Favorite Song Wednesday: The Return of Sam Cooke

I had been giving Sam Cooke a little rest for a few months, but it's hard to put down the man's records.

The live recording from the Copa is an interesting counterpoint to the more popular Harlem Square Live recording. While that one is like a great ball of fire chasing you down a narrow corridor, the Copa performance is a cozy fireplace in your living room.



The story goes that the Copa Cabana in New York was the venue that Sam Cooke most wanted to succeed at. Early in his career he played there, and self-admittedly bombed. This recording is from his second try, where he undeniably knocks'em dead.

I've posted three tracks from the performance. The first is a medley of For Sentimental Reasons, You Send Me, and Otis Redding's Try a Little Tenderness. The second is a beautiful ballad that I hadn't heard before. Lastly, I've included the Bob Dylan cover Blowin in the Wind, a song that Sam apparently admired and wished he had written.

Sam Cooke - Medley (Live at the Copa)
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Sam Cooke - When I Fall in Love (Live at the Copa)
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Sam Cooke - Blowin in the Wind (Live at the Copa)
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