Sam Cooke - Live at Harlem Square Club LP

Sam Cooke is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of soul music and among the most gifted vocalists of the twentieth century. Bridging the sacred fervour of gospel with the earthly emotion of rhythm and blues, Cooke crafted a body of work that influenced virtually every soul and R&B singer who followed. His studio recordings were polished, melodic, and commercially astute, yet they only told part of the story. It was in front of a live audience, fully released from the constraints of the recording booth, that the full measure of his artistry became apparent.

One Night in Miami

On the night of 12 January 1963, Sam Cooke took the stage at the Harlem Square Club in Miami’s Overtown neighbourhood, backed by a tight ensemble including saxophonist King Curtis and guitarist Cornell Dupree. Performing for an audience of devoted fans who had followed him since his gospel days, Cooke shed the suave composure of his television appearances and threw himself into an urgent, sweat-soaked call-and-response set. The results alarmed his label — RCA Victor found the recordings too raw and raucous, far removed from the debonair pop image they were cultivating, and shelved the tapes entirely. They remained locked away for over two decades.

A Belated Revelation

In 1985, RCA executive Gregg Geller unearthed the tapes and authorised their release. The album was immediately heralded as a revelation, exposing a side of Cooke that his carefully controlled studio output had kept hidden. Rolling Stone placed it among the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time, and it is now considered one of the finest live recordings in the history of popular music — a document of an artist at the peak of his powers, unguarded and incandescent.

This Pressing

This Music On Vinyl reissue (catalogue number MOVLP071) is pressed on 180g vinyl from a 2005 remaster. Music On Vinyl is a Dutch record label specialising in high-quality audiophile reissues on heavyweight vinyl, drawing from a wide catalogue of licensed titles across all genres.

Tracklist

Side A

1. Soul Twist / Introduction
2. Feel It (Don’t Fight It)
3. Chain Gang
4. Cupid
5. Medley: It’s All Right / For Sentimental Reasons
6. Twistin’ the Night Away

Side B

1. Somebody Have Mercy
2. Bring It On Home to Me
3. Nothing Can Change This Love
4. Having a Party