VARIOUS – Sam Cooke’s SAR Records Story 1959-1965 – 4LP – Vinyl Set

4LP – Limited Edition Black Vinyl Set. Contains comprehensive liner notes written by music historian Peter Guralnick.

Originally released by ABKCO as a 2CD set in 1994, Sam Cookes SAR Records Story 1959-1965 is finally being made available on vinyl as a 4LP set on February 9. This collection gathers significant recordings of SAR Records the label Sam Cooke co-founded, produced the majority of records for, and was instrumental in operating before his untimely death in December 1964. Groundbreaking artists such as The Soul Stirrers, Johnnie Taylor, Billy Preston, and Bobby Womacks group The Valentinos are all featured, in addition to Sam himself. The whole SAR Records Story is infused with Sam Cookes rapturous sense of how sacred gospel and sexual soul flow together, unbroken, stated Milo Miles on NPRs Fresh Air upon the sets initial release almost three decades ago.

In an era where black-owned labels were a rarity, Los Angeles-based SAR Records was founded at almost exactly the same time as Motown, its Detroit counterpart. SAR was established in 1959 by Sam Cooke, music publisher J.W. Alexander, and S. Roy Crain, Cookes road manager and founder of gospel group The Soul Stirrers. The acronymous name standing for Sam Alex Roy, SAR sought to keep gospel music alive while simultaneously crossing over to pop audiences in the secular world. LPs 1 and 2 of the set focus on the former, while LPs 3 and 4 encompass the latter. From choosing talent, to writing a great number of songs, to producing, SAR was entirely the fulfillment of Cookes vision on a musical/creative level. The superstar singer, who had already crossed over from the gospel world himself, tirelessly coached the vocalists during SAR recording sessions, emphasizing diction. His methods are heard throughout the collection, as he is heard speaking to artists between takes.

Formed in 1926 and having already gone through many iterations including a run in the 50s with pre-solo career Sam Cooke, The Soul Stirrers, now including Cookes replacement Johnnie Taylor, recorded songs for SAR in Chicago such as Wade In The Water and Stand By Me Father. By 1960, Johnnie Taylor had also left for a solo career and was replaced by Jimmie Outler, with both acts remaining on the label. Taylor, who is best known for his 1968 Stax hit Whos Making Love, performs Keep On Loving You, Rome (Wasnt Built In A Day) and You Can Run (But You Cant Hide) among other selections by him on SAR Records Story.

Johnnie Morisette was a blues singer from Mobile, AL nicknamed Two Voice for his ability to alternate between his natural voice and a falsetto. Morisettes cover of Albert Kings Dont Throw Your Love On Me So Strong features a solo by Johnny Guitar Watson, long before his own 1977 R&B hit A Real Mother For Ya. Johnnie Morisettes biggest hit Meet Me at the Twistin Place (1962) was written by Sam Cooke in the midst of the dance craze, before being re-worked and re-recorded by its composer as Meet Me At Marys Place two years later.

Put Me Down Easy was written by Sam Cooke for his younger brother L.C. Cooke, who was also a SAR artist. It has recently gained notoriety with its inclusion in the 2020 Regina King-directed film One Night In Miami, which depicts Leslie Odom Jr. as the elder Cooke singing the tune. The Simms Twins, who sang backup on Sam Cookes Cupid, had a minor hit for SAR with Soothe Me, which was covered in 66 by Sam & Dave. They cited brothers Bobbie and Kenny Simms as a big influence on their own call-and-response vocal style.

As a 16-year-old keyboard prodigy, Billy Preston briefly recorded for SAR sub-label Derby Records. Greazee Part I & II, an instrumental from 1963 more than a half-decade before he worked with The Beatles on the Get Back sessions that became Let It Be is included on SAR Records Story. Cincinnatian soul singer Mel Carter was also on the Derby imprint in 63, releasing When A Boy Falls In Love before finding greater success a few years later with the Top 10 hit Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me for Imperial Records.

Cleveland gospel group The Womack Brothers, consisting of five siblings including singer/guitarist Bobby (who would go onto R&B chart-topping success with Lookin For a Love), recorded for SAR before Sam re-christened them The Valentinos. This secular incarnation of the group had a minor hit with Its All Over Now, co-written by Bobby Womack and his sister-in-law Shirley Womack , which concludes SAR Records Story. The Rolling Stones soon thereafter covered Its All Over Now, scoring their first of many UK #1 hits.

While Sam Cooke himself was never signed to his own label, he obtained the rights to unreleased masters recorded under Keen Records in place of unpaid royalties. These tracks were put out on SAR and are included on this box set, along with a demo version of his #1 1957 hit You Send Me.

Sam Cookes SAR Records Story 1959-1965 contains comprehensive liner notes written by music historian Peter Guralnick, who has since gone on to author Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke, published in 2005. In Guralnicks summation of SAR, he writes that the label sought a way to broaden the appeal of gospel music while introducing the techniques of gospel into the world of pop.

Tracklist:

Record One
Side One
1) Sam Cooke & Paul Foster Wade In The Water (Chatter)
2) The Soul Stirrers Wade In The Water
3) The Soul Stirrers Im A Pilgrim
4) The Soul Stirrers Praying Ground
5) Sam Cooke & His Gospel Paraders Somebody (Chatter)
6) R.H. Harris & His Gospel Paraders Somebody
7) R.H. Harris & His Gospel Paraders Sometimes
8) The Soul Stirrers Amazing Grace

Side Two
1) R.H. Harris & His Gospel Paraders Pass Me Not
2) Sam Cooke, The Soul Stirrers & Clif White Oh Mary, Dont You Weep (Chatter)
3) The Soul Stirrers Oh Mary, Dont You Weep
4) The Soul Stirrers Since I Met The Savior
5) The Soul Stirrers God Is Standing By
6) Sam Cooke, S.R. Crain & The Soul Stirrers Lead Me To Calvary (Rehearsal)
7) The Soul Stirrers Listen To The Angels Sing
8) The Soul Stirrers Dont Leave Me Alone

Record Two
Side Three
1) The Soul Stirrers Stand By Me Father
2) The Soul Stirrers Jesus Be A Fence Around Me
3) The Soul Stirrers Lead Me Jesus
4) The Soul Stirrers Free At Last
5) Sam Cooke & Jimmie Outler Looking Back (Chatter)
6) The Soul Stirrers Looking Back
7) R.H. Harris & His Gospel Paraders Born Again

Side Four
1) R.H. Harris & His Gospel Paraders Wait On Jesus
2) The Soul Stirrers Time Brings About A Change
3) The Soul Stirrers Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone
4) Sam Cooke & Curtis Womack Yield Not To Temptation (Chatter)
5) The Womack Brothers Yield Not To Temptation
6) The Womack Brothers Couldnt Hear Nobody Pray
7) The Womack Brothers Somewhere Theres A God
8) Sam Cooke Thats Heaven To Me

Record Three
Side Five
1) Sam Cooke You Send Me (Demo)
2) Sam Cooke Just For You
3) Sam Cooke Somewhere Theres A Girl
4) Sam Cooke You Were Made For Me
5) Mel Carter When A Boy Falls In Love
6) The Simms Twins Soothe Me
7) Sam Cooke & The Simms Twins Thats Where Its At (Chatter)
8) The Simms Twins Thats Where Its At
9) The Valentinos Everybody Wants To Fall In Love

Side Six
1) Sam Cooke & Johnnie Taylor Baby, Weve Got Love (Chatter)
2) Johnnie Taylor Baby, Weve Got Love
3) The Valentinos Baby, Lots Of Luck
4) L.C. Cooke Put Me Down Easy
5) Johnnie Taylor Rome (Wasnt Built In A Day)
6) Billy Preston Greazee Part I & II

Record Four
Side Seven
1) The Simms Twins I Gopher You
2) Sam Cooke & The Simms Twins I Gopher You (Chatter)
3) Johnnie Morisette Youre Always On My Mind
4) Johnnie Taylor I Need Lots Of Love
5) Johnnie Morisette Dont Throw Your Love On Me So Strong
6) Johnnie Morisette Black Night
7) Johnnie Morisette Damper
8) Johnnie Taylor You Can Run (But You Cant Hide)
9) Sam Cooke & Background Vocalists Meet Me At The Twisting Place (Chatter)
10) Johnnie Morisette Meet Me At The Twisting Place

Side Eight
1) The Simms Twins Good Good Loving
2) L.C. Cooke The Wobble
3) Sam Cooke & The Valentinos Lookin For A Love (Chatter)
4) The Valentinos Lookin For A Love
5) The Valentinos Ive Got Love For You
6) Sam Cooke & Bobby Womack Ive Got A Girl (Chatter)
7) The Valentinos Ive Got A Girl
8) The Valentinos Tired Of Living In The Country
9) The Valentinos Its All Over Now