Friday Second Show Dancing at the Merry 2022 Birthday of the Awesome Joe Cocker and the Irrepressible Cher
by Robert Wilkinson
Our second show celebrates two great musical birthdays from a few days ago. Last Friday would have been the 78th birthday of a vocal force of Nature, the legendary Joe Cocker, as well as Cher's 76th birthday! I found videos of some of her most famous tunes with Sonny, as well as complete shows where she shows a diamond polish! For now, though, we'll postpone the polished diamond and celebrate a very rough uncut stone(r)!
Joe Cocker (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was certainly blessed with some of the best backing musicians around! Jimmy Page was a contributor to his studio versions of "Marjorine" and "With A Little Help From My Friends," as was Procol Harem's drummer, BJ Wilson. In his touring band he had Henry McCullough, who later went on to play in Paul McCartney's Wings, and by 1969-1971 was part of the rolling party known as "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" with Leon Russell, Rita Coolidge, Jim Keltner, Jim Gordon, Bobby Keys, and a host of other top shelf musicians.
Waving arms, roaring vocals, and a look that could come from a bar brawl rather than a stadium stage, this guy was one for the ages! Joe has given us some amazing interpretations of other people's songs, and so without further delay, here's Joe Cocker!
We begin with his 1968 single, set to a still drawing of Joe back when. "Marjorine"
Last year I had his performance of this huge hit on The Music Scene in 1969, but it’s disappeared. Instead, also in 1969, live on David Frost, here’s a great early video performance of Leon Russell’s "Delta Lady"
Here’s the original studio version of "Delta Lady"
Also from 1969 on French television, here’s Joe at his early best! “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window”
Here's the set that introduced the world to his thrashing and flailing on stage! From the 1969 original Woodstock festival, we have three video performances of:
And the set closer, "With A Little Help From My Friends."
Also from Woodstock, here are his audio-only performances of “Feelin’ Alright,” “I Shall Be Released,” “Just Like A Woman," and “I Don’t Need No Doctor”
Also from that legendary event, “Something To Say” and “Hitchcock Railway”
Here’s the entire set! Joe Cocker at Woodstock 1969
From October 1969, live on Playboy After Dark, Joe and the Grease Band cranking out a great live performance of “Hitchcock Railway”
From 1970, some great live performances at the Fillmore East and other venues by Mad Dogs and Englishmen with occasional montages courtesy of the DVD! And yes, it’s more or less in order of the set list.
First, the intro! "Honky Tonk Women"
"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" (audio only)
“The Weight” (audio only)
“Bird On A Wire” (video with some peaceful hippies. Don’t know why they make you sign in)
"Feelin’ Alright” (audio only)
“Darlin’ Be Home Soon” (audio only)
"The Letter" (audio only)
“A Little Help From My Friends” (this year, audio only)
“The Ballad of Mad Dogs and Englishmen”
And because it’s too cool, here’s a video of Joe Cocker in 1968 (before MDAE) cranking out his original version of “A Little Help From My Friends”
Here's the band jamming in a bar after the show!
2 years ago I had the entire 1 hour 56 minute Mad Dogs and Englishmen film, but this year it’s nowhere to be found. Better luck next year. Still, I managed to find this great hour and 9 audio only clip from the Fillmore East in November 1970! Mad Dogs and Englishmen Live at the Fillmore East – First set
From that same Nov 1970 gig, here’s the entire 1 hour 30 second set! Leon Russell Live at the Fillmore East – Second set
More great live performances!
From November 1969, "Something"
Here’s a great live video from the 1971 movie Groopies featuring Joe doing his signature tune "Delta Lady"
From nearly unplugged, "You Are So Beautiful"
From Montreux in 1987, "You Are So Beautiful"
From The Tour For A.R.M.S, live at Madison Square Garden on 9 December 1983, Eric Clapton and Joe Cocker doing "Worried Life Blues"
From the Best of Joe Cocker Live,
Supposedly from 1982 down under in Oz, I found some great video clips!
“Cry Me A River” and “Whiter Shade of Pale”
“Wasted Years” and “Feelin’ Alright”
“Just Like Always” and “Hitchcock Railway”
“You Are So Beautiful” and “The Letter”
“With A Little Help From My Friends”
Here’s an entire 44 minute show live in Germany in 1982! Joe Cocker Live in Munchen 1982 (Set List: “Look What You Have Done,” “Ruby Lee,” “Guilty,” “Many Rivers To Cross,” “Shocked,” “Seven Days,” “Don't Talk To Me,” “With A Little Help From My Friends,” and “Watching The River Flow”)
Also from Germany in 1983, an hour of live video from Germany! Joe Cocker at the Loreley Amphitheatre
From 1983 with Jennifer Warnes, Joe's Grammy award winning "Up Where We Belong"
Live from Detroit in 1987, "When A Man Loves A Woman"
At the Prince's Trust in 1988, "The Letter"
Joe Cocker in Berlin 1992 doing "Feelin' Alright"
Live from Dortmund, Germany in 1992, here’s Joe live performing “Sorry Seems to be the Hardest Word”
From Baden-Baden Germany in 1996, here’s Joe belting out the great Stevie Winwood tune from his Blind Faith days, “Can’t Find My Way Home.” From the same show, “Delta Lady”
From the AVO session, Joe live performing the John Lennon classic “Come Together”
Here are more Joe Cocker interpretations set to pictures and videos.
From the Queen's Golden Jubilee in Buckingham Palace Garden on 3 June 2002, an all star line up with Steve Winwood on organ, Pino Palladino on bass, Phil Collins on drums, Bryan May on guitar, and Joe doing vocals on a great version of "With A Little Help From My Friends."
We'll close today's birthday celebration with another song from that show featuring Paul McCartney, Rod Stewart, Joe Cocker & Eric Clapton doing John Lennon's timeless anthem, "All You Need is Love"
Joe Cocker's official web site
A most happy and merry to you, Mister Joe Cocker. Sorry you checked out so young. Your amazing voice will be missed, even if it will never be silenced!
*********
Speaking of a Force of Nature, today is also the birthday of the fabulous Cher (May 20, 1946). While I don't have time to do a full tribute this year, here are a few links you may enjoy!
Her biggest hit, and the theme for one of my favorite movies, Groundhog Day. With Sonny in 1965 on Top of the Pops, here they are live doing "I Got You Babe"
From The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour, here they are live doing "The Beat Goes On" weaving in parts of "It Don't Come Easy" in interesting ways. Sonny has the humor, Cher has the pipes. Here's the original studio version, set to an extremely low budget promo film with Sonny and Cher in a giant barn with furs on. Worth a couple minutes since the song is still pretty cool. ""The Beat Goes On."
They released this before "I Got You Babe" became a megahit. This video is from the very beginning, and you can see how shy she is. "Baby Don't Go"
Also from The Sonny and Cher Show, a very young Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5 belting out “Looking Through The Window”
(The S&C Comedy Hour was the name in the early 70s, while The S&C Show was its name in the second half of the 70s.)
From French tv in 1966, Sonny and Cher live in a strange video performance of “Little Man”
And from the same year on the Beat Club, an equally strange video performance of “Little Man”
From 1966, the original studio version set to stills of "Bang Bang"
In 1969, she cut this album with the Muscle Shoals rhythm section without Sonny. It's a great piece of work! 3614 Jackson Highway
Live on The Cher Show in 1975, here’s GREAT television footage of Cher singing and dancing with the Jackson 5 as Michael steps out front with a medley of “I Want You Back,” “I'll Be There,” “Never Can Say Goodbye,” “The Love You Save,” & “Dancing Machine”
From the early 70s, "Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves"
Here's a pretty outrageous music video of Cher performing "Half Breed"
And from 1980, a 68 minute show! Cher Live in Monte Carlo
Here's the 1999 HBO special of her entire 90 minute concert! Cher Live at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas
And from 1999, an hour 25 minute concert of Cher – the Believe Tour
We’ll close with a full hour and 29 show from her 2004 Farewell Tour! Cher – The Farewell Tour
For our encore, a spectacular live performance from 1975 by Cher on The Cher Show cranking out the Bob Dylan masterpiece, ”All I Really Want to Do” followed by an “interview” with her daughter Chaz Bono.
Now THAT's miraculous!
For more about this talent for the ages, here a 42 minute biography, said to be the A&E show with extra footage. The 2003 Cher Biography
Last year I had the 56 minute < i>The BBC Cher Biography – 2004 but it’s disappeared. So instead, here’s an hour and 6 of Behind the Music – Cher - 1999
Last, an ABC Original television movie about the lives of Sonny and Cher! And the Beat Goes On – The Sonny and Cher Story
Copyright © 2022 Robert Wilkinson
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