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Following the disastrous failure of his 550 Music debut, Have a Little Faith, Joe Cocker tried what must have seemed like a couple of surefire commercial ideas: first, hire Don Was, who has made a career out of organizing salvage operations on stars of the '60s and '70s, as producer; and second, do an "unplugged" session, albeit under another name. Thus, Organic found Cocker revisiting his interpretations of such songs as "Delta Lady" and "You Are So Beautiful" in more stripped-down arrangements. The remakes made up about half the album, with another quarter consisting of previously uncovered covers like Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" and Randy Newman's "Sail Away," and another quarter given over to new songs. The old favorites were not given interesting enough re-imaginings to justify the effort; the new songs added nothing to Cocker's repertoire, and the new covers were problematic. You wondered why Cocker had neglected to sing Morrison's material until you heard "Into the Mystic" and realized the reason probably was that Morrison is so much better a singer with a similar style. And Cocker, who is more an emotional singer than an intellectual one, typically sang "Sail Away" without a trace of the irony that gives the song its meaning. So, while Organic was certainly a listenable Cocker album containing many songs associated with him over the years, it failed to redefine the artist in the way it seemed intended to do. And it became his second straight album to miss the charts, which boded ill for his recording career, at least on a major label.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
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Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - Johnny Lee Schell, Electric Guitar - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - VAN MORRISON, Composer, Lyricist - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - Greg Leisz, Dobro - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - James Hutchinson, Bass - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - Kevin Moore, Composer, Lyricist - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer - Darryl Jones, Bass
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - Chris Stainton, Piano - Merry Clayton, Background Vocal - Portia Griffin, Background Vocal - Johnny Lee Schell, Electric Guitar - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - Greg Leisz, Dobro - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - L. Russell, Composer, Lyricist - James Hutchinson, Bass - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer - Maxine Sharp, Background Vocal
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tony Joe White, Composer, Lyricist, Electric Guitar, Harmonica - Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - Michael Dan Ehmig, Composer, Lyricist - Chris Stainton, Piano - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer - Darryl Jones, Bass
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - B. Benjamin, Composer, Lyricist - S. Marcus, Composer, Lyricist - G. CALDWELL, Composer, Lyricist - Chris Stainton, Piano - Merry Clayton, Background Vocal - Portia Griffin, Background Vocal - Johnny Lee Schell, Electric Guitar - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - Greg Leisz, Dobro - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - James Hutchinson, Bass - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer - Maxine Sharp, Background Vocal
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
J. CLIFF, Composer, Lyricist - Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - David Campbell, Arranger - Chris Stainton, Piano - Peter Kent, Violin - Johnny Lee Schell, Electric Guitar - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - Greg Leisz, Dobro - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - Sid Page, Violin - Evan Wilson, Viola - Denyse Buffum, Viola - Rudy Stein, Cello - James Hutchinson, Bass - Suzy Katayama, Cello - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Tony Joe White, Electric Guitar, Harmonica - J. Cocker, Composer, Lyricist - Don Was, Producer - T.J. White, Composer, Lyricist - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer - Darryl Jones, Bass
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - David Campbell, Arranger - Peter Kent, Violin - Johnny Lee Schell, Electric Guitar - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Randy Newman, Piano - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - Sid Page, Violin - Evan Wilson, Viola - Denyse Buffum, Viola - Rudy Stein, Cello - James Hutchinson, Bass - Suzy Katayama, Accordion, Cello - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer - Ralph Newman, Composer, Lyricist
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - David Campbell, Arranger - Peter Kent, Violin - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - Stevie Wonder, Composer, Lyricist - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - Sid Page, Violin - Evan Wilson, Viola - Denyse Buffum, Viola - Rudy Stein, Cello - James Hutchinson, Bass - Suzy Katayama, Cello - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - Johnny Lee Schell, Electric Guitar - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - John Sebastian, Composer, Lyricist - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - James Hutchinson, Bass - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - Johnny Lee Schell, Electric Guitar - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - Bob Dylan, Composer, Lyricist - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - James Hutchinson, Bass - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - Merry Clayton, Background Vocal - Portia Griffin, Background Vocal - Johnny Lee Schell, Electric Guitar - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Randy Newman, Composer, Lyricist, Piano - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Myrna Smith, Background Vocal - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - Joe Porcaro, Percussion - James Hutchinson, Bass - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer - Maxine Sharp, Background Vocal
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
B. Fisher, Composer, Lyricist - Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - David Campbell, Arranger - B. Preston, Composer, Lyricist - Peter Kent, Violin - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Jim Keltner, Drums, Percussion - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Sid Page, Violin - Evan Wilson, Viola - Denyse Buffum, Viola - Rudy Stein, Cello - James Hutchinson, Bass - Suzy Katayama, Cello - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Dean Parks, Acoustic Guitar - Don Was, Producer - Chris Stainton, Piano - Jamie Muhoberac, Synthesizer - Stephen Marcussen, Mastering Engineer - Steve Winwood, Composer, Lyricist - KENNY ARONOFF, Drums, Percussion - Rik Pekkonen, Recording Engineer - GREG BURNS, Assistant Engineer - Joe Cocker, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer, Vocal - Jeff De Morris, Assistant Engineer - Richard Huredia, Assistant Engineer - Darryl Jones, Bass
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
Following the disastrous failure of his 550 Music debut, Have a Little Faith, Joe Cocker tried what must have seemed like a couple of surefire commercial ideas: first, hire Don Was, who has made a career out of organizing salvage operations on stars of the '60s and '70s, as producer; and second, do an "unplugged" session, albeit under another name. Thus, Organic found Cocker revisiting his interpretations of such songs as "Delta Lady" and "You Are So Beautiful" in more stripped-down arrangements. The remakes made up about half the album, with another quarter consisting of previously uncovered covers like Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic" and Randy Newman's "Sail Away," and another quarter given over to new songs. The old favorites were not given interesting enough re-imaginings to justify the effort; the new songs added nothing to Cocker's repertoire, and the new covers were problematic. You wondered why Cocker had neglected to sing Morrison's material until you heard "Into the Mystic" and realized the reason probably was that Morrison is so much better a singer with a similar style. And Cocker, who is more an emotional singer than an intellectual one, typically sang "Sail Away" without a trace of the irony that gives the song its meaning. So, while Organic was certainly a listenable Cocker album containing many songs associated with him over the years, it failed to redefine the artist in the way it seemed intended to do. And it became his second straight album to miss the charts, which boded ill for his recording career, at least on a major label.
© William Ruhlmann /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 00:52:21
- Main artists: Joe Cocker
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: 550 Music
- Genre: Pop/Rock Rock
(P) 1996 Epic Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment
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