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Sam Cooke muore l’11 dicembre 1964.
Quella notte, Sam è in un motel di infima categoria, con lui è una giovane donna incontrata chissà dove; Sam affitta una stanza ad ore ed i due vi si ritirano.
Nel cuore della notte, la tenutaria del motel ode gridare una giovane donna, sono invocazioni di aiuto; è convinta sia quella che si accompagna al bel giovane entrato pochi momenti prima; e non esita a telefonare alla polizia, perché intervenga.
Sam lo intuisce e si precipita fuori dalla stanza; si avventa contro la donna al telefono e la colpisce ripetutamente; lei barcolla, è in preda al panico e, quasi inconsapevolmente, afferra la pistola sotto il bancone e fa fuoco; due, tre, quattro colpi colpiscono il segno.
Così muore Sam Cooke, in una notte del dicembre 1964, in un motel di infima categoria, dove ha affittato una stanza ad ore per un occasionale incontro di sesso, degenerato in un tentativo di stupro ai danni di una giovane donna incontrata chissà dove.
Questa è la ricostruzione ufficiale.
Ci credono in pochi, perché uno stupratore ed un assassino non possono celarsi dietro a quella voce ed a quel sorriso.
Non può morire così il più grande cantante del mondo, come lo ha definito Cassius Clay pochi giorni prima nel corso della conferenza stampa seguita al match con Sonny Liston; non può morire così il più grande cantante del mondo, alle cui esequie un affranto Ray Charles intona «Angels Keep Watching Over Me».
In pochi credono alla ricostruzione ufficiale ed, inevitabile, prende corpo la teoria del complotto: Sam Cooke è morto per mano della CIA e dell’FBI.
Sam Cooke frequenta il pugile Cassius Clay; Cassius è convertito all’Islam e si fa chiamare Mohammed Alì, è renitente alla leva e rifiuta di andare a combattere in Vietnam, di sacrificarsi per conservare la Terra dei Liberi e la Casa dei Coraggiosi.
Sam Cooke è vicino al reverendo Martin Luther King ed al militante radicale Malcolm X; la rivendicazione dei diritti dei neri, Selma, l’assassinio di King e quello di Malcolm X.
«That son of a bitch is brave and getting braver»: quel figlio di puttana sta prendendo coraggio.
Sam passa da una piccola casa discografica alla RCA e di seguito fonda la sua casa discografica. Vuole passare oltre «Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha» e «(What A) Wonderful World» e compone «A Change Is Gonna Come». Che i tempi stiano cambiando lo avverte Bob Dylan, ma l’eco della voce e della chitarra di Bob ad Harlem non arriva; solo un fratello può parlare ad altri fratelli.
I fratelli vedono in Sam un’intuizione di consapevolezza ed ai loro occhi si dischiude la possibilità del riscatto e dell’affermazione: quei figli di puttana stanno prendono coraggio.
Il singolo «Shake b/w A Change Is Gonna Come» esce postumo, perché Sam Cooke muore sparato in una notte di dicembre 1964.
Io non ci credo che la storia sia andata come racconta Bertha Franklin, tenutaria di un motel dove si affittano stanze ad ore per rapporti sessuali occasionali e lontano da occhi indiscreti.
Non ci credo perché tanti anni fa – ben prima di venire a conoscenza della vicenda della morte di Sam Cooke – ho comprato questa antologia e so per certo che una voce come quella di Sam ed un sorriso come il suo non celano uno stupratore né un assassino.
Ha senso un best of dedicato a Sam Cooke comprendente solo dodici canzoni, e tra queste dodici non figura «A Change Is Gonna Come»? Ha senso racchiudere in nemmeno trenta minuti la vicenda artistica di Sam Cooke?
Per me, che conosco Sam Cooke per il tramite degli Animals e di Van Morrison che interpretano «Bring It On Home To Me», il senso è la meraviglia.
La meraviglia è quella di «You Send Me», «Only Sixteen», «Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha», «(What A) Wonderful World», «Chain Gang», «Cupid«, «Twistin’ The Night Away», «Sad Mood», «Having A Party» e «Bring It On Home To Me».
Ma anche quella di leggere sotto ogni singolo titolo, tra parentesi, sempre il medesimo cognome dell’autore (Cooke): questi brani fondano il pop, più di quanto abbiano fatto i Beatles, ed è tutta farina del suo sacco.
Ed infine, la meraviglia di aver acquistato tanti anni fa uno dei migliori dischi che abbia ascoltato.
Sam Cooke muore in una notte di dicembre 1964.
Non so se sia morto per una temporanea perdita di senno, sua o di chi preme quel grilletto, o per un complotto. So, però, che, se mai è morta, la musica muore il giorno in cui muore Sam Cooke.
Elenco tracce e testi
01 You Send Me (02:47)
Darling you send me
I know you send me
Darling you send me
Honest you do, honest you do, honest you do, oh
You thrill me
I know you, (you, you) thrill me
Darling you thrill me
Honest you do
At first I thought it was infatuation
That has lasted so long
But now I find myself wanting
To marry you and take you home
Ohhh you send me
I know you send me
I know you send me
Honest you do
Whoa whenever I'm with you
I know, I know, I know that I'm near you
Umm-humm, umm-humm
Honest you do honest you do
I know I know I know when you hold me,
I know I know wooo whenever you kiss me
Honest you do
At first I thought it was infatuation
But it has lasted so long
But now I find myself wanting
To marry and take you home
I know I know I know you send me
I know you send me
Ohh you send me
Honest you do
02 Only Sixteen (01:56)
She was only sixteen, only sixteen
But I loved her so
She was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
We'd laugh and we'd sing
and do funny things
And it made our hearts glow
But she was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
So why did I give my heart so fast
it never will happen again
But I was a mere child of sixteen
I've aged a year since then
She was only sixteen, only sixteen
oh with eyes that would glow
But she was too young to fall in love
and I was too young to know
(So why did I give my heart so fast)
Biy, it never will happen again
(But I were a mere child of sixteen)
Oh, I've aged a year since then
She was only sixteen, only sixteen
Oh but I loved that girl so
But she was too young to fall in love
And I was too young to know
She was too young to fall in love
And I, I was too young, I was much too young know
04 For Sentimental Reasons (03:17)
I love you
For sentimental reasons
I hope you do believe me
I've given you my
Given you my heart because I mmm you
And you alone were meant for me
Please give your loving heart to me
And say we'll never part
I think of you every morning
I dream of you every night
And I know I'm never lonely
Whenever you are in sight
I know I love you
And you alone were meant for me
Please give your loving heart to me
And tell we'll never part
I think of you every morning
Can I help it if I dream of you every night
No, no, no, no, I'm never lonely
Whenever you are in sight
I know that I love you
And you alone were meant for me
Please give your loving heart to me
And tell we will never part
My darling I love you
I love you
05 Having a Party (02:29)
We're having a party
dancing to the music
played by the DJ
on the radio
the cokes are in the icebox
the popcorn's on the table
me and my baby, we're out here on the floor
So listen, Mr. DJ
keep those records playing
'cause I'm having such a good time
dancing with my baby
Everybody's swinging
Sally's doing that twist now
if you take request, I....
I got a few for you
play that song called Soul Twist
play that one called I Know
don't forget the Mashed Potatoes
no other songs will do
Let me tell you Mr., Mr. DJ
why don't you keep those records playing
'cause I'm having such a good time
dancing with my baby
Having a party--yeah
everybody's swinging--oh we're
dancing to the music--yeah
on the radio--oh we're
having a party--man
everybody's swinging--yeah
dancing to the music--yeah
on the radio--say it one more time
We're having a party--yeah
everybody's swinging--oh we're
dancing to the music--yeah
on the radio (song fades and ends)
06 Summertime (02:25)
Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Your daddy's rich
And your ma is good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're going to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take to the sky
But till that morning
There's a'nothing can harm you
With daddy and mamma standing by
Summertime,
And the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin'
And the cotton is high
Your daddy's rich
And your mamma's good lookin'
So hush little baby
Don't you cry
07 Chain Gang (02:36)
(Hoh! Ah!) I hear something saying (Hoh! Ah!)
(Hoh! Ah!)(Well don't you know)
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, ga-ang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
All day long they're singing (Hoh! Ah!)
(Well don't you know)
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, ga-ang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
All day long they work so hard till the sun is going down
Working on the highways and byways and wearing, wearing a frown
You hear they moaning their lives away
Then you hear somebody say
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, ga-ang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
Can't you hear them singing, mmm (Hoh! Ah!)
I'm going home one of these days
I'm going home, see my woman
Whom I love so dear
But meanwhile I gotta work right here
(Well don't you know)
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, ga-ang
That's the sound of the men,
Working on the chain, gang
All day long they're singing, mmm (Hoh! Ah!)
My work is so hard
Give me water
I'm thirsty, my work is so hard
Woah ooo
My work is so hard
08 Cupid (02:31)
Cupid draw back your bow
And let your arrow go
Straight to my lover's heart for me, for me
Cupid please hear my cry
And let your arrow fly
Straight to my lover's heart for me
Now I don't mean to be bother to you
But I'm in distress
There's danger of me losing all of my happiness
For I love a girl who doesn't know I exist
And this you can fix So...
Cupid draw back your bow
And let your arrow go
Straight to my lover's heart for me, nobody but me
Cupid please hear my cry
And let your arrow fly
Straight to my lover's heart for me
Now, Cupid if your arrow make her love strong for me
I promise I wll love her until eternity
I know between the two of us her heart we can steal
help me if you will So...
Cupid draw back your bow
And let your arrow go
Straight to my lover's heart for me, nobody but me
Cupid please hear my cry
And let your arrow fly
Straight to my lover's heart for me
Now, Cupid
don't you hear me
calling you
I need you
Cupid
help me
I need you
Cupid
09 Twistin' The Night Away (02:42)
Let me tell you 'bout a place
Somewhere up-a New-York way
Where the people are so gay
Twistin' the night away
Here they have a lot of fun
Puttin' trouble on the run
Man, you find the old and young
Twistin' the night away
They're twistin', twistin', everybody's feelin' great
They're twistin', twistin', they're twistin' the night away
Here's a man in evenin' clothes
How he got here, I don't know, but
Man, you oughta see him go
Twistin' the night away-ay
He's dancin' with the chick in slacks
She's a-movin' up and back
Oh man, there ain't nothin' like
Twistin' the night away
They're twistin', twistin', everybody's feelin' great
They're twistin', twistin', they're twistin' the night away
Let's twist a while!
Lean up, lean back
Lean up, lean back
Watusi, now fly, now twist
They're twistin' the night away
Here's a fella in bluejeans
Dancin' with a older Queen
Who's dolled up in-a diamond rings and
Twistin' the night away-ay
Man, you oughta see her go
Twistin' to the rock and roll
Here you find the young and old
Twistin' the night away
They're twistin', twistin', man, everybody's feelin' great
They're twistin', twistin', they're twistin' the night away
One more time!
Lean up, lean back
Lean up, lean back
Watusi, now fly, now twist
They're twistin' the night away
10 Sad Mood (02:31)
(start with chorus)
I'm in a sad mood tonight
oh I'm in a sad mood
I'm in a sad mood tonight
oh my baby done gone away and left me
my baby done gone yeah
my baby done gone away and left me
my baby done gone
I don't know why she left me
I don't know where shes gone
all I know is that I'll never be happy
until my baby comes back home yeah
(repeat chorus)
I don't know why she left me
but this one thing I know
that if my baby tells me that she'll come back home
I'll never, ever do it no more yeah
(repeat chorus--song fades)
11 Wonderful World (02:07)
Don't know much about history
Don't know much about biology
Don't know much about a science book
Don't know much about the French I took
What I do know that I love you
And I know that if you love me too
What a wonderful world this would be
Don't know much about geography
Don't know much trigonometry
Don't know much about algebra
Don't know what a slide rule is for
What I do know, one and one is two
And if this one could be with you
What a wonderful world this would be
Now, I don't plan to be an A student
But I'm trying to be
For maybe by being an A student, baby
I can win your love for me
Don't know much about history
Don't know much about biology
Don't know much about a science book
Don't know much about the French I took
What I do know that I love you
And I know that if you love me too
What a wonderful world this would be
What I do know that I love you
And I know that if you love me too
What a wonderful world this would be
12 Bring It on Home to Me (02:40)
If you ever, change your mind
About leaving, leavin' me behind
Oh-oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet lovin'
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
I know I laughed, when you left
But now I know, I only hurt myself
Oh-oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet lovin'
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
I'll give you jewellery, and money too
That ain't all, that ain't all I'd do for you
Oh, if you bring it to me
Bring your sweet lovin'
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
You know I'll always, be your slave
Till I'm buried, buried in my grave
Oh honey, bring it to me
Bring your sweet lovin'
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
One more thing
I tried, to treat you right
But you stayed out, stayed out late at night
But I forgive you, bring it to me
Bring your sweet lovin'
Bring it on home to me, yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) '''REPEAT TO FADE'''
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