Joe Cocker
Mad Dogs And Englishmen

It’s March 11^th 1970.  After many grueling months on the road that included a triumphant performance at Woodstock.  Joe Cocker is recuperating in Los Angeles.  Having sacked The Grease Band, Joe was looking forward to discussing plans for the coming year with friend Denny Cordell who, with Leon Russell ran Shelter Records, Cocker’s label.

But the singer’s career was no longer under his control.  Dee Anthony, Cocker’s manager who once told Cordell he would “end up in the Hudson River with cement shoes” after a particularly heavy meeting had decided to cash in on his client’s successful year by organizing a seven week cross country U.S. tour to kick off in nine days.

Anthony advised Joe that the musicans union, immigration authorities and promoters involved would make sure he would never work in America again if the tour didn’t go ahead. 

Cocker who had never felt less like touring and with no band, was in a bind.  So he turned to Russell who had played guitar and keyboards on Joe’s second album in the hope he’d be able to put together a small outfit, himself on piano, a guitar player, Chris Stainton from The Grease Band on bass, a drummer and a couple of back up singer, so the tour could be completed.

Russell agreed, but only if he could hand pick the musicians.  With rehearsals scheduled for the following day Russell got on the phone, by that evening he’d hired two drummers, Jim Keltner and Chuck Blackwell.  Then he contacted Delaney and Bonnie’s Band, all mates of his, who were breaking up, inviting them along.  So, a third drummer Jim Gordon, horn players Bobby Keys and Jim Price, singers Rita Coolidge (an old girlfriend for whom Russell had written ‘Delta Lady’) and Claudia Lennear, the inspiration for Mick Jagger’s lyric to ‘Brown Sugar’, were now all on board. 

With less than a week to go before the first show, rehearsals began 12 hours a day for four days.

By the time opening night on March 20^th in Detroit had arrived the entourage known as Mad Dogs And Englishmen which now included a film crew to document the tour, had swelled to forty three. For Joe there was no turning back.

Despite the realization that Russell, who also selected the repertoire was in charge and prepared to upstage him at every opportunity, Cocker delivered each and every night.

As this deluxe edition of one of rock music’s classic live albums (recorded over two nights at Fillmore East), proves Cocker was and still is one of the greatest rock singers of all time.  The shows always began with The Rolling Stones’ ‘Honky Tonk Women’ and would include songs by The Beatles, ‘She Came In Through The Bathroom Window’, ‘Let It Be’ and ‘Something’, The Lovin’ Spoonfull’s ‘Darling Be Home Soon’, The Band’s ‘The Weight’, Leonard Cohen’s ‘Bird On A Wire’, Traffic’s ‘Feeling Alright’, The Box Tops’ ‘The Letter’ (a single version gave Joe his first U.S. top 10 single), Bobby Bland’s ‘Further On Up The Road’ and a gospel arrangement of Julie London’s torch ballad ‘Cry Me A River’ were all on the set list.

Cocker’s favorite singer was Ray Charles whose recording of ‘I Believe To My Soul’ inspired the would-be drummer to front his own band.  The master’s apprentice makes ‘Sticks And Stones’ and ‘Let’s Go Get Stoned’ his own.

Billy Pinnell

Read the rest of the review in March Rhythms.