1933. Cooke Began His Musical Career As A Member Of A Quartet With His Siblings The Singing Children Followed By A Turn As A Teenager As A Member Of The Highway QCs A Gospel Group. In 1950 At The Age Of 19 He Joined The Soul Stirrers And Achieved Significant Success And Fame Within The Gospel Community. His First Pop Single "Lovable" 1956 Was Released Under The Alias Of "Dale Cooke " In Order To Not Alienate His Fan Base There Was A Considerable Taboo Against Gospel Singers Performing Secular Music. However The Alias Failed To Hide Cooke's Unique And Distinctive Vocals. No One Was Fooled. Art Rupe Head Of Specialty Records The Label Of The Soul Stirrers Gave His Blessing For Cooke To Record Secular Music Under His Real Name But Was Unhappy About The Type Of Music Cooke And Bumps Blackwell Cooke's Pop Producer Were Making. Rupe Expected Cooke's Secular Music To Be Similar To That Of Another Specialty Records Artist Little Richard. When Rupe Walked In On A Recording Session And Heard Cooke Covering Gershwin He Was Quite Upset. After An Argument Between Rupe And Blackwell Cooke And Blackwell Left The Label And Cooke Signed With Keen Records In 1957. His First Release Was "You Send Me" Which Spent Six Weeks At #1 On The Billboard R&B Chart But Which Also Had Massive Mainstream Success Spending Three Weeks At #1 On The Billboard Pop Chart. As If A R&B Performer Writing His Own Songs And Achieving Mainstream Fame Was Not Innovative Enough Cooke Continued To Astonish The Music Business In The 1960s With The Founding Of His Own Label SAR Records Which Soon Included The Simms Twins The Valentinos Bobby Womack And Johnnie Taylor. Cooke Then Created A Publishing Imprint And Management Firm Then Left Keen To Sign With RCA. One Of His First RCA Singles Was The Hit "Chain Gang." It Reached #2 On The Billboard Pop Chart. This Was Followed By More Hits Including "Sad Mood" "Bring It On Home To Me" With Lou Rawls On Backing Vocals "Another Saturday Night" And "Twistin' The Night Away". Like Most R&B Artists Of His Time Cooke Focused On Singles In All He Had 29 Top 40 Hits On The Pop Charts And More On The R&B Charts. In Spite Of This He Released A Critically Acclaimed Blues-Inflected LP In 1963 Night Beat. He Was Known For Having Written Many Of The Most Popular Songs Of All Time In The Genre And Is Often Uncredited For Many Of Them By The General Public. Cooke Died At The Age Of 33 Under Mysterious Circumstances On December 11 1964 In Los Angeles California. Though The Details Of The Case Are Still In Dispute See Below It Seems He Was Shot To Death By Bertha Franklin Manager Of The Hacienda Motel In South Los Angeles Who Claimed That He Had Threatened Her And That She Killed Him In Self-Defense. The Verdict Was Justifiable Homicide Though Many Believe That Crucial Details Did Not Come Out In Court Or Were Buried Afterward. Cooke Was Interred In The Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Glendale California. Some Posthumous Releases Followed Many Of Which Became Hits Including "A Change Is Gonna Come" An Early Protest Song Which Is Generally Regarded As His Greatest Composition. After Cooke's Death His Widow Barbara Married Bobby Womack. Cooke's Daughter Linda Later Married Bobby's Brother Cecil. The Song "A Change Is Gonna Come" Was Played Upon The Death Of Malcolm X And Was Memorably Featured In Spike Lee's Film Malcolm X. Barack Obama's Presidential Victory Speech Paraphrased The Song "It's Been A Long Time Coming But Tonight Because Of What We Did On This Day In This Election At This Defining Moment Change Has Come To America." Rapper Tupac Shakur References Cooke In A Line Of The Song "Thugz Mansion" And Nas References Him In The Song "We Major" With Kanye West. The Roots Song "Stay Cool" Suggests "I Got The Soul Of A Young Sam Cooke". Mike Doughty's Song "Sweet Lord In Heaven" Evokes The Memory Of Cooke As Does The Wallflowers 2000 Song "Sleepwalker" "Cupid Don't Draw Back Your Bow Sam Cooke Didn't Know What I Know". The Irish Rock-Group Jetplane Landing Have A Song Named "Sam Cooke". A Fictional Version Of Cooke Portrayed By Paul Mooney Appeared Briefly In The 1978 Film The Buddy Holly Story Leaving The Stage At The Apollo Theater Before Buddy And The Crickets Got On. After Being Featured Prominently In The 1985 Film Witness The Song "Wonderful World" Gained Further Exposure. "Wonderful World" Was Featured In One Of Two Concurrently Running Levi's Jeans Commercials In 1985 And Became A Hit In The United Kingdom Because Of This Reaching #2 In Re-Release. Other Notable Movies That Featured His Music Are Animal House "Wonderful World" And "Twistin' The Night Away" American Werewolf In London And Cadence "Chain Gang" . Cooke's Songs "Bring It On Home To Me" And "Change Is Gonna Come" Were Both Featured In The Movie Ali. The Opening Scene Of The Movie Consisted Of A Live Reenactment Of "Bring It On Home To Me". Posthumous Honors
Shortly Following His Passing Motown Records Released We Remember Sam Cooke A Collection Of Cooke Covers Recorded By The Supremes. In 1986 Cooke Was Inducted As A Charter Member Of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In 1999 Cooke Was Honored With The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2004 Rolling Stone Magazine Ranked Him #16 On Their List Of The "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time".
In 2008 Cooke Was Named The Fourth "Greatest Singer Of All Time" By Rolling Stone Magazine." Covers
John Lennon Included A Medley Of Two Cooke Songs "Bring It On Home To Me" And "Send Me Some Lovin' " On His 1975 Oldies Album Rock 'n' Roll. Cooke's Songs Are Covered In A Tour-Available EP From Decemberists Frontman Colin Meloy. It Is The Third Installment Of His Solo-Tour Colin Meloy Sings...! Johnny Nash Covered The Song "Cupid" In 1969 With Chart Success In The US And UK And It Was Included As The B-Side On Some Versions Of His 1972 Hit Single I Can See Clearly Now. The Animals Covered The Song "Bring It On Home To Me" In 1965. Amy Winehouse Also Covered The Song "Cupid" For The BBC Radio 1 Album Radio 1 Established 1967. British Soul Singer Adele Covered The Song "That's It I Quit I'm Movin' On" As B-Side To Her Single "Chasing Pavements" A Bonus Track For The Asian Release Of Her Studio Album 19. Richard Marx Covered "Bring It On Home To Me" And "Wonderful World" During His Earlier Concerts. "A Change Is Gonna Come" Has Been Covered Several Times. Solo Aretha Franklin Tina Turner The Fifth Dimension The Neville Brothers Otis Redding The Fugees Cold War Kids Seal Bill Frisell And The Band Featuring The Vocals Of Rick Danko Have All Recorded Versions Of The Song. Seal's Version Debuted On The R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart Billboard Nov. 2008 Shortly After The Election Of Obama-Biden. Gene Vincent Who Was A Big Fan And A Close Personal Friend Of Sam Cooke's Recorded "Another Saturday Night" In 1964 And "Bring It On Home To Me" Shortly Before His Own Death In 1971. Cat Stevens Released His Greatest Hits Album 1975 With A Cover Of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night" Only The Second Song He Released That He Didn't Write Himself. He Had Also Released It As A Single July 12 1974 Which Reached No.4 In The U.S. Cooke Was An Influence On Punk Vocalist Mia Zapata Of The Gits Who Honored Him With A Cover Of "A Change Is Gonna Come" On Their Album Enter The Conquering Chicken. In Spring 1965 The British Group Herman's Hermits Reached No. 5 In The US Charts And No.7 In The UK Charts With Their Version Of "Wonderful World". In 1978 Art Garfunkel Paul Simon And James Taylor Sang "Wonderful World" Which Hit The Top 40 In The US Charts. In 1966 The Now Cult 60s British Pop Show Ready Steady Goes Live The Live Version Of Ready Steady Go! Devoted A Whole Programme To A Live Performance Of Soul Singer Otis Redding Who Regularly Covered Many Of Cooke's Songs. One Of The Highlights Was A Rousing Version Of "Shake" On Which Redding Was Joined By British Soul Legends Eric Burdon Lead Singer Of The Animals And Chart Topper Chris Farlowe. Jimmy Buffett Covered "Another Saturday Night" On His Album Margaritaville Cafe Late Night Menu In 1993.
Frogtoon Music - Song Info: A Change Is Gonna Come
Sam-Cooke - The Man And His Music
A Change Is Gonna Come Is A 1964 Single By R&B Singer-Songwriter Sam Cooke Written And First Recorded In 1963 And Released Under The RCA Victor Label Shortly After His Death In Late 1964. Though Only A Modest Hit For Cooke In Comparison With His Previous Singles The Song Came To Exemplify The Sixties Civil Rights Movement. The Song Has Gained In Popularity And Critical Acclaim In The Decades Since Its Release. Origins Cooke Was Greatly Moved Upon Hearing Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" In 1963 And Was Reportedly In Awe Citation Needed That Such A Poignant Song About Racism In America Could Come From Someone Who Was White. While On Tour In May 1963 And After Speaking With Sit-In Demonstrators In Durham North Carolina Following A Concert Cooke Returned To His Tour Bus And Wrote The First Draft Of What Would Become "A Change Is Gonna Come." In A Sense "A Change Is Gonna Come" Is An Answer To Dylan's "Blowin' In The Wind" As Well As A Song Of Hope For The Civil Rights Movement. The Hypothetical Questions Posed By Dylan Most Obvious Being "how Many Years Can Some People Exist Before They're Allowed To Be Free?" Were Answered By An Implied "Fewer Than You Think." Though Cooke Recognized "it's Been A Long/a Long Time Coming" The Song States That Change Is Inevitable. A Similar Sentiment Was Echoed By Dylan In "The Times They Are A-Changin'" Written And Released After "A Change Is Gonna Come." The Song Also Reflected Much Of Cooke's Own Inner Turmoil. Known For His Polished Image And Light-Hearted Songs Such As "You Send Me" And "Twistin' The Night Away" He Had Long Felt The Need To Address The Situation Of Discrimination And Racism In America Especially The Southern States. However His Image And Fears Of Losing His Largely White Fan Base Prevented Him From Doing So. The Song Very Much A Departure For Cooke Reflected Two Major Incidents In His Life. The First Was The Death Of Cooke's Eighteen-Month-Old Son Vincent Who Died Of An Accidental Drowning In June Of That Year. The Second Major Incident Came On October 8 1963 When Cooke And His Band Tried To Register At A "whites Only" Motel In Shreveport Louisiana And Were Summarily Arrested For Disturbing The Peace. Both Incidents Are Represented In The Weary Tone And Lyrics Of The Piece Especially The Final Verse "there Have Been Times That I Thought I Couldn't Last For Long/but Now I Think I'm Able To Carry On/It's Been A Long Time Coming But I Know A Change Is Gonna Come." Recording After Remaining Confined To Cooke's Notebooks For Months Of Touring "A Change Is Gonna Come" Was Finally Recorded On December 21 1963. Recording Took Place At The RCA Studios In Los Angeles California During Sessions For Cooke's 1964 Album Ain't That Good News. According To Author Peter Guralnick's Biography Of Cooke "Dream Boogie" Cooke Gave Arranger Rene Hall Free Rein On Song's Musical Arrangement. Hall Came Up With A Dramatic Orchestral Backing Highlighted By A Mournful French Horn. For His Vocal Cooke Reached Back To His Gospel Roots To Sing The Song With An Intensity And Passion Never Heard Before On His Pop Recordings. Release The Song Made Its First Appearance On Ain't That Good News The Last Album To Be Released Within Cooke's Lifetime. The LP Did Well Peaking At Number 34 On The Billboard Pop Albums Chart Making It More Successful Than Cooke's Previous LP 1963's Night Beat. However Cooke And His New Manager Allen Klein Thought The Song Deserved Greater Exposure. According To Guralnick's Book Klein Persuaded Cooke To Sing "A Change Is Gonna Come" On His February 7 1964 Appearance On The Tonight Show. Cooke Sang The Song Unfortunately Any Impact It Made Was Dimmed By The Beatles' History-Making Appearance On The Ed Sullivan Show Just Two Days Later. In A Further Misfortune NBC Did Not Save The Tape Of Cooke's Performance Which Has Never Turned Up In Private Collections Either. RCA Records Had Bypassed "Change" For Cooke's Early 1964 Single Instead Releasing The Tracks "Good Times" And " Ain't That Good News". But The Company Agreed To Put The Song Out As A Single Late In The Year As The B-Side To Cooke's Latest Potential Hit "Shake." At One Of His Last Recording Sessions Cooke Approved An Edit To The Song That Would Shorten It By About 30 Seconds Increasing Its Chance For Airplay On American Radio Stations. Finally Given Proper Attention "A Change Is Gonna Come" Became A Sensation Among The Black Community And Was Used An Anthem For The Ongoing Civil Rights Protests. On R&B Radio The Song Peaked At Number 9 On The Billboard Black Singles Chart And Topped Many Local Playlists Most Notably In Chicago. The Song Had More Limited Success On Top 40 Radio. By February 1965 The Song Had Peaked At Number 31 On The Billboard Pop Singles Chart And Fallen Off. Cooke However Did Not Live To See The Song's Commercial Success. On December 11 1964 He Was Killed At The Hacienda Motel In Los Angeles California Under What Many Consider Mysterious Circumstances. Legacy Though Only A Moderate Success Sales-Wise "A Change Is Gonna Come" Became An Anthem For The American Civil Rights Movement And Is Widely Considered Cooke's Best Composition. Over The Years The Song Has Garnered Significant Praise And In 2005 Was Voted Number 12 By Representatives Of The Music Industry And Press In Rolling Stone Magazine's 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time And Voted Number 3 In The Webzine Pitchfork Media's The 200 Greatest Songs Of The 60s.The Song Is Also Among Three Hundred Songs Deemed The Most Important Ever Recorded By National Public Radio NPR And Was Recently Selected By The Library Of Congress As One Of Twenty-Five Selected Recordings To The National Recording Registry As Of March 2007. Despite Its Acclaim Legal Troubles Have Haunted The Single Since Its Release. A Dispute Between Cooke's Music Publisher ABKCO And Record Company RCA Records Made The Recording Unavailable For Much Of The Four Decades Since Its Release. Though The Song Was Featured Prominently In The 1992 Film Malcolm X It Could Not Be Included In The Film's Soundtrack. By 2003 However The Disputes Had Been Settled In Time For The Song To Be Included On The Remastered Version Of Ain't That Good News As Well As The Cooke Anthology Portrait Of A Legend. "A Change Is Gonna Come" Was A Precursor To Many Later Socially-Conscious Singles Including Marvin Gaye's Lauded "What's Going On". Al Green A Self-Professed Fan Of Cooke Covered The Song For The Concert Celebrating The 1996 Opening Of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame In Cleveland Ohio. Green's Live Rendition Was Included In The Soundtrack To The 2001 Michael Mann Film Ali. James Taylor Recorded A Version Specially For An Episode Of The Same Title Of The Television Drama The West Wing. The Allman Brothers Band Captured Their Performance Of The Song On Their 2003 DVD Live At The Beacon Theatre.
50 Similar Tracks:
Sam Cooke - Bring It On Home To Me Sam Cooke - You Send Me Otis Redding - Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay Percy Sledge - When A Man Loves A Woman Etta James - At Last Otis Redding - These Arms Of Mine Aretha Franklin - Respect Etta James - I'd Rather Go Blind Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine Ben E. King - Stand By Me Ray Charles - Georgia On My Mind Bill Withers - Ain't No Sunshine Aretha Franklin - You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman Al Green - Let's Stay Together Marvin Gaye - What's Going On Bill Withers - Lean On Me Gladys Knight & The Pips - Midnight Train To Georgia Sam & Dave - Soul Man The Temptations - My Girl Al Green - How Can You Mend A Broken Heart Wilson Pickett - In The Midnight Hour The Ronettes - Be My Baby Dionne Warwick - Walk On By Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely Stevie Wonder - Sir Duke Dusty Springfield - Son Of A Preacher Man Sam & Dave - Hold On, I'm Comin' The Drifters - Under The Boardwalk The Isley Brothers - This Old Heart Of Mine Is Weak For You Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell - Ain't No Mountain High Enough Sly & The Family Stone - Everyday People Aaron Neville - Tell It Like It Is Ray Charles - Hit The Road Jack The Temptations - Ain't Too Proud To Beg Dusty Springfield - Spooky The Impressions - People Get Ready The Supremes - Where Did Our Love Go Bobby Hebb - Sunny The Supremes - You Can't Hurry Love Nina Simone - Feeling Good Brenton Wood - Oogum Boogum Song Roberta Flack - Killing Me Softly With His Song The Four Tops - I Can't Help Myself Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch The Drifters - On Broadway The Staple Singers - I'll Take You There Clarence Carter - Slip Away Wilson Pickett - Land Of 1000 Dances The O'Jays - Love Train The Delfonics - La-La Means I Love You Solomon Burke - Cry To Me
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Biography - Sam Cooke
Samuel Cooke Born January 22 1931 In Clarksdale Mississippi Died December 11 1964 In Los Angeles California Was A Popular And Influential American Gospel R&B Soul And Pop Songwriter And Singer Recognized As One Of The True Founders Of Soul Music. Often Referred To As The King Of Soul Cooke Had 29 Top 40 Hits In The U.S. Between 1957 And 1964 Including Major Hits You Send Me A Change Is Gonna Come Chain Gang And Wonderful World. Cooke Was Also Among The First Modern Black Performers And Composers To Attend To The Business Side Of His Musical Career He Founded Both A Record Label And A Publishing Company As An Extension Of His Careers As A Singer And Composer. He Also Took An Active Part In The American Civil Rights Movement. On December 11 1964 Cooke Was Allegedly Shot To Death By The Manager Of The Hacienda Motel In Los Angeles California At The Age Of 33. At The Time The Courts Ruled That Cooke Was Drunk And Distressed And The Manager Killed Cooke In What Was Later Ruled A Justifiable Homicide. Since That Time The Circumstances Of His Death Have Been Widely Questioned. Sam Cooke He Added An "e" Onto The End Of His Name Because He Thought It Added A Touch Of Class Was One Of Eight Children Of Rev. Charles And Mrs. Annie Mae Cook. The Family Moved To Chicago Illinois In 1933. Cooke Began His Musical Career As A Member Of A Quartet With His Siblings The Singing Children Followed By A Turn As A Teenager As A Member Of The Highway QCs A Gospel Group. In 1950 At The Age Of 19 He Joined The Soul Stirrers And Achieved Significant Success And Fame Within The Gospel Community. His First Pop Single "Lovable" 1956 Was Released Under The Alias Of "Dale Cooke " In Order To Not Alienate His Fan Base There Was A Considerable Taboo Against Gospel Singers Performing Secular Music. However The Alias Failed To Hide Cooke's Unique And Distinctive Vocals. No One Was Fooled. Art Rupe Head Of Specialty Records The Label Of The Soul Stirrers Gave His Blessing For Cooke To Record Secular Music Under His Real Name But Was Unhappy About The Type Of Music Cooke And Bumps Blackwell Cooke's Pop Producer Were Making. Rupe Expected Cooke's Secular Music To Be Similar To That Of Another Specialty Records Artist Little Richard. When Rupe Walked In On A Recording Session And Heard Cooke Covering Gershwin He Was Quite Upset. After An Argument Between Rupe And Blackwell Cooke And Blackwell Left The Label And Cooke Signed With Keen Records In 1957. His First Release Was "You Send Me" Which Spent Six Weeks At #1 On The Billboard R&B Chart But Which Also Had Massive Mainstream Success Spending Three Weeks At #1 On The Billboard Pop Chart. As If A R&B Performer Writing His Own Songs And Achieving Mainstream Fame Was Not Innovative Enough Cooke Continued To Astonish The Music Business In The 1960s With The Founding Of His Own Label SAR Records Which Soon Included The Simms Twins The Valentinos Bobby Womack And Johnnie Taylor. Cooke Then Created A Publishing Imprint And Management Firm Then Left Keen To Sign With RCA. One Of His First RCA Singles Was The Hit "Chain Gang." It Reached #2 On The Billboard Pop Chart. This Was Followed By More Hits Including "Sad Mood" "Bring It On Home To Me" With Lou Rawls On Backing Vocals "Another Saturday Night" And "Twistin' The Night Away". Like Most R&B Artists Of His Time Cooke Focused On Singles In All He Had 29 Top 40 Hits On The Pop Charts And More On The R&B Charts. In Spite Of This He Released A Critically Acclaimed Blues-Inflected LP In 1963 Night Beat. He Was Known For Having Written Many Of The Most Popular Songs Of All Time In The Genre And Is Often Uncredited For Many Of Them By The General Public. Cooke Died At The Age Of 33 Under Mysterious Circumstances On December 11 1964 In Los Angeles California. Though The Details Of The Case Are Still In Dispute See Below It Seems He Was Shot To Death By Bertha Franklin Manager Of The Hacienda Motel In South Los Angeles Who Claimed That He Had Threatened Her And That She Killed Him In Self-Defense. The Verdict Was Justifiable Homicide Though Many Believe That Crucial Details Did Not Come Out In Court Or Were Buried Afterward. Cooke Was Interred In The Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery Glendale California. Some Posthumous Releases Followed Many Of Which Became Hits Including "A Change Is Gonna Come" An Early Protest Song Which Is Generally Regarded As His Greatest Composition. After Cooke's Death His Widow Barbara Married Bobby Womack. Cooke's Daughter Linda Later Married Bobby's Brother Cecil. The Song "A Change Is Gonna Come" Was Played Upon The Death Of Malcolm X And Was Memorably Featured In Spike Lee's Film Malcolm X. Barack Obama's Presidential Victory Speech Paraphrased The Song "It's Been A Long Time Coming But Tonight Because Of What We Did On This Day In This Election At This Defining Moment Change Has Come To America." Rapper Tupac Shakur References Cooke In A Line Of The Song "Thugz Mansion" And Nas References Him In The Song "We Major" With Kanye West. The Roots Song "Stay Cool" Suggests "I Got The Soul Of A Young Sam Cooke". Mike Doughty's Song "Sweet Lord In Heaven" Evokes The Memory Of Cooke As Does The Wallflowers 2000 Song "Sleepwalker" "Cupid Don't Draw Back Your Bow Sam Cooke Didn't Know What I Know". The Irish Rock-Group Jetplane Landing Have A Song Named "Sam Cooke". A Fictional Version Of Cooke Portrayed By Paul Mooney Appeared Briefly In The 1978 Film The Buddy Holly Story Leaving The Stage At The Apollo Theater Before Buddy And The Crickets Got On. After Being Featured Prominently In The 1985 Film Witness The Song "Wonderful World" Gained Further Exposure. "Wonderful World" Was Featured In One Of Two Concurrently Running Levi's Jeans Commercials In 1985 And Became A Hit In The United Kingdom Because Of This Reaching #2 In Re-Release. Other Notable Movies That Featured His Music Are Animal House "Wonderful World" And "Twistin' The Night Away" American Werewolf In London And Cadence "Chain Gang" . Cooke's Songs "Bring It On Home To Me" And "Change Is Gonna Come" Were Both Featured In The Movie Ali. The Opening Scene Of The Movie Consisted Of A Live Reenactment Of "Bring It On Home To Me". Posthumous Honors
Shortly Following His Passing Motown Records Released We Remember Sam Cooke A Collection Of Cooke Covers Recorded By The Supremes. In 1986 Cooke Was Inducted As A Charter Member Of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In 1999 Cooke Was Honored With The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2004 Rolling Stone Magazine Ranked Him #16 On Their List Of The "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time".
In 2008 Cooke Was Named The Fourth "Greatest Singer Of All Time" By Rolling Stone Magazine." Covers
John Lennon Included A Medley Of Two Cooke Songs "Bring It On Home To Me" And "Send Me Some Lovin' " On His 1975 Oldies Album Rock 'n' Roll. Cooke's Songs Are Covered In A Tour-Available EP From Decemberists Frontman Colin Meloy. It Is The Third Installment Of His Solo-Tour Colin Meloy Sings...! Johnny Nash Covered The Song "Cupid" In 1969 With Chart Success In The US And UK And It Was Included As The B-Side On Some Versions Of His 1972 Hit Single I Can See Clearly Now. The Animals Covered The Song "Bring It On Home To Me" In 1965. Amy Winehouse Also Covered The Song "Cupid" For The BBC Radio 1 Album Radio 1 Established 1967. British Soul Singer Adele Covered The Song "That's It I Quit I'm Movin' On" As B-Side To Her Single "Chasing Pavements" A Bonus Track For The Asian Release Of Her Studio Album 19. Richard Marx Covered "Bring It On Home To Me" And "Wonderful World" During His Earlier Concerts. "A Change Is Gonna Come" Has Been Covered Several Times. Solo Aretha Franklin Tina Turner The Fifth Dimension The Neville Brothers Otis Redding The Fugees Cold War Kids Seal Bill Frisell And The Band Featuring The Vocals Of Rick Danko Have All Recorded Versions Of The Song. Seal's Version Debuted On The R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart Billboard Nov. 2008 Shortly After The Election Of Obama-Biden. Gene Vincent Who Was A Big Fan And A Close Personal Friend Of Sam Cooke's Recorded "Another Saturday Night" In 1964 And "Bring It On Home To Me" Shortly Before His Own Death In 1971. Cat Stevens Released His Greatest Hits Album 1975 With A Cover Of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night" Only The Second Song He Released That He Didn't Write Himself. He Had Also Released It As A Single July 12 1974 Which Reached No.4 In The U.S. Cooke Was An Influence On Punk Vocalist Mia Zapata Of The Gits Who Honored Him With A Cover Of "A Change Is Gonna Come" On Their Album Enter The Conquering Chicken. In Spring 1965 The British Group Herman's Hermits Reached No. 5 In The US Charts And No.7 In The UK Charts With Their Version Of "Wonderful World". In 1978 Art Garfunkel Paul Simon And James Taylor Sang "Wonderful World" Which Hit The Top 40 In The US Charts. In 1966 The Now Cult 60s British Pop Show Ready Steady Goes Live The Live Version Of Ready Steady Go! Devoted A Whole Programme To A Live Performance Of Soul Singer Otis Redding Who Regularly Covered Many Of Cooke's Songs. One Of The Highlights Was A Rousing Version Of "Shake" On Which Redding Was Joined By British Soul Legends Eric Burdon Lead Singer Of The Animals And Chart Topper Chris Farlowe. Jimmy Buffett Covered "Another Saturday Night" On His Album Margaritaville Cafe Late Night Menu In 1993. read less
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Shortly Following His Passing Motown Records Released We Remember Sam Cooke A Collection Of Cooke Covers Recorded By The Supremes. In 1986 Cooke Was Inducted As A Charter Member Of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. In 1999 Cooke Was Honored With The Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2004 Rolling Stone Magazine Ranked Him #16 On Their List Of The "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time".
In 2008 Cooke Was Named The Fourth "Greatest Singer Of All Time" By Rolling Stone Magazine." Covers
John Lennon Included A Medley Of Two Cooke Songs "Bring It On Home To Me" And "Send Me Some Lovin' " On His 1975 Oldies Album Rock 'n' Roll. Cooke's Songs Are Covered In A Tour-Available EP From Decemberists Frontman Colin Meloy. It Is The Third Installment Of His Solo-Tour Colin Meloy Sings...! Johnny Nash Covered The Song "Cupid" In 1969 With Chart Success In The US And UK And It Was Included As The B-Side On Some Versions Of His 1972 Hit Single I Can See Clearly Now. The Animals Covered The Song "Bring It On Home To Me" In 1965. Amy Winehouse Also Covered The Song "Cupid" For The BBC Radio 1 Album Radio 1 Established 1967. British Soul Singer Adele Covered The Song "That's It I Quit I'm Movin' On" As B-Side To Her Single "Chasing Pavements" A Bonus Track For The Asian Release Of Her Studio Album 19. Richard Marx Covered "Bring It On Home To Me" And "Wonderful World" During His Earlier Concerts. "A Change Is Gonna Come" Has Been Covered Several Times. Solo Aretha Franklin Tina Turner The Fifth Dimension The Neville Brothers Otis Redding The Fugees Cold War Kids Seal Bill Frisell And The Band Featuring The Vocals Of Rick Danko Have All Recorded Versions Of The Song. Seal's Version Debuted On The R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart Billboard Nov. 2008 Shortly After The Election Of Obama-Biden. Gene Vincent Who Was A Big Fan And A Close Personal Friend Of Sam Cooke's Recorded "Another Saturday Night" In 1964 And "Bring It On Home To Me" Shortly Before His Own Death In 1971. Cat Stevens Released His Greatest Hits Album 1975 With A Cover Of Sam Cooke's "Another Saturday Night" Only The Second Song He Released That He Didn't Write Himself. He Had Also Released It As A Single July 12 1974 Which Reached No.4 In The U.S. Cooke Was An Influence On Punk Vocalist Mia Zapata Of The Gits Who Honored Him With A Cover Of "A Change Is Gonna Come" On Their Album Enter The Conquering Chicken. In Spring 1965 The British Group Herman's Hermits Reached No. 5 In The US Charts And No.7 In The UK Charts With Their Version Of "Wonderful World". In 1978 Art Garfunkel Paul Simon And James Taylor Sang "Wonderful World" Which Hit The Top 40 In The US Charts. In 1966 The Now Cult 60s British Pop Show Ready Steady Goes Live The Live Version Of Ready Steady Go! Devoted A Whole Programme To A Live Performance Of Soul Singer Otis Redding Who Regularly Covered Many Of Cooke's Songs. One Of The Highlights Was A Rousing Version Of "Shake" On Which Redding Was Joined By British Soul Legends Eric Burdon Lead Singer Of The Animals And Chart Topper Chris Farlowe. Jimmy Buffett Covered "Another Saturday Night" On His Album Margaritaville Cafe Late Night Menu In 1993. read less
16 Similar Artists To Sam Cooke - Frogtoon Music
The Soul Stirrers Otis Redding The Impressions Sam & Dave Jackie Wilson Wilson Pickett The Four Tops Percy Sledge Aretha Franklin The Temptations The Drifters Smokey Robinson And The Miracles Solomon Burke Ray Charles Etta James James Carr.
A Change Is Gonna Come is a 1964 single by R&B singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, written and first recorded in 1963 and released under the RCA Victor label shortly after his death in late 1964. Though only a modest hit for Cooke in comparison with his previous singles, the song came to exemplify the sixties Civil Rights Movement. The song has gained in popularity and critical acclaim in the decades since its release.
Origins
Cooke was greatly moved upon hearing Bob Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind" in 1963 and was reportedly in awe[citation needed] that such a poignant song about racism in America could come from someone who was white. While on tour in May 1963, and after speaking with sit-in demonstrators in Durham, North Carolina following a concert, Cooke returned to his tour bus and wrote the first draft of what would become "A Change Is Gonna Come."
In a sense, "A Change Is Gonna Come" is an answer to Dylan's "Blowin' in the Wind", as well as a song of hope for the Civil Rights Movement. The hypothetical questions posed by Dylan, most obvious being "how many years can some people exist, before they're allowed to be free?", were answered by an implied "Fewer than you think." Though Cooke recognized "it's been a long/a long time coming", the song states that change is inevitable. A similar sentiment was echoed by Dylan in "The Times They Are a-Changin'", written and released after "A Change Is Gonna Come." The song also reflected much of Cooke's own inner turmoil. Known for his polished image and light-hearted songs such as "You Send Me" and "Twistin' the Night Away", he had long felt the need to address the situation of discrimination and racism in America, especially the southern states. However, his image and fears of losing his largely white fan base prevented him from doing so.
The song, very much a departure for Cooke, reflected two major incidents in his life. The first was the death of Cooke's eighteen-month-old son, Vincent, who died of an accidental drowning in June of that year. The second major incident came on October 8, 1963, when Cooke and his band tried to register at a "whites only" motel in Shreveport, Louisiana and were summarily arrested for disturbing the peace. Both incidents are represented in the weary tone and lyrics of the piece, especially the final verse: "there have been times that I thought I couldn't last for long/but now I think I'm able to carry on/It's been a long time coming, but I know a change is gonna come."
Recording
After remaining confined to Cooke's notebooks for months of touring, "A Change Is Gonna Come" was finally recorded on December 21, 1963. Recording took place at the RCA Studios in Los Angeles, California during sessions for Cooke's 1964 album, Ain't That Good News.
According to author Peter Guralnick's biography of Cooke, "Dream Boogie", Cooke gave arranger Rene Hall free rein on song's musical arrangement. Hall came up with a dramatic orchestral backing highlighted by a mournful French horn. For his vocal, Cooke reached back to his gospel roots to sing the song with an intensity and passion never heard before on his pop recordings.
Release
The song made its first appearance on Ain't That Good News, the last album to be released within Cooke's lifetime. The LP did well, peaking at number 34 on the Billboard Pop Albums chart, making it more successful than Cooke's previous LP, 1963's Night Beat.
However, Cooke and his new manager Allen Klein thought the song deserved greater exposure. According to Guralnick's book, Klein persuaded Cooke to sing "A Change Is Gonna Come" on his February 7, 1964 appearance on The Tonight Show. Cooke sang the song; unfortunately, any impact it made was dimmed by The Beatles' history-making appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show just two days later. In a further misfortune, NBC did not save the tape of Cooke's performance, which has never turned up in private collections either. RCA Records had bypassed "Change" for Cooke's early 1964 single, instead releasing the tracks "Good Times" and "(Ain't That) Good News". But the company agreed to put the song out as a single late in the year, as the B-side to Cooke's latest potential hit, "Shake." At one of his last recording sessions, Cooke approved an edit to the song that would shorten it by about 30 seconds, increasing its chance for airplay on American radio stations.
Finally given proper attention, "A Change Is Gonna Come" became a sensation among the black community, and was used an anthem for the ongoing civil rights protests. On R&B radio, the song peaked at number 9 on the Billboard Black Singles chart, and topped many local playlists, most notably in Chicago. The song had more limited success on top 40 radio. By February 1965, the song had peaked at number 31 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart and fallen off. Cooke, however, did not live to see the song's commercial success. On December 11, 1964, he was killed at the Hacienda Motel in Los Angeles, California under what many consider mysterious circumstances.
Legacy
Though only a moderate success sales-wise, "A Change Is Gonna Come" became an anthem for the American Civil Rights Movement, and is widely considered Cooke's best composition. Over the years, the song has garnered significant praise and, in 2005, was voted number 12 by representatives of the music industry and press in Rolling Stone magazine's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and voted number 3 in the webzine Pitchfork Media's The 200 Greatest Songs of the 60s.The song is also among three hundred songs deemed the most important ever recorded by National Public Radio (NPR) and was recently selected by the Library of Congress as one of twenty-five selected recordings to the National Recording Registry as of March 2007.
Despite its acclaim, legal troubles have haunted the single since its release. A dispute between Cooke's music publisher, ABKCO, and record company, RCA Records, made the recording unavailable for much of the four decades since its release. Though the song was featured prominently in the 1992 film Malcolm X, it could not be included in the film's soundtrack. By 2003, however, the disputes had been settled in time for the song to be included on the remastered version of Ain't That Good News, as well as the Cooke anthology Portrait of a Legend.
"A Change Is Gonna Come" was a precursor to many later socially-conscious singles, including Marvin Gaye's lauded "What's Going On". Al Green, a self-professed fan of Cooke, covered the song for the concert celebrating the 1996 opening of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Green's live rendition was included in the soundtrack to the 2001 Michael Mann film Ali. James Taylor recorded a version specially for an episode of the same title of the television drama The West Wing. The Allman Brothers Band captured their performance of the song on their 2003 DVD Live at the Beacon Theatre. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.