You can’t go wrong with Sam Cooke.
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Sam Cooke, “Sugar Dumpling (Original)” (1962)
Not the best week in national politics, but the weather was nice here. Gratitude for the little things. This posthumous hit from 1965 is one of my favorites by Sam Cooke. Three things to listen for: 1) the appearance of professional nurses; 2) a demand for the coffee; and 3) a dinner “with seven different kinds of meat.” I’ve been trying to figure out that menu for years because it sounds pretty good: carnivolicious! cholesterrific! hypertensational!
Lagniappe: “A Change Is Gonna Come”
More stuff at Can’t Explain.
eric
“Counties In Eric Cantor’s District May Lose AAA Credit Rating Because Of Debt Ceiling Stalemate”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/07/29/eric-cantor-aaa-credit-rating-debt-ceiling_n_913227.html
“WASHINGTON — Moody’s Investors Service is warning 162 local governments that they risk a downgrade of their AAA credit rating because of the federal government’s inability to come to an agreement on a plan to raise the debt ceiling.
The affected local governments are most heavily concentrated in Virginia and Massachusetts. One of the counties, Hanover, falls squarely in House Majority Leader Eric Cantor’s (R-Va.) district. Parts of two more counties, Chesterfield and Henrico, are in his district as well.
“The ratings of these local governments, particularly those with a high economic dependence on federal activity, would be vulnerable to a downgrade of the U.S. government,” said Moody’s Senior Vice President Matt Jones.”
gbear
Well, you could go wrong with Sam Cooke if you were the guy who shot him.
Neil
Correction: You can’t go wrong with Sam Coomes
Seriously, pick up Featuring Birds sometime.
evap
A Change is Gonna Come (Sam Cooke version) is the greatest ever U.S. pop song recording. IMO, of course. I will always associate it with Obama since I listened to it on the night he got elected and then again while celebrating his inauguration.
ppcli
Whenever I encounter the latest horror from christianists in American politics, I take a moment to remember the many great blessings Christianity has brought to humankind. High on the list is Sam Cooke and the Soul Stirrers singing Nearer To Thee live at the Shrine concert. The last two minutes are as close to a musical representation of redemptive religious ecstasy as anything I know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEXlTes-HEU
SteveinSC
Robert Reich is Shrill, Oh my Quick grab the smelling salts, clear the fainting couches, the BJ Obots will tut-tut.
Turgidson
I think Sullivan is trying to get himself taken off the “monitor and mock as needed” list. He has a post earlier today on Krauthammer’s lying that Benen could easily have written. It’s almost shrill.
JPL
Why not just make this a thread about dead musicians. That’s less depressing than the news.
wmd
I was using lagniappe this week too; not usually part of my vernacular. interesting to see someone else writing it.
Violet
Wow, when did this start happening? I just set up a gmail account for an older family member who isn’t very familiar with such things. Before the account could be activated they required a phone number for either a voice call or text message with a verification code.
Is this some new anti-spam thing or something?
jeffreyw
He told me that “they’s seven kinds of meat in a turtle: they’s chicken and pork, beef and lamb, shrimp, fish, and goat.”
LM
@wmd:
Are you a Southerner? I have never in my life heard anyone in the West or Northeast use lagniappe, only older folks who live in the South. Places I’ve lived, people say freebie, swag, gift (or gift-with-purchase), bonus gift or track, etc. I’ve never heard lagniappe spoken unless by someone with a Southern accent. My son, in his twenties, wouldn’t have a clue what it means. Care to shatter my misconceptions about this?
And Another Thing...
Change is Gonna Come is #1.
For #2, I nominate Cooke’s Bring it on Home to Me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAQE-tHjPAc
JPK
@jeffreyw: Goat. That’s the one that kept eluding me. Thank you!
Kathy in St. Louis
I was hoping that the song this week would be That’s Life, by Frank Sinatra. I was hoping we’d be thinking about the Tea Party when we got to the line, “Riding high in April, shot down in May”. Guess not.
Cris (without an H)
I think that’s #1 for me. Lou Rawls’ backing vocal is the element that pushes it over the goal.
I deeply love Sam Cooke’s music, but I’ll readily admit that the orchestration was often a little overproduced. You know what would be heaven? Sam Cooke’s vocal on “Shake” over Otis Redding’s backing.
Fucen Pneumatic Fuck Wrench Tarmal
fuck everything
Omnes Omnibus
@ Cris (without an H): I have a copy on vinyl of Cooke’s “Live at the Harlem Square Club” where he sounds as raw and immediate as anything Otis ever did. For any one who does not have it, I suggest getting it now rather than later. Brilliant.
nellcote
Not to take anything away from Sam Cooke but I prefer the more raw Little Milton version of Change is gonna Come.
burnspbesq
@Omnes Omnibus:
Yes.
Although it must be said that Aaron Neville can sing the living daylights out of “A Change Is Gonna Come.”
Cris (without an H)
Omnes:
great call. I also have that album (on vinyl), and every word you say is true. I think that his studio production was meant to appeal to a whiter audience, so it was a little more pop than soul. Same with Jackie Wilson.
burnspbesq
Stumbled across this this morning. A brilliant performance of one of the greatest sad songs ever written.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7vMKwOpo9k
Svensker
No, you can’t.
wmd
@LM
I’m from the midwest, think I picked it up from reading.
SteveinSC
Are you a Southerner? I have never in my life heard anyone in the West or Northeast use lagniappe, Not used in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, Arkansas, Texas, or Mississippi. It is not American, it is not Southern it is French.
Steeplejack
@SteveinSC:
Yes, it’s a French word, but it is used in certain “genteel” Southern demographics, i.e., tasteful (older) white ladies. I have heard it in Alabama and Georgia.
JPK
I picked it up from reading Mark Twain. He talks about it in Life on the Mississippi.
http://www.twainquotes.com/Lagniappe.html
LGRooney
You mean Sam Cooke, the lead singer for Journey in its heyday?!
Steeplejack
I love Sam Cooke, but I wanted it entered in the record that the Animals also did a great version of “Bring It on Home to Me.” Nice and churchy, and I always love Eric Burdon’s voice. Just let go of that whole “British invasion coöpting black American music” thing. We must look forward, not back.
And, hey, they did a nice version of “Shake,” too. Kickin’ Hammond B-3 organ solo from Alan Price at 1:20.
JPK
@Steeplejack: The Animals were my favorite British Invasion band at the time and I still think they’re one of the best, even though they have since been overshadowed by some of the others. That’s a terrific cover of “Shake.”
Steeplejack
@JPK:
Let me point you to this CD I found: Retrospective. Twenty-two hits by the Animals, pristinely remastered. Pretty much your one-stop shop for their best.
It doesn’t include “Shake,” unfortunately.
JPK
@Steeplejack: Looks like a nice collection!