On December 22, 2014, John Robert “Joe” Cocker, died aged 70. He was musician (harmonica, piano) and singer with unique gritty voice and stage movements. He gained world popularity with his performance of the Beatles song “With a Little Help from My Friends” at “Woodstock” and “Isle of Wight” festivals in 1969. Cocker has received several awards, including a 1983 “Grammy Award” for his song “Up Where We Belong”; 2007 a bronze “Sheffield Legends” plaque in his hometown and in 2008 “OBE” at Buckingham Palace for services to music. Magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked him at number 97 on its list of the “100 Greatest Singers”.
Tag Archives: With a little help from my friends
Tommy Eyre
On May 21, 2001, Tommy Eyre died aged 52. He was musician (keyboards, piano), as a session musician recorded and performed with John Martyn, Alex Harvey, Greg Lake, Michael Schenker, Gary Moore, B.B. King, John Mayall, Tracy Chapman Wham!, Marc Almond, Scarlet Rivera, Aynsley Dunbar Retaliation, Blue Whale, Jaklin, Riff Raff and ZZebra, but he was best known for playing on Joe Cocker’s “With A Little Help From My Friends”, Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street” and “Right Down the Line”. As leader Eyre has released seven albums.
Joe Cocker: With a Little Help from My Friends
On April 23, 1969, “Regal Zonophone” label released released “With a Little Help from My Friends”, the debut Joe Cocker album. It was recorded in 1968, at “Olympic Studios” and “Trident Studios” in London, and was produced by Denny Cordell.
Personnel:
- Joe Cocker – vocals
- David Cohen – guitar
- Tony Visconti – guitar
- Jimmy Page – guitar
- Henry McCullough – guitar
- Albert Lee – guitar
- Chris Stainton – piano, organ, bass guitar
- Tommy Eyre – piano, organ
- Artie Butler – piano
- Matthew Fisher – organ
- Stevie Winwood – organ
- Carol Kaye – bass guitar
- Clem Cattini, Mike Kellie, J. Wilson, Kenny – drums
- Paul Humphrey – drums
- Laudir – tumba, maracas
- Brenda Holloway, Patrice Holloway, Merry Clayton, Madeline Bell, Rosetta Hightower, Sue Wheetman, Sunny Wheetman – backing vocals
- Tony Visconti – mixing
- Tom Wilkes – design
- Martin Keeley – front cover photography
- Eric Hays, Herb Greene – back cover photography
Track listing:
- Feeling Alright – Dave Mason
- Bye Bye Blackbird – Ray Henderson, Mort Dixon
- Change in Louise – Joe Cocker, Chris Stainton
- Marjorine – Joe Cocker, Chris Stainton
- Just Like a Woman – Bob Dylan
- Do I Still Figure in Your Life? – Pete Dello
- Sandpaper Cadillac – Joe Cocker, Chris Stainton
- Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood – Gloria Caldwell, Sol Marcus, Bennie Benjamin
- With a Little Help from My Friends – John Lennon, Paul McCartney
- I Shall Be Released – Bob Dylan
The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
On May 26, 1967, “Parlaphone” label released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, the eighth Beatles (The) studio album. It was recorded 24 November 1966 – 21 April 1967, at “EMI Studios” and “Regent Sound Studio” in London, and was produced by George Martin. The album is regarded as the first concept and art album in popular music. “Time” magazine described it as “a historic departure in the progress of music” It was an immediate commercial and critical success, winning four “Grammy Awards” in 1968, including “Album of the Year”, becoming the first rock album to receive this award. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at number one in its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. “Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature” (Professor Kevin J. Dettmar) described it as “the most important and influential rock and roll album ever recorded”.
Personnel:
- John Lennon– lead, harmony and background vocals; rhythm, acoustic and lead guitars; Hammond organ and final piano E chord; harmonica, tape loops, sound effects, and comb and tissue paper; hand claps, tambourine, maracas
- Paul McCartney– lead, harmony and background vocals; bass and lead guitars; electric and acoustic pianos, Lowrey and Hammond organs; hand claps; vocalisations, tape loops, sound effects, comb, tissue paper
- George Harrison– lead, harmony and background vocals, lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, sitar; tambourine, harmonica, kazoo, hand claps, maracas
- Ringo Starr– lead vocals, drums, congas, tambourine, maracas, handclaps and tubular bells, harmonica; final piano E chord
- Sounds Incorporated– the saxophone sextet on “Good morning, good morning”
- Neil Aspinall– tamboura, harmonica
- Geoff Emerick– audio engineering; tape loops and sound effects
- Mal Evans– counting, harmonica, alarm clock, final piano E chord
- George Martin– tape loops, sound effects, harpsichord , harmonium, Lowrey organ, glockenspiel, Hammond organ , piano , final harmonium chord
- Four French horns on “Sgt. Pep per’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”: Neill Sanders, James W. Buck, John Burden, Tony Randall, arranged and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney,
- String section and harp on “She’s leaving home”, arranged by Mike Leander and conducted by George Martin
- Tabla, dilrubas, tamboura and swarmandalon “Within you without you”, played by members of the Asian Music Circle, with eight violins and four cellos arranged and conducted by George Harrison and George Martin
- Clarinet trio on “When I’m Sixty-Four”: Robert Burns, Henry MacKenzie, Frank Reidy, arranged and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney
- Saxophones on “Good morning, good morning”, arranged and conducted by George Martin and John Lennon
- Forty-piece orchestra, including strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion; arranged by George Martin, John Lennon and Paul McCartney and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney.
Track listing
All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney except where noted.
- Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
- With a Little Help From My Friends
- Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
- Getting Better
- Fixing a Hole
- She’s Leaving Home
- Being for the Benefit of Kite
- Within You Without You – George Harrison
- When I’m Sixty Four
- Lovely Rita
- Good Morning Good Morning
- Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – reprise
- A Day in the Life
musicalphabet 