Two Classic Joe Cocker LPs Set To Receive Reissues
The albums arrive in the wake of his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Two classic albums from Joe Cocker are set to be released on October 24, just a few weeks before he’ll be posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on November 8.
With A Little Help From My Friends, Cocker’s debut, was released in April of 1969. The title track was originally recorded by the Beatles in 1967. Other covers on the record include a version of Bob Dylan’s “Just Like a Woman” and “I Shall Be Released.”
Joe Cocker! is the English singer’s second studio album, released in November of 1969. The LP features covers of songs from Bob Dylan (“Dear Landlord”), The Beatles (“She Came in Through the Bathroom Window” and “Something”), Leonard Cohen (“Bird on the Wire”), and Leon Russell (“Delta Lady” and “Hello Little Friend”). Cocker also co-wrote one song for the album, “That’s Your Business Now,” which he penned with frequent collaborator Chris Stainton.
In recent months, a number of rare videos of Joe Cocker live performances have been re-released in HD on YouTube. Late last month, the performance of “Albion Intro From The Anglo Saxophone (AKA Mad Dogs & Englishmen Theme)” from the 1970 concert film Mad Dogs & Englishmen was released. Additional clips from the celebrated concert film include a performance of “The Letter” and “She Came In Through The Bathroom Window.”
The Mad Dogs & Englishmen concert film was released in March 1971, drawing praise from no less than Roger Ebert, who called its performance footage “the best rock coverage since Woodstock” in his Chicago Sun-Times review. “The sound is first rate, for one thing,” Ebert added, “and director Pierre Adidge has some idea of why Cocker electrifies a crowd.” Vincent Canby of The New York Times felt similarly, hailing Mad Dogs & Englishmen as “one of the best concert films so far.”
Other recently unveiled live footage includes a special performance of “You Can Leave Your Hat On” from Night of The Proms in The Netherlands on October 16, 1992.
