Sam Cooke’s popularity didn’t stop him from trying to improve himself and his music, from an intellectual standpoint.   Having started with traditional hymns and adding new lyrics, he had attained success and kept challenging himself intellectually, reading everything from Aristotle to James Baldwin.  In this podcast, author Peter Guralnick, Sam’s brother LC Cooke and musicians Bobby Womack and Hal Blaine describe the man’s motivations as he created Night Beat, the blues recording literally recorded in the middle of the night.  Recording engineer Al Schmitt, who worked on some of Cooke’s best known music: “He was really hands on in the studio… just amazing.”

Songs included: “What A Wonderful World” “For Sentimental Reasons” “Trouble Blues” “Fool’s Paradise” and “Bring it on Home to Me”

Producer:  Joyride Media