Sam Cooke - Ain't That Good News

Title: Ain't That Good News Artist: Sam Cooke Release Date: 1964 Re-Released On: 7/30/2008 Label: Universal Distribution, Um3, Brunswick, ABKCO Records UPCs: 018771989929, 4988005521385, 0600753033210, 0602498077078, 602498077078 Genre: Rhythm & Blues Styles: Soul, Early R&B Moods: Confident, Elegant, Joyous, Passionate, Relaxed, Carefree, Cheerful, Gentle, Romantic, Smooth, Amiable/Good-Natured, Earnest, Energetic, Exuberant, Happy, Laid-Back/Mellow, Light, Plaintive, Refined/Mannered, Soothing, Stylish, Sweet, Brooding, Lively, Playful, Sophisticated, Yearning, Innocent, Poignant, Reflective, Searching, Sensual, Sentimental, Spiritual, Warm Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 3 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. (Ain't That) Good News
2. Meet Me at Mary's Place
3. Good Times
4. Rome (Wasn't Built in a Day)
5. Another Saturday Night
6. Tennessee Waltz
7. A Change Is Gonna Come
8. Falling in Love
9. Home (When Shadows Fall)
10. Sittin' in the Sun
11. There'll Be No Second Time
12. The Riddle Song

Year Type Label Catalog # 2008 CD Universal Distribution 93546 2008 CD Universal Distribution 5303321 2003 CD Um3 9807707 2003 CD Brunswick 9807707 2003 CD ABKCO Records 98992

No other editions were found for this album.

The last of his studio albums released in his lifetime, Sam Cooke's Ain't That Good News offers a lot of superb material, pointing in several directions that, alas, were to go largely unexplored. The central number is, of course, the earth-shattering "A Change Is Gonna Come," with its soaring gospel sound and the most elaborate production of any song in Cooke's output. The rousing though less substantial title track also came out of a gospel tradition, as does Cooke's treatment of "Tennessee Waltz," which is one of his finest adaptations of contemporary pop material. "Falling in Love" was the work of Harold Battiste, an old friend of Cooke's who had recently re-entered his orbit and was partly responsible for encouraging the singer in exploring the New Orleans sound that was evident on "Rome Wasn't Built in a Day" and "Meet Me at Mary's Place." And then there's "Good Times," a bittersweet, introspective party number, and the pensive successor to "Twistin' the Night Away." There are a few moments where the spell is almost broken by the intrusion of what seems like pop material, but even Cooke's version of "The Riddle Song" is worth owning, as a glimpse of how he could turn a folk song into a something so quietly soulful that its origins disappeared. With the exception of "Another Saturday Night," which had been released as a single early in the previous year, Ain't That Good News comprised the first material that Cooke had recorded in the six months following the drowning death of his 18-month-old son Vincent; it was also the first album that Cooke recorded and released under his new contract, which gave him greater freedom in choosing repertory and sidemen than he'd ever had, and so it offered a lot of pent-up emotional and musical expression, and, as it turned out, was tragically unique in the singer's output. Ain't That Good News was reissued in June of 2003 as an extraordinary audiophile-quality hybrid CD/Super-Audio CD edition by ABKCO Records, with full music and session credits. The sound on that edition literally blows any prior edition of the album, or any earlier CD release of those songs. ~ Bruce Eder, All Music Guide

Name Credits Alexander Neiman Viola Alisa Ritz Art Direction Allan Reuss Guitar April Hobbs Art Coordinator Arnold Belnick Violin Barney Kessel Guitar Ben Bailes Assistant Engineer Bob Ludwig Mastering Buddy Clark Bass Chuck Badie Bass Clifford Hils Bass Clifton White Guitar Darrel Terwilliger Violin Dave Wells Trombone David Hassinger Engineer Earl Palmer Drums Eddie Hall Drums Eddie Tilman Bass Edgar Redmond Saxophone Emil Radocchia Percussion, Tympani [Timpani], Marimba Emmet Sargeant Cello Ernie Tack Trombone George Tipton Vocals (Background) Gus Skinas Engineer Gwen Johnson Vocals (Background) Hal Blaine Drums Harold Battiste Piano Harry Betts Trombone Harry Hyams Viola Howard Roberts Guitar Hugo Producer Hugo & Luigi Producer Iris Keitel Art Direction Irving Lipschultz Violin Israel Baker Violin J.J. Farley Vocals (Background) Jack Pepper Violin Jackie Ward Vocals (Background) James Bryant Vocals (Background) Jesse Ehrlich Cello Jewell L. Grant Saxophone Jimmie Outler Vocals (Background) Jody Klein Producer Joe Hooven Arranger, Conductor John Anderson Trumpet John Boudreaux Drums John DeVoogdt Violin John Ewing Trombone John Pisano Guitar Johnny Halliburton Trombone Joseph R. Gibbons Banjo Laura Walton Audio Production Leonard Malarsky Violin Leroy Crume Guitar Lincoln Mayorga Piano, Celeste Linwood Mitchell Percussion Louise Blackburn Trombone Luigi Producer Matt Boynton Assistant Engineer Melvin Lastie Trumpet Mick Gochanour Digital Transfers Milt Bernhart Trombone Norman Bartold Guitar Paul Foster Vocals (Background) Plas Johnson Saxophone Ralph Schaeffer Violin Ray Pohlman Bass Raymond Johnson Piano Red Tyler Saxophone Rene Hall Arranger, Conductor Richard Gibbs Vocals (Background) Robert Barene Violin Robert Tebow Vocals (Background) S.R. Crain Vocals (Background) Sam Cooke Vocals Seth Adkins Art Coordinator Sidney Sharp Violin Steve Rosenthal Archives Coordinator, Restoration Teri Landi Producer The Carole Lombard Quartet Vocals (Background) Tibor Zelig Violin Wally Seawell Cover Photo William Green Saxophone William Hinshaw French Horn William Kurash Violin