12

SamCooke,'AChangeIsGonnaCome'

Writer:Cooke
Producers:HugoPeretti,LuigiCreatore
Released:Dec.'64,RCA
7weeks;No.31
In1963,SamCookeAmerica'sfirstgreatsoulsingerandoneofthemostsuccessfulpopactsinthe
nation,with18Top30hitssince1957heardasongthatprofoundlyinspiredanddisturbedhim:Bob
Dylan's"Blowin'intheWind."WhatstruckCookewasthechallengeimplicitinDylan'santhem."Jeez,"
Cookemused,"awhiteboywritingasonglikethat?"
Cooke'sresponse,"AChangeIsGonnaCome,"recordedonJanuary30th,1964,withasumptuous
orchestralarrangementbyReneHall,wasmorepersonalinitsfirstpersonlanguageandthe
experiencesthatprecededitscreation.OnOctober8th,1963,whileontour,Cookeandmembersofhis
entouragewerearrestedinShreveport,Louisiana,fordisturbingthepeaceaftertheytriedtoregisterata
whitemotelanincidentreflectedinthesong'sthirdverse.AndCooke'smourningforhis18monthold
son,Vincent,whodrownedthatJune,resonatesinthelastverse:"TherehavebeentimesthatIthought/I
couldn'tlastforlong."
OnDecember11th,1964,ayearafterherecordedit,CookewasfatallyshotatanL.A.motel.Twoweeks
later,"AChangeIsGonnaCome"wasreleased,becomingCooke'sfarewelladdressandananthemofthe
civilrightsmovement.
Appearson:PortraitofaLegend19511964(ABKCO)

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