Tony Santos brings us another exciting story of the Independiente fans, crossed with the first great visit of an international musician to our country that ended "with a little help from his friends" from El Rojo.
The musician came to our country for the first time in 1977. There were three shows at Luna Park where his hits of the moment were not lacking. A great one from Woodstock that he sang for his Argentine fans, and it was quite an event for the local rock world. The visits were very few and the arrival of this great figure represented a step in the production of great shows.
On August 10, 11 and 12, 1977, Joe Cocker was enjoyed by a crowd at Luna Park, where he reviewed much of his repertoire. Cocker arrived after the release of records like Jamaica Say You Will (1975) or Space Captain (1976). The excesses had played a trick on him; he led a disastrous lifestyle based on drugs and alcohol, but his raspy voice still caused a highly sensitive impact on the fan.
The promotion was not very strong. There were not so many means to highlight his arrival and Cocker did not come alone. He did it accompanied by an important band, with experienced musicians.
"They were three unforgettable days. Regardless of the ominous forecasts, regardless of the deplorable attitude of the general press that only highlighted the sensationalist and extra-musical aspects of the event, regardless of lots of organizational errors, some attributable to inexperience, the sound problems, the difficulties of the work of the press, Joe Cocker's presentation at Luna Park became a true event in its own right", acknowledged the chronicle published in the magazine "Expreso Imaginario", which also prepared a special cover.
"It was incredible. It was like a symbol of Woodstock. It was said that he came because he was last, that he was broke. That he was a rag because of drugs, but the shows he gave were amazing. With top-level musicians", reminded Kleiman of La Viola.
Fragment of coverage of one of Joe Cocker's recitals in Argentina published in Expreso Imaginario magazine: "People were fascinated by his presence. In those years it was said that Luna Park was like a shed. Cocker came with technicians from first and everything went perfectly. You have to give them credit."
His fans enjoyed tracks like "Jealous Guy," "Feelin' Alright," "Put Out The Light," "You Are So Beautiful" and the hugely popular "With a Little Help From My Friends."
The technical infrastructure was very important. The musician brought a large amount of equipment, but the work of the Argentine technicians was important. Juan Segura, a sound specialist, acknowledged to La Viola that working on those shows served him as a great learning experience. He was the first artist in the country to have stage monitoring.
"I had a studio next to Toro Martínez. At that time we bought a new console and they called us from local production, Peter Deantoni, to ask us for a sound table for monitors. We didn't understand. 'What is that?' I had a Ford Falcon, I loaded the console on the roof of the car and we took it to Luna Park. They introduced me to a certain Michael Lang, the organizer of Woodstock. My legs trembled," Segura recalled.
The myth about the days of Joe Cocker in the country about the passage of the English singer through Buenos Aires a thousand stories were woven. Many are difficult to confirm and one of them has the character of an urban myth. This story would have occurred when the artist went out to explore the Buenos Aires night. "Legend has it that he had a strong addiction to alcohol and other substances.
He took a 45 bus, got lost at night and ended up in Rivadavia and Galicia, Piñeiro, Avellaneda. On that corner there was (and still is) the legendary bar nicknamed “El Vómito”, the favorite place to gather for the Barra de Independiente of those times. There was their leader, Pistola, and several other boys: Bala, Muñeco, Mancuso, Carucha, Rufa, Cara de Loco, Pantera and Gallego Lomba (son of the owner of the Bar "El Mundial" – From Alsina and Rivadavia).
At one point he doubled a 45 bus and stopped his march in the middle of a great racket inside. A subject who was left sitting on the curb of the sidewalk and screaming was thrown out the front door. The boys came out to see what was happening and Gallego Lomba looked at the guy and said "Look, it's the one on the sign, it's Joe Cocker." The guy was yelling all sorts of things, in a language that was barely recognized as English.
They asked him if he was Joe Cocker and he nodded. They put him in the bar and after cheering him up a bit, he drank half a bottle of whiskey. The boys made a collection, paid for what he had consumed and put him in another bus on line 45. They asked the driver to drop him off at the door of the Sheraton Hotel, where he was staying.
Osvaldo Mario Castedo, "lead" for those years (that is, those who assemble and carry the equipment) confirmed that one night Cocker had disappeared. And that after many hours they found him sitting on a curb on the sidewalk, all drunk, on Paseo Colón, in front of the Retiro Sheraton.
It can be said that Joe Cocker fulfilled one of his functions thanks to "With a Little Help From My Friends" (A little help from his friends, in this case Red fans).
The truth is that Joe Cocker set a trend with his visit to the country. It was not one more. Over time he would return, in November 1992, with his shows at the Vélez stadium, thanks to his eighties hits such as "You Can Leave Your Hat On" and he was also in March 2012, again at Luna Park.
The flame went out on December 22, 2014, at the age of 70, due to lung cancer.