Description
Joe Cocker – Hard Knocks / Sony Music Audio CD 2010
UPC 886977626524
Product Details:
Hard Knocks is the twenty-first and penultimate studio album by Joe Cocker, released on 1 October 2010 by Columbia Records in Europe. It features nine new songs produced by Matt Serletic plus Cocker's version of the Dixie Chicks number "I Hope", which was produced by Tony Brown. Apart from a regular CD release, the album was also released on vinyl.
The album reached number 1 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart and number 2 on the same magazine's European Albums chart.
A Limited Live Edition (CD/DVD) version of the album was released in December 2010 in Europe with live tracks off the album recorded at Le Zenith in Paris in 2010.
2. Get On
3. Unforgiven
4. The Fall
5. So It Goes
6. Runaway Train
7. Stay The Same
8. Thankful
9. So
10. I Hope
Tracklist:
| 1 | Hard Knocks
Backing Vocals – Mabvuto Carpenter, Robyn Troup, Sherree Brown, Bass – Chris Chaney, Drums – Josh Freese, Guitar – Ray Parker Jr., Tim Pierce, Keyboards – Jamie Muhoberac, Keyboards, Programmed By – Matt Serletic, Saxophone – Cleto Escobedo III, Trombone – Jeff Babko, Trumpet – Ron King, Written-By – Marc Broussard, Maxwell Aaron Ramsey, Shannon Sanders |
3:24 |
| 2 | Get On
Backing Vocals – Mabvuto Carpenter, Robyn Troup, Sherree Brown, Bass – Chris Chaney, Drums – Josh Freese, Guitar – Joel Shearer, Ray Parker Jr., Keyboards – Jamie Muhoberac, Keyboards, Programmed By – Matt Serletic, Saxophone – Cleto Escobedo III, Trombone – Jeff Babko, Trumpet – Ron King, Written-By – Danny Myrick, Matt Serletic, Stephanie Bentley |
3:27 |
| 3 | Unforgiven
Backing Vocals – Mabvuto Carpenter, Robyn Troup, Sherree Brown, Bass – Chris Chaney, Cello, Violin, Viola – Stevie Blacke, Drums – Josh Freese, Guitar – Ray Parker Jr., Tim Pierce, Keyboards – Jamie Muhoberac, Keyboards, Programmed By – Matt Serletic, Written-By – Dave Hodges, Kara DioGuardi, Mitch Allan, Nick Lachey |
4:16 |
| 4 | The Fall
Backing Vocals – Mabvuto Carpenter, Robyn Troup, Sherree Brown, Bass – Chris Chaney, Cello, Violin, Viola – Stevie Blacke, Drums – Matt Chamberlain, Guitar – Ray Parker Jr., Tim Pierce, Keyboards – Jamie Muhoberac, Keyboards, Programmed By – Matt Serletic, Written-By – Aimee Proal, Danny Myrick, Matt Serletic |
3:50 |
| 5 | So It Goes
Bass – Chris Chaney, Drums – Josh Freese, Guitar – Joel Shearer, Ray Parker Jr., Keyboards – Jamie Muhoberac, Keyboards, Programmed By – Matt Serletic, Written-By – Danny Myrick, Jeffrey Steele (2), Matt Serletic |
3:21 |
| 6 | Runaway Train
Bass – Chris Chaney, Drums – Dorian Crozier, Guitar – Ray Parker Jr., Tim Pierce, Keyboards – Jamie Muhoberac, Keyboards, Programmed By – Matt Serletic, Written-By – Ollie Marland |
3:27 |
| 7 | Stay The Same
Backing Vocals – Mabvuto Carpenter, Robyn Troup, Sherree Brown, Stephanie Bentley, Bass – Chris Chaney, Drums – Josh Freese, Guitar – Joel Shearer, Ray Parker Jr., Keyboards – Jamie Muhoberac, Keyboards, Programmed By – Matt Serletic, Written-By – Danny Myrick, Matt Serletic, Stephanie Bentley |
4:41 |
| 8 | Thankful
Bass – Chris Chaney, Choir [Gospel] – Dorian Ford, Erica Dowd, Jennifer Bailey, Kara DioGuardi, Mabvuto Carpenter, Niomisha Wilson, Nomisha Jackson, Renee Jackson, Robyn Troup, Shawntae Jackson, Drums – Dorian Crozier, Guitar – Ray Parker Jr., Tim Pierce, Keyboards – Jamie Muhoberac, Keyboards, Programmed By – Matt Serletic, Written-By – Kara DioGuardi, Matt Serletic |
4:00 |
| 9 | So
Backing Vocals – Mabvuto Carpenter, Robyn Troup, Sherree Brown, Bass – Chris Chaney, Drums – Matt Chamberlain, Guitar – Ray Parker Jr., Tim Pierce, Keyboards – Jamie Muhoberac, Keyboards, Programmed By – Matt Serletic, Written-By – Chantal Kreviazuk, Thomas "Tawgs" Salter |
3:55 |
| 10 |
I Hope
Backing Vocals – Ashley Cleveland, Judson Spence, Kim Keys, Bass – Glenn Worf, Electric Guitar – Kenny Greenberg, Tom Bukovac, Synth, Organ [Wurlitzer] – Steve Nathan, Written-By – Emily Robison, Kevin Moore (4), Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines |
4:48 |
About the Artist:
John Robert "Joe" Cocker OBE (20 May 1944 – 22 December 2014) was an English singer known for his gritty voice, spasmodic body movement in performance, and distinctive versions of popular songs of varying genres.
Cocker's recording of the Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends" reached number one in the UK in 1968. He performed the song live at Woodstock in 1969 and performed the same year at the Isle of Wight Festival, and at the Party at the Palace concert in 2002 for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. His version also became the theme song for the TV series The Wonder Years. His 1974 cover of "You Are So Beautiful" reached number five in the US. Cocker was the recipient of several awards, including a 1983 Grammy Award for his US number one "Up Where We Belong", a duet with Jennifer Warnes.
In 1993, Cocker was nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Male, in 2007 was awarded a bronze Sheffield Legends plaque in his hometown and in 2008 he received an OBE at Buckingham Palace for services to music. Cocker was ranked number 97 on Rolling Stone's 100 greatest singers list.
Review:
Joe Cocker's new CD is an absolute gem! Five of the tracks are ones I'd put on a multi-disc anthology of his best work. "I'm Thankful" is delightful with its gospel choir chorus, "I'm thankful for breathing in the morning; I'm thankful you didn't walk right out of here; I gave you reason to up and leave; You found a way to stand by me." "I Hope" was originally on the Dixie Chicks' 2006 CD "Taking the Long Way." Joe Cocker's version is so different that I had to play both back to back to assure myself that they were the same song! Cocker's version accents a funky beat with a great gospel choir backing. The title track pounds with a powerful beat and Cocker's vocals passionate & powerful, "I didn't take nothing that I didn't need cause they didn't offer classes in what I wanted to be; They didn't offer manhood responsibility, had to learn it the hard way, got my degree in the streets." "Get On" thunders to a rocking beat with great soul horns in the mix and Cocker's vocals connecting with positive thinking anthem's lyrics, "You've been wearing your burden like a two-ton train, Take it off, Throw it down, Send that pity party packing on the midnight train, Get it gone, Ship it out." "Runaway Train" throbs like an updated "Hitchcock Railway." I also really like the slower "So." This is an excellent outing from one of rock's greatest singers. Enjoy!
More Details:
- Art Direction, Design – Jeri Heiden, Ryan Corey
- Engineer – Jeff Balding (tracks: 10)
- Engineer [Assistant] – Mike Leisz (tracks: 1 to 9)
- Engineer [Assistant], Engineer [Additional], Edited By [Pro Tools] – Alex Arias (tracks: 1 to 9)
- Engineer [Mix, Additional] – Andrew Schubert, Brad Townsend
- Engineer [Mix, Assistant] – Keith Armstrong, Nik Karpen
- Management – Irene Taylor (2), Lisa Garrett, Ray Neapolitan, Roger Davies, Steven Manzano
- Mastered By – Bob Ludwig
- Mixed By – Chris Lord-Alge
- Photography By – Olaf Heine
- Producer – Matt Serletic (tracks: 1 to 9), Tony Brown (4) (tracks: 10)
- Recorded By, Edited By [Pro Tools] – Doug Trantow (tracks: 1 to 9), Mark Dobson (2) (tracks: 1 to 9)
