Tag Archives: Joe Cocker

“Darling, Be Home Soon”

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I’ve been waiting…..for the great relief of having you to talk to...

Pain is a crazy thing; it has a life of its own, it takes over every minute of every day, and that’s all you can think of — it’s like oceans of pain with no relief.

Anyway, stubborn me finally called the doc to tell her I had shingles. She immediately called in a prescription for an anti-viral. She said I’m a bit outside of the 72 hour window for it to be totally effective, but she hoped it would still work to relieve the intense burning and stabbing pain and shorten the duration of this cycle of hell.

I can’t get comfortable, I can’t lie on my back or my right side and sitting is also excruciating, so I’ve given up attempting to find the least tortuous position. I’m sick of watching TV, too. Sleep is elusive because I can’t get comfortable.

Awake at 3am, these lyrics were swirling around in my delirious brain…“darling, be home soon…”

I couldn’t remember what song it came from, so I opened my computer and searched. I learned that it was originally written and performed by John Sebastian of the Lovin’ Spoonful for the soundtrack of Francis Ford Coppola’s film You’re a Big Boy Now, and another version included in the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour.

Not only was our magical Leon Russell a brilliant songwriter, composer, pianist, and singer, his arranging skills were off the chart.

Here’s the original of Darling Be Home Soon by the Lovin’ Spoonful and the Leon Russell version with Joe Cocker of the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour.

Bonus! Master of Space and Time, Leon Russell, on guitar. You beauty!

They lyrics are quite poignant and as beautiful now as they were in the 60s…

Come and talk of all the things we did today
Here and laugh about our funny little ways
While we have a few minutes to breathe
And I know that it’s time you must leave

But darling be home soon
I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling be home soon
It’s not just these few hours but I’ve been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to

And now, a quarter of my life is almost passed
I think I’ve come to see myself at last
And I see that the time spent confused
Was the time that I spent without you
And I feel myself in gloom

So darling be home soon
I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling be home soon
It’s not just these few hours but I’ve been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to

So darling…
My darling be home soon
I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling be home soon
It’s not just these few hours but I’ve been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to

Go and beat your crazy head against the sky
Try and see beyond the houses and your eyes
It’s OK to shoot the moon

Darling be home soon
I couldn’t bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling be home soon
It’s not just these few hours but I’ve been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to

Mad Dogs and Englishmen

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Mad Dogs and Englishmen, the 1971 concert film mostly about a Joe Cocker tour, was just released on YouTube. The timing of this release coincides with Joe Cocker being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday.

Joe Cocker was an English singer who rose to fame in the 1960s after his performance at Woodstock. Known for his distinctive voice and dynamic stage presence, Cocker was a gifted interpreter of other artists’ work. His cover of the Beatles’ “With a Little Help from My Friends” at Woodstock became his signature song and an anthem of the era. Cocker’s other notable covers include “Feelin’ Alright”, “The Letter”, and Leon Russell’s “Delta Lady”.

Leon of course

Joe Cocker’s management had organized a tour of the U.S. for him but he was left without a band. His producer at A&M records was Denny Cordell, who happened to be starting his own label with Leon Russell called Shelter Records.

Cordell and Cocker asked Leon to assemble a band for the tour, and Leon agreed only if they could do it like no one had done before.

Through his many connections to outstanding musicians through thousands of studio sessions with the Wrecking Crew, Leon was quickly able to gather together an ensemble of more than twenty musicians, including three drummers, and a backing choir. Leon was the lead guitarist, pianist, arranger, band leader, and musical director. 

 Leon said, “I will put together the band and I’ll do the arrangements and I’ll do everything but I have to be driving this bus. Nothing will go on unless I say so.” https://musicdayz.com/

Leon also insisted that a camera crew follow the tour, which became the Mad Dogs and Englishmen documentary film, one of the essential rock n roll films that depicted that era of music.

It became the Leon Russell show because his powerful charisma was undeniable.

From musician Chris Stainton, “I admire Leon Russell so much. He’s an exquisite piano player, especially in that Louisiana style. He was so hot then, at the top of his playing ability. When Leon played piano, I’d play organ, and then I’d switch to piano when Leon took over on guitar.”

The tour would become legendary and the ensuing live album would reach #2 on the U.S. Billboard Top 200. Performances of The Band’s “The Weight,” Traffic’s “Feelin’ Alright,” and The Box Tops’ “The Letter” highlighted the setlist that was capped off by a wild and rousing rendition of Leon’s own “Delta Lady.” Leon and Joe would duet on their version of Bob Dylan’s “Girl from the North Country.”

The tour served as an opportunity for Leon to showcase his own material, as he would be given stage time to perform “Hummingbird” and “Dixie Lullaby,” which were both to be released on his debut album. 

Mad Dogs and Englishmen introduced Leon to the world. Although headlined by Joe Cocker, it wouldn’t have been possible without the visionary genius of Leon Russell as Master of Space and Time.

While the tour catapulted both Leon and Cocker into the pinnacles of rock n roll stature, the magnitude served as a rift between the two of them, and they would choose to pursue their careers separately from that point forward.

To this day, however, the two will be forever connected as having orchestrated one of the great happenings in the history of rock music. (From LeonRussell.com)

My favorite part starts at 4:03 and it’s Leon taking charge just being Leon and leading Will The Circle Be Unbroken.

I don’t know who owns the rights to the rest of the video, but there reallyreally needs to be another documentary, this time showcasing Leon Russell’s live performances, including Hummingbird, Dixie Lullaby, and the duet with Joe Cocker of Dylan’s Girl From The North Country, along with Leon’s amazing arrangement of Cry Me A River.

Here’s the duet:


Cry Me A River | Which Version Do You Like?

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A while back I wrote about the 1970s TV show, Emergency!, a favorite of mine to watch with my RN mom. A little research revealed that one of the stars, Julie London, was an amazing vocalist and her husband in real life, Bobby Troup (also on Emergency!), was not only an accomplished musician but he wrote the hit song, Route 66.

Since it’s no secret that I have an ongoing OBSESSION with Leon Russell that doesn’t seem to be abating any time soon, I was listening to some of the tracks on the Mad Dogs and Englishmen CD and watched the videos where LR is prominent.

I’m not a huge fan of Joe Cocker, never have been, and still think that Leon’s versions of his own songs can’t be surpassed (like Delta Lady), but then I heard JC sing “Cry Me a River” by Arthur Hamilton, and realized that it’s the same song Julie London sang a while back, but this was a completely light years different arrangement by….you guessed it, the one and only Master of Space and Time, the magical visionary himself, Leon Russell.

It’s actually not that crazy because a little more digging revealed that Leon was often a Wrecking Crew first call session pianist for some of Julie London’s recordings, so there was a connection.

Listen to Julie London (amazing for sure)…

…and now watch this video. I confess that for me, one of the best parts besides seeing Leon’s magical hands on the piano is when he counts off “1-2-3-4“. No shame in owning my obsession, is there? If only Leon had sung this himself…

Do you have a preference? Both awesome versions of the song, but the talents of Leon Russell forever blow my mind. How did he even think of arranging the song that way? Sadly, we’ll never know, but his magic lives on.

And then there’s Ella Fitzgerald’s version…OMG! They are all incredible interpretations, aren’t they?