The Man Who Invented Soul [Box set]

Sam Cooke

Product Details

• Audio CD (September 26, 2000)
• Original Release Date: September 26, 2000
• Number of Discs: 4
• Format: Box set
• Note on Boxed Sets: During shipping, discs in boxed sets occasionally become dislodged without damage. Please examine and play these discs. If you are not completely satisfied, we'll refund or replace your purchase.
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B00004WFM0
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #7,383 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential recording

Sam Cooke had a voice like clover honey, and he was as ingenious a businessman as he was an artist--carefully treading the line between smooth pop and deep R&B to bring both audiences to him, as well as together. Disc 1 of this set compiles his 1957-1959 recordings for the Keen label, which had tamed the former gospel tiger into a sweet, wry songwriter with a taste for crooning standards and a signature yodel that marked every song as his property. The second and third discs do the same for his RCA career's singles and album tracks, which, for all their orchestrated slickness, left an indelible mark on soul and even rock (compare "That's It, I Quit, I'm Movin' On" to Elvis Costello's "Blame It On Cain"!). Lastly, there's a disc with two complete albums from Cooke's stylistic poles: Night Beat (after-hours cool soul) and Live at the Harlem Square Club (Cooke as hard-hollering crowd mover). As a survey of the middle period of Cooke's career, this set is totally solid; be advised, though, that it skips over both his early years shouting gospel with the Soul Stirrers and the classic recordings from the last year or so of his life--which include hits such as "Shake" and "A Change Is Gonna Come" that are still, flabbergastingly, out of print. --Douglas Wolk

Product Description

No Description Available
No Track Information Available
Media Type: CD
Artist: COOKE,SAM
Title: MAN WHO INVENTED SOUL
Street Release Date: 09/26/2000
Domestic
Genre: OLDIES

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

122 of 124 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars THE BOX SET FROM THE PRODUCER'S POINT OF VIEW, November 15, 2000

By	Paul Williams (Warwick, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

After reading through the twenty or so reviews of "The Man Who Invented Soul" I wanted to comment on a number of issues raised by the various writers.

1. BMG/RCA does not own material recorded by Sam recorded after September 1963, even though it was originally released on the RCA label. This is owned by ABKCO Records (Allen Klein).

2. For the above reasons we were unable to inlcude signature songs like "A Change Is Gonna Come", "Shake" and so on. These titles will presumably appear on future releases from ABKCO.

3. The intention of this box was to focus in on the Keen repertoire which RCA purchased in the early '60s and his RCA recordings up until the "Tracey" period (post 9/63).

4. That having been said, it was my intention to use come up with some hundred or so Cooke classics, many of which have never been on CD. I would have loved to include the ABKCO owned material, but this wasn't possible and it is my feeling that it is best to have something out there than nothing at all.

5. All the RCA songs are from the original first generation session or master tapes so this is the best ever sound quality, substantially better than "The Man and his Music" (compare 'em).

6. RCA had to delete (cut out) "The Man And His Music" because it contained several titles which reverted to ABKCO. (There are no copies of this CD on the market legitimately).

7. There is a legal issue over the original version of "Another Saturday Night", so we used a very similar alternate version.

8. Many people have commented that they prefer the stereo versions to the mono mixes. All these titles were mixed to stereo at the same time (or very close to) the original 45. In some cases, "Cool Train" for example, this is the first release in stereo.

9. RCA was very limited in its use of photos because of legal issues; this also goes for some of the original album covers.

10. Mr Klein approved the liner notes and made corrections as appropriate.

All in all, I was very happy with the end result which, although I have to admit I'm a little biased, is as good as it gets, given the various issues surrounding Sam's recordings.

I am sure that it will only be a matter of time before Allen and/or Jody Klein put together a release befitting the repertoire that is now ABKCO's. ABKCO has put together some wonderful boxes in the past and I know that the Tracey period will be well served by them.

Paul Williams - Compilation Producer

35 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A word of caution, September 26, 2000

By A Customer

A great collection, as far as it goes. But potential buyers should keep in mind that this collection does not span all of Sam's career. First, the box includes nothing from Sam's tenure with the Soul Stirrers, from 1951 to 1957. If you're interested in Sam's work with that fabulous gospel group, check out "Sam Cooke With The Soul Stirrers" on Fantasy/Specialty.

Second, the box includes nothing that Sam recorded during the last 15 months of his life, including such essential tracks as "Shake" and "A Change Is Gonna Come." Unfortunately, that material is not readily available; the recordings are owned by ABKCO, and we can only hope that ABKCO sees fit to release its own collection sometime soon. Some of the best songs from that period, including the two mentioned above, are on the excellent but out-of-print "The Man And His Music." Look for it at used CD stores, eBay, etc.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quadruple Sam -- You Get Your Money's Worth!, October 21, 2000

By	Tracy Norris (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Some may holler over missing deeply loved tracks, and I can understand.

However, Sam was so prolific; there was more to him than A Change is Gonna Come and Shake. Although, they are some great jams. His best, "A Change..." is no doubt THE song. (It made the songwriters hall of fame.)

I sampled this collection, and I was impressed and wished I had started with this before I accumulated my Cooke cds. There is a lot to this set that I as a big fan, a collector of 12 cds, do not have, but then there is a lot that I do have.

Now, if I were someone who had a cd or two of Cooke's, I would be floored, but I think box collections are for fans. Fans willing to pay the 50 bucks!

As a fan I would require all the aforementioned songs: Change, Shake, gospel tracks, and my favorite, That's Where's It's At.

The best anthology yet of Sam's is The Man and His Music, which has Change..., Shake, and others not on this collection.

[As a fan, I won't let anyone down who REQUIRES a Change Gonna Come, Shake, Meet Me at Mary's Place, Good Times, and That's Where It's At. Read on to see how I can put you out of your misery.]

I tell you the compilers of that cd picked 28 outstanding songs three gospels and 25 secular, and they did a fantastic job!

Where were they when it came to putting this together?

Now, I am not going to trash this box set; it's wonderful.

There's decent music on it, and I would kill to have this collection, if I didn't feel that I already half-way have it.

If you are on the fence, get this cd! You won't be disappointed. Shoot, I might do a complete turn-around and caugh up the dough, because I would love to read whatever they got in there and check out the pictures. (Folks, they even got the lyrics!)

However, if you want a true collection, you'll have to augment your Cooke catalogue with Man & His Music, Cooke with the Soul Stirrers, and his other live performance at the Shrine auditorium called, The Great '55 Shrine Concert.

Now, any fan wants to cry over spilled milk can email me at:

[e-mail]

I will direct you to where you can get Man and his music, Soul Stirrers, and The Great Shrine Concert, which by the way only has three powerful songs (totally about 23 min.) but well worth it, anyway.