He is the most talented singer that England has ever produced. These are not our words, but those of Eric Clapton, and they relate to Joe Cocker, the wild and jerky performer with the sandpaper voice. In 1968 he surprised the world with the Beatles cover With a Little Help From My Friends, and a year later he was one of the revelations at the Woodstock Festival. He strengthened his reputation with major hits like The Letter (No. 7 in the US), Cry Me a River (No. 11 in the USA) and High Time We Went (No. 22 in the USA), but after the financially disastrous Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour (1970) through the States, he got into trouble and became addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Halfway through the decade his career had stalled. In the early 80s he was offered a demo of Up Where You Belong (from the film An Officer and a Gentleman), but Cocker was not excited, because he would record the song with Jennifer Warnes, according to him a country & western singer. But finally he agreed, and the single reached the top of the American charts and won a Grammy Award (1983). I could not believe that this kind of music was still being made, was his reaction, but Up Where We Belong put him back on the map and marked the relaunch of his career.
Joe Cocker was particularly successful in the US, due to the fact that the music he made connected very well with the American R&B tradition. In Europe, he is best known for his Beatles covers (She Came in Through the Bathroom Window, Something), while in America he became famous with successful covers of Bob Dylan, Randy Newman and Marvin Gaye. During the concert in Montreux (1987) he sings three Dylan compositions (Dear Landlord, Seven Days, Watching the River Flow), 2 Newman songs (You Can Leave Your Hat on, Guilty), and Inner City Blues, as a tribute to Marvin Gaye. The rest of the material (5 songs) comes from his album A Civilized Man (1984). And of course, With a Little Help From My Friends, his famous Beatles cover, is also present.
Joe Cocker is in his best shape in Montreux. The financial problems are averted by the renewed international success, he is out of rehab and he uses alcohol in reasonable quantities. Supported by a strong six-member band and two background singers, he delivers a strong performance. He looks relaxed and healthy, and he has the material under control. He is 18 years older than at the Woodstock festival, but his performance is more balanced and disciplined, while the magnificent voice is still the same.
Playlist:
1 Dear Landlord
2 You Can Leave Your Hat on
3 Feelin’ Alright
4 Civilized Man
5 Inner City Blues
6 Just Like Always
7 Up Where We Belong
8 Seven Days
9 Shelter Me
10 With a Little Help from my Friends
11 You Are so Beautiful
12 Watching the River Flow
13 Guilty
Joe Cocker has always enjoyed more respect from his peers than from the public, and in America he was always more successful than in Europe. His magnum opus is probably the live album Mad Dogs & Englishmen, and his performance in Montreux in 1987 is a perfect sample of his great talent.