Rock singer Joe Cocker was born on this day in 1944. "The Letter" was first done as a live version from the Mad Dogs And Englishmen tour in 1969, where he was backed by Leon Russell. It was issued as a single in 1970 and reached #7 in the US and Canada.
The Sound of One Hand Typing 
Joe Cocker – greatest white soul singer…
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I would agree…
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This tour version is the best. Thanks, John.
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Glad you like it!
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He is one guy who could take a song and make it into his own…while not forgetting the original because he does it in a completely different way…like With A Little Help….
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Perfect example: “Cry Me A River.” Sounds nothing like Julie London’s…
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Yes…he does make them his own….that blues voice he has.
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Joe Cocker is amazing and definitely gets into his music!
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As he got older, he wasn’t as frenetic, and I think he discovered he didn’t need to be. He became more of a singer.
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One of the most incredible voices in rock. I feel similar to Tina Turner, when a song got the Joe Cocker treatment, it automatically became a much better tune!
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Very true. “The Letter” was a good song when The Box Tops did it, but Joe’s treatment made it a real hit.
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An amazing artist.😊
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He was. Sad he’s gone.
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Thank God music lives on until we, too, are gone.🌹
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Amen to that…
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Joe Cocker is the perfect example of people judging a book by it’s cover. I think we all felt the same way about his appearance and mannerisms but once he opened his mouth and started singing, all doubts flew out the window. He’s one of the most memorable performers and just watching him, you know he’s “in the zone” when he’s singing. Terrific artist and one of the few who can actually do Beatles covers exceptionally well!
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He mellowed as he got older and became a real singer with “You Are So Beautiful.”
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And what a beautiful song it is!
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such an emotional song
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Joe brought the emotion to it.
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Hi John – a letter is still so important to many … helps cheer people up … cheers Hilary
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That it is….
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