Sam Cooke – The Man Who Invented Soul 4CD

Sam Cooke – The Man Who Invented Soul 

This 4 CD bookset is essential to fans of Sam Cooke, despite the fact that it contains none of his gospel recordings or any of the work from the final year of his career. Scattered every few minutes across this four-disc collection are reminders of just how far ahead of all existing musical forms Cooke was, creating sounds that stretched the definitions of song genres as they were understood and created completely new categories. Indeed, he was so successful that it's easy to underestimate the impact and importance of many of his early triumphs.

"You Send Me," which opens this set, may seem today like the safest, tamest pop music, but in 1957 it was a genre-bending single, a new kind of R&B/pop music hybrid and one that quietly shook the foundations of the music business when it hit number one. In addition to his world-famous own compositions “You Send Me,” “Only Sixteen,” “Cupid,” “Wonderful World”, he also sang songs by Gershwin (Summertime), Willie Dixon (Little Red Rooster) and Jimmie Cox (Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out). The development of Cooke's writing and singing and his growing confidence and range culminate. Disc 4 is the Night Beat album and Cooke's live performance from the Harlem Square Club. The sound is extraordinary throughout, expansive, rich-textured, and vividly detailed.

Tracklist:
CD 1:
1. You Send Me
2. Summertime (Pt. 1)
3. For Sentimental Reasons
4. Desire Me
5. Lonely Island
6. You Were Made For Me
7. Win Your Love For Me
8. Love You Most Of All
9. Everybody Loves To Cha Cha Cha
10. No One Can Take Your Place
11. Only Sixteen
12. With You
13. Crazy She Calls Me
14. I Got A Right To Sing The Blues
15. Comes Love
16. Ain’t Nobody’s Business
17. Little Things You Do
18. There, I’ve Said It Again
19. When I Fall In Love
20. Let’s Go Steady Again
21. (What A) Wonderful World

CD2:
1. Chain Gang
2. I Belong To Your Heart
3. Teenage Sonata
4. Love Me
5. Sad Mood
6. If I Had You (I’d Be Happy)
7. You Belong To Me
8. Sad Mood
9. Tenderness
10. That’s It – I Quit – I’m Movin’ On
11. Hold On
12. Cupid
13. Tenderness
14. Don’t Get Around Much Any More
15. Nobody Knows You When You’re Down And Out
16. Baby Won’t You Please Come Home
17. Trouble In Mind
18. Out In The Cold Again
19. Exactly Like You
20. Since I Met You Baby
21. I’m Just a Lucky So and So
22. But Not For Me
23. You’re Always On My Mind
24. (Don’t Fight It) Feel It
25. It’s All Right
26. Twistin’ the Night Away
27. One More Time
28. Don’t Cry On My Shoulder

CD3:
1. Somebody’s Gonna Miss Me
2. Somebody Have Mercy
3. Sugar Dumpling (Original Version)
4. Nothin’ Can Change This Love – Alternate Version
5. Talkin’ Trash
6. Movin’ and Groovin’
7. Soothe Me
8. Having a Party
9. Bring It On Home to Me
10. A Whole Lotta Woman
11. I’m Gonna Forget About You
12. Nothin’ Can Change This Love
13. Baby, Baby, Baby
14. Send Me Some Lovin’
15. All the Way
16. Smoke Rings
17. I Wish You Love
18. Driftin’ Blues
19. Little Girl
20. Cry Me A River
21. These Foolish Things
22. Frankie And Johnnie
23. I Ain’t Gonna Cheat On You No More
24. Another Saturday Night
25. Love Will Find A Way
26. Cool Train

CD4:
1. Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen
2. Lost and Lookin’
3. Mean Old World
4. Please Don’t Drive Me Away
5. I Lost Everything
6. Get Yourself Another Fool
7. Little Red Rooster
8. Laughin’ and Clownin’
9. Trouble Blues
10. You Gotta Move
11. Fool’s Paradise
12. Shake, Rattle And Roll
13. Intro/(Don’t Fight It) Feel It
14. Chain Gang
15. Cupid
16. It’s All Right/For Sentimental Reasons
17. Twistin’ The Night Away
18. Somebody Have Mercy
19. Bring It On Home To Me
20. Nothin’ Can Change This Love
21. Having A Party

Label: Music On CD
Released: 2025