Live At The Harlem Square Club

My favorite moment on the album happens during "Somebody Have Mercy" towards the end when Swingin' Sam wails about how there's something wrong with him. "It ain't that leukemia," Sam answers. "That ain't it." This album never fails to put me in a great mood. It's just an all-around joy, and Sam Cooke is having such a good time that he encourages everyone in the audience (and by association, everyone listening) to keep the party going well beyond the final song. When the pandemic started all the way back in March, 2020 and it became obvious we were all going to spend an extended amount of time quarantining, I bought digital copies of this album and Sam Cooke at the Copa. It's not an exaggeration to say both albums got me through that first part of the pandemic. I longed to be at those performances with people singing every word and having the time of their lives. God bless the late Sam Cooke. Dude found a way to enthrall listeners who weren't even born - hell, people who wouldn't even be a dirty thought for decades to come - when he played the Harlem Square Club. That's the mark of a true legend.

This is the album that convinced me that I like live albums. Breakneck pace, just an absolute amazing, iconic performance

Totally electrifying live performance, raw and raucous but still note-perfect — breathes new life into songs I've heard to the point of fatigue

Good goddamn, I wanns be in that room, sloppy drunk, right next to the sax player. Josh may not be a live album guy but I'm hoping if there's any album that can convince, it's this one. Or maybe Cornell 77. I love that live albums recorded back in the mid 60s didn't isolate the music from the audience. Soundboard recordings sound great and clean but miss the whole premise of a performance for an audience, and this one is rowdy as hell. All I could wish is that his songs were a little more varied than the pop doowoppy swing stuff and this could be one of the best live albums around. B

This was fantastic. Sam Cooke has an incredible voice - so much soul and feeling going into every song. Well worth multiple listens.

I didn't expect this to be this fucking awesome. Chain Gang is a real banger. I'm very impressed with this.

First time listening: 10/10 songs liked I rarely save live songs, so this won't add to my gigantic list, HOWEVER. I will save this album as a consideration to listen to constantly, because it's a beautiful treat to behold. The raw energy of sam cooke and the crowd play together so well. No songs saved

Holy shit. I have been sleeping on Sam Cooke. This album is so amazing, definitely one of the best live albums I've ever heard in my life. If not the very best. His vocal quality, his interactions with the crowd...what a gifted performer. The magnetism shines through so well that it feels like you're there even without a visual. Amazing. Definitely would re-listen to the entire setlist.

Sounds like the best party ever

I can only imagine how great he was live. Would have loved to see him

Favs: Cupid, Twistin' the Night Away, Bring It On Home to Me, Having a Party, Chain Gang Mehs: Medley: It's All Right/For Sentimental Reasons I'm usually not much for live albums, but the energy of the crowd here and his crowd-work makes this one incredible (crowd-work is especially fun on "Chain Gang," a song my mom used to sing all the time). “Having a Party” and “Cupid” just make you feel good. Cooke's raw but smooth voice is a favorite. I always sit and feel impressed that this is his voice live. Great soul; great sax.

Better than I expected. Has a really enjoyable mood.

Wow. Familiar with many of Sam Cooke's songs, but not with this album. Love the grittiness and power, plus it's easy to hear how incredible he was as a performer. I read the Wikipedia entry on the album and then the one on Sam Cooke. Fascinating and tragic personal story. Back to this album: can absolutely hear why this album is consistently high up on so many lists. Can absolutely hear how his sound influenced countless artists who followed.

Loved listening to this and feeling like I'd been transported to Harlem in the 60's. His voice sounds even better live.

It started pretty decent, but every subsequent song got better and better, culminating with an amazing live version of Bring it On Home. Close to a 5, but a few "live album-isms" hold it back.

“Live at the Harlem Square Club” by Sam Cooke (recorded in 1963, released in 1985) Sam Cooke was great. He is rightly called the “King of Soul”. Now here’s an album that, to be generous, gets beneath the manicured artificiality of studio production and provides a raw, free expression of live performance. But it still has the weaknesses of all live recordings, which are considerable. So as an album, it fails on a fundamental level. Nevertheless it does offer a glimpse of something beautiful. “Live at the Harlem Square Club”, as a collection of songs, serves as a partial answer to the question “Why is soul music called ‘soul’ music?” Cooke’s songs are soulful, which is to say they magnify the passions. Each song is focused on a particular feeling, without the distracting consideration of counter-feelings, equivocations, internal contradictions, rational coherence, or systematic analysis. Hence they do not prompt deep or complex thought. Most frequently, they avoid treating of the feelings of others as well, so while they are intense, they are conceptually simple. But most importantly, they lay bare the passions. “Don’t fight it, we gonna feel it.” In other words, don’t let the mind or the will get in the way of the emotions. The lyrics of these songs provide a discursive foundation for a wonderful musical elaboration that evokes feelings in the listener. The best expression of this may be found in the second track, “Feel it (Don’t Fight It)”. He knows exactly what he’s doing. Sometimes there is a bit of a mismatch here, like Cooke’s verbal intro to “Chain Gang”, which he says is “designed to make you feel good”. I’m sorry, Sam, but a song about men sentenced to hard labor doesn’t exactly make me feel good. Rather, it makes me feel sympathetic, and perhaps angry at the possible racial inequities and other potential injustices. I’m not particularly enthusiastic about the virtues of ‘re-education through labor’, as practiced in Stalin’s gulags, Mao’s laogai, or American chain gangs. This is not to say that virtues cannot be found and cultivated in these contexts. But that’s not the first thing that comes to mind (or soul). If I had been present at the live concert, I would have been reluctant to join in the festive “Hoh ah, hoh ah”, as Cooke encouraged the audience. Solzhenitsyn was rarely in a festive mood. Musically, these tracks are far, far inferior to their studio versions. It’s painful to listen to “Cupid” or "(I Love You) for Sentimental Reasons". This inferior quality is not merely a function of the unavoidable limitations of recording in a live setting. It is also reflected in the vocal and instrumental flubs (and the seriously out of tune guitar and saxophone) which cannot be corrected through dubbing or ‘one more take’. The key feature of live performance is live presence. You can’t (yet, anyway) capture that on a recording. [I recently watched a virtual attempt at this with a mini-concert event by Ariana Grande on the interactive online video game Fortnite. It was, to say the least, disappointing.] Cooke’s jabbering between (and even during!) songs pitifully begging the crowd to get more ‘into it’ is embarrassing. But even worse is his ad lib (at 2:53 on “Somebody Have Mercy”): “Somebody have mercy and tell me what is wrong with me (I ain’t got leukemia, Hah-hah).” There’s a reason why RCA Victor kept these tapes in the can for 22 years. I’m sure the 1963 audience got the feeling. But I wasn’t there. 1/5

How have I not heard this album before. Feel It is a banger. Excellent setlist. Very danceable.

I know Sam Cooke but had never heard any live recordings. This is an absolute belter. An amazing band and his voice is sixties soul perfection. Had to play this twice as didn’t fully focus the first time and wanted to make sure it really was that good. This is how music should be - full of energy, emotion and refined talent let loose on great tunes. Loved it.

Growing up my parents had several Sam Cooke records that I used to commandeer and play on my record player (I think manufactured by Fisher Price). I was singing along to “Chain Gang,” “Cupid,” “Twistin’ The Night Away” and “Having a Party” from a very early age. I was very excited to have this live album come up, and after listening I’m not disappointed! Sam Cooke is incredible and this is one hell of a One Night Stand. It’s a grittier performance than his studio albums that really surprised me - an amazing performance in front of a really exciting, raucous audience! Besides wishing it was longer (where is “You Send Me” - there’s just that tease at the end of track 7 - and “Another Saturday Night”?) I loved every minute of this.

I mean…it’s Sam Cooke. Unless you have ice running through your veins, there’s a damn good chance this record is going to move you. The man could’ve sang the menu of a Chinese restaurant and it would have sounded amazing.

I like the small amount of Sam Cooke I've listened to (like on anthology collection, and my wife blasting "A Change is Gonna Come"). However, I hate live albums so not really the target audience for this. It sounds like it was on hell of a night. Sam gives it a raucous soul feel. Lots of hyping up the audience and getting everyone dancing. I can see the value of the release, since you don't hear this energetic, unrestrained style of singing on his studio material. Also interesting back story (recorded in 1960s, shelved until 1980s for not being friendly enough for white customers). I still don't really see the appeal of sitting around listening to a recording of a concert. And soul is not a genre that particularly does it for me.

maybe it’s heresy but i like the studio sam cooke better

I LOVE Sam Cooke, and he’s great live, but this certainly isn’t a great listen. The recording quality is quite poor and I think you really had to be there for this one. Don’t know why it’s made this list at all? 3 stars because he’s amazing whatever he does. If he has any actual records on here, they’ll be getting 5 from me.

Sounds a great gig to be at but the production makes it a difficult to rate highly.

"One Night Stand" AKA "Same Cooke Live at the Harlem Square Club" is second live album by Sam Cooke, originally recorded in 1963 but not officially released until 1985. It's no secret why artists like The Beatles were trying to emulate artists like this at the time. I mean, just listen to that commanding energy. You almost feel as though you're transported there watching Sam on stage and partying with the crowd. The album is only about 35 minutes long, so it quite literally shows up, smacks you in the face, and is gone just as quick as it started. Something I really found interesting about this album is the production. Sure they didn't have the greatest recording technology at the time but man this thing is raw. I find it adds immensely to the overall party vibe of the record. Apparently the label didn't think the same. Although this was originally recorded in 1963, it wasn't released until 1985. The label, RCA, was not pleased with the recording, calling it "too gritty and raw". They were worried it would tarnish his pop image. Absolute bullshit. Sorry RCA, no pop bullshit with orchestra here. To top it all off, this album was recorded at a small and intimate venue in Miami's neighborhood of Overtown, a historically black town. The venue was jam packed with Sam Cooke's OG fans from back when he was a gospel artist. And man, did the crowd come to party. Sam even encourages to continue partying after the show is over! Man, what a time.

Sam Cooke’s a reputation I’d associate with greatness, but no particular songs. He’s got a special sizzle to his voice, I thought as this started. Hey, I know this song. This one too. And this one. Is this a set of covers? I look it up. Ah. He’s one of those progenitor types. This record gives a good impression of what it must have been like to hear classics as they’re minted.

Fun listen. Also I’m not gonna rate out of 10 anymore, my feelings on albums change so much after I rate them and I feel like a rating out of 5 is generally more accurate in the long run

Sam Cooke is the man love his voice smooth like velvet but soulful and gritty when needed quite the ladies man got him shot and killed by a jealous husband😬

Great sounding record, as good as a greatest hits just missing What A Wonderful World

Great energy, great voice but a bit samey throughout.

Decent soul album, but didn't grab me.

Catchy, didn’t like the live audience part

Another live album. The music is good. The songs are familiar, the players are very good. The singing is decent. But it's yet another example of a recording that would have been better with some production. Do not need audience participation.

Love it, would buy.

So fun, so catchy. Sam Cooke is wonderful.

Brilliant exactly what you would expect

Oh hell yes. Best soul singer of all time.

Now I'm getting this whole including live albums list, this one is amazing.

I'm soul. This is soul. This is life

I love this album. 10

A gold standard for live records. Soulful, fun, and the energy between Sam, the band, and the crowd is out of this world.

i like live albums and this rocks, 10

just an amazing live album. would be a 9/10 so 5 stars from me. bring it on home to me *adore*

Fucking love Sam Cooke.

Excellent

This album is so good. I put it on and it was over before I even realized it. This thing really moves!

Loved this album also listened to more of his stuff and have listened to a lot more Sam Cooke than had previously thought.

One of my favorite live records ever. Sam’s got the audience in the palm of his hand.

Loved this, would like the LP. Really upbeat, make you smile kind of music. Yay!

Лайв, по качеству исполнения подобный студийнику. Не будь звуков толпы - даже в студийноси бы не засомневался особо. Хотя, помнится, кто-то промышлял тем, что поверх сырых студийных записей просто звуки толпы накладывал. Но да не суть. Слышно, что Сэм Кук просто горит тем, что делает. Ни один трек не перетягивает одеяло на себя, и ни один выкинуть не хочется. А сам Сэм своими партиями будто стремится взять за яйца каждого посетителя клуба. Этот подход же из баптистских хоров пошёл, где через душевную энергетику существует стремление показать на чувственном уровне, что бох есть. И ведь негатива не вызывает, честный приём же. Когда веруны в качестве аргументации приводят существование "духовных переживаний", "особого опыта", что не доступны неверунам, хочется сказать что-то типа "Йоу, пацаны, го слэм". Сама суть искусства ведь восполнять все потребности внутреннего мира. Тут мы имеем, что мощный кусок верунской культуры откололся от своей основы и стал частью культуры общей, разумистической. Ну утратив при этом своего созидательного начала. И это очень хорошо.

Only 8 years in the business. This album is raw and his showmanship skills are evident the way he interacts with the crowd. Love this album.

Hoo boy, I'm not the biggest fan of live albums but I'll listen cuz it's on the list. Actually ya know what, this is good so far. I'm into it. This is just the first song. This was a fun album and it perked me up while listening since I've been stressed today. That deserves a 5.

Amazing album, truly. I felt the animation of the atmosphere as well as the late Sam Cooke. Emotional really

Great. Awesome live album. Bring it on Home is the highlight for me.

felt like being there! what a party!

Loved it.

bastante energico

Favorite Tracks: Chain Gang Cupid Twistin' the Night Away

Amazing soulful voice.

Jazz. Great concert vibes.

Pedazo de directo. Un torbellino de soul sin descanso...

Gospel, soul and pop mixed together in an intimate sounding live album. Great stuff

Incredible album. Such a fun performance.

Rating: 10/10

This energetic show features heavy Chubby Checkers and Isley Brothers influences along with 1950's soul and R&B in general. Sam Cooke's delivery is incredibly charismatic. One of the great joys of this performance is just how much fun Cooke and his audience are having. It sounds like an absolute frenzy. Cooke's voice seemingly does not tire. It is truly a remarkable performance.

Really fun album. Looking forward to listening to this again.

Enjoyed it. Fun performance and like the live crowd environment. That sax was great.

Amazing albums from a legend

Over a decade ago i downloaded a live version of Bring It On Home To Me from a livejournal community. I never knew the source. Today i found it!

This album is fire! 🔥🔥🔥

tasty jazz

Great discovery. 5/5

Tellement bon, un plaisir fou a ecouter cela. Ca vaut le detour et une reecoute. Un super artiste et album et d’habitude je n’aime pas top le live en audio. 5*

One of the great live albums of all time - and yet they sat on it for 20 years before releasing it?!? Madness. What a voice, what a man, what an album. I'd have given everything to be in the audience. Bliss.

Amazingly good. So much energy and spontaneous live feel but also polished and delivered with pinpoint accuracy.

A tour de force from one of the greatest male vocalists of all time.

4.5/5. Very raw performance, lot of energy. Very very good.

'Course I Feel the Feelin

Great fun, some nice classic rock and roll

The king of R&B, killing it throughout the entire album. Brilliant, and perhaps the best live album I've ever heard.

soulful genius, swinging and raising the roof

Absolute heaven. Imagine being there that night.

Absolute classic

Just smooth and fun to listen to

Songs had me up grooving

Best Sunday morning.

fucking swinging

muito bom

It’s Sam Cook. It’s got to be great.

Raw and tight - the live versions are far superior to the studio recordings. What a voice. You feel that Sam was constrained on record.

This was just great. Soulful and energetic. One of the best.

This one was a great listen. I had fun and Sam Cooke's vocals were right on the mark! I have my handkerchief ready!

This was pretty incredible. I am realizing how good a live album can be. This was such a very alive performance, and hard to imagine that it was shelved for 20 years for being too "raw." I loved it.

I would have loved to see Sam in person. What a soulful and talented singer. Great album!

Lot of Sam Cooke's popular songs were on this and live. Loved it.

very cool

This is such a great live album that it's like why would you even bother recording studio versions? Sam Cooke is absolutely on a roll and his energy - along with the energy of the audience - is clear and infectious in every track.

Now this is what I’m talking about - shagadelic baby

Wow. This was an ELECTRIC performance. I'd heard a few songs by Sam Cooke before, but I'd never given him a proper listen. This was outstanding. I love live albums and this must have been outstanding to see live. This entire album was absolutely rocking and Sam Cooke was a tour de force.

Best Song: For Sentimental Reasons. When the crowd starts singing along and Cooke still soars over top... To be in that room. Worst Song: Twistin' the Night Away. Just not a fan of the twist. Overall: The live setting really works well here. The recording sounds very close, as if the band is grouped tightly together in the corner of a small bar or club. And there's just something about the way you hear idle chatter in the background, the way Cooke rambles and adlibs these little bits. It feels like the audience isn't all stuck, shoulders squared to the stage, watching the music, but are letting themselves enjoy the music and each other. It feels like I can hear dancing. A surprisingly romantic album.