Description

1LP Vinyl – MOVLP071

Fortunately for us, even with the circumstances the recording still sounds absolutely beautiful. The band is clear; rhythmically, the strong snare and ride work somehow don't override the walking bass, while the saxophone's smooth complements Cooke's distinctive gritty delivery perfectly. The murmur and yells of the crowd are ever-present, frequently acting as a backing chorus either with or without the suggestion of their charismatic ringleader, becoming a vital part of the listener's experience in the process while not detracting from the main attraction.

In retrospect, it's hard to know what the executives that commissioned the show were expecting – but if they were expecting the soulful but harmless cooings of Cooke as heard on 'You Send Me' in a live format, they got a very nasty shock. The Harlem Square Club doesn't exist anymore, but reports point to it not being a big establishment, on the corner of 2nd and 10th Northwest. Miami in January still comfortably sits in the upper teens/lower twenties (mid-60s in American parlance). On the floor the venue was packed with rapturous fans of Cooke, while at least 8 performers and early 60s recording equipment crowded the stage. With Cooke brazenly asking clubgoers things like 'is everybody in favour of getting romantic' (as heard at the start of the medley), things must've been close. Intimate. Sweaty. Sure as hell sounds it too, the screams and whoops of the crowd as much the call as the response to Sam's energetic, breathless interactions. Five years later this might've been catnip to a label looking to capitulate on youth rebellion, but such movements were very much in their nascence in 1963.