Joe Cocker Woodstock
The Airplane had ended what was basically a 22-hour concert from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning. Now people wandered, slept, sought food, found relief, or tried to figure out what was next.
Max Yasgur
On Friday, I wasn’t at Woodstock to hear Sri Swami Satchidananda and on Sunday I didn’t know who Max Yasgur was. The Swami had spoke to and chanted with the crowd for about 17 minutes.
Max spoke for less than 2.
I’m a farmer…(interrupted by a cheer from the audience)… I don’t know how to speak to twenty people at one time, let alone a crowd like this. But I think you people have proven something to the world — not only to the Town of Bethel, or Sullivan County, or New York State; you’ve proven something to the world. This is the largest group of people ever assembled in one place. We have had no idea that there would be this size group, and because of that you’ve had quite a few inconveniences as far as water, food, and so forth. Your producers have done a mammoth job to see that you’re taken care of… they’d enjoy a vote of thanks. But above that, the important thing that you’ve proven to the world is that a half a million kids — and I call you kids because I have children that are older than you are — a half million young people can get together and have three days of fun and music and have nothing but fun and music, and I – God Bless You for it!”
Like Quill was and Sweetwater was supposed to be, Joe Cocker was the opening act and opening acts have that slot because they are typically less known. Such was the cast for Cocker, but he was a bit better known in the American east than Quill or Sweetwater had been.
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Joe Cocker and the Grease Band
How did Joe get an invite to begin with?
Joyce Mitchell was an assistant to Michael Lang. In a message exchange with her, she mentioned this story.
The only performer I brought to Michael’s attention was Joe Cocker and John signed him up. He was performing in a club on the upper west side and someone I had worked with at my previous job had brought my attention to his great blues performance. I went to the club hoping Michael would join me but he never showed. It was a club on Columbus or Amsterdam Ave. They did not serve liquor, but Joe shook the club up. Â
It always amazes me how such a little thing can lead to such a huge difference in someone’s career path.
Sunday 17 August
Now it was about 2 PM on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The band would play for nearly 90 minutes, quite a long time for an opening act, which turned out to be a good thing for the crowd who didn’t realize they were in for a soaking soon after the set finished.
Personnel:
- Joe Cocker: vocals
- Chris Stainton: keyboards
- Henry McCullough: guitar
- Alan Spenner: bass
- Bruce Rowlands: drums
- Bobby Torres: congas
Setlist (the first two songs were instrumentals that the Grease Band played before Joe Cocker joined them on stage)
- Rockhouse
- Who Knows What Tomorrow May BringÂ
- Dear Landlord
- Something’s Coming On
- Do I Still Figure in Your Life
- Feelin’ Alright
- Just Like a Woman
- Let’s Go Get Stoned
- I Don’t Need No Doctor
- I Shall Be Released
- Hitchcock Railway
- Something to Say
- With a Little Help from My Friends
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Rockhouse/Who Knows What Tomorrow May BringÂ
The Grease Band was a separate group formed just before Joe Cocker hired them (briefly) as his back up band. The band members each went on following Cocker’s departure to have long careers, sometime with Cocker again.
They would later release two of their own albums, The Grease Band in 1971 and Amazing Grease in 1975.
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Dear Landlord
Joe Cocker was the only Woodstock performer to have a band open for him. Not sure why. In any case, Cocker is best known for songs he covered and covered in such a way that the songs became his. While Dear Landlord may not be the best example of that, he certainly makes Bob Dylan’s song his own.
The song would appear on his second album, Joe Cocker, in November 1969. Unlike his first album, With A Little Help From My Friends, which did not feature the Grease Band, the Joe Cocker album did.
The following lyrics are Dylan’s. Joe takes a bit of poetic license with his version.
Interestingly, he introduced the song by comparing the title to Max Yasgur: “That farming guy who came out. He seemed like a nice little bloke”Â
Please don’t put a price on my soul
My burden is heavy
My dreams are beyond control
When that steamboat whistle blows
I’m going to give you all I got to give
And I do hope you receive it well
Depending on the way you feel that you live
Please heed these words that I speak
I know you’ve suffered much
But in this you are not so unique
All of us, at times we might work too hard
To have it too fast and too much
And anyone can fill his life up
With things he can see but he just cannot touch
Please don’t dismiss my case
I’m not about to argue
I’m not about to move to no other place
Now, each of us has his own special gift
And you know this was meant to be true
And if you don’t underestimate me
I won’t underestimate you
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Something’s Coming On
Written by Joe Cocker and keyboardist Chris Stainton, the song. He says “This explains the whole situation.”
Feeling in my bones, hope you let it last a little bit longer
Breaking out my head, doing things I never even dreamed of
Rolling down my spine, turning on the things that’d never been turned on
Suddenly she came in
Looked like she’d been gaming
Doing things with everybody else
When I yelled out loudly
She answered kind of proudly
That she spent her life upon the shelf
I’ve got a feeling in my bones
what ever happens now it just don’t matter Breaking out my head
I’ve been doing things I never even dreamed of
rolling down my spine, turning on my things that’d never been turned on
Looked like she’d been gaming
Doing things with everybody else
When I yelled out loudly
She answered kind of proudly
That she spent her life upon the shelf
Feeling in my bones, hope you let it last a little bit longer
Breaking out my head, doing things I never even dreamed of
Rolling down my spine, turning on the things that’d never been turned on
Suddenly she came in
Looked like she’d been gaming
Doing things with everybody else
When I yelled out loudly
She answered kind of proudly
That she spent her life upon the shelf
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Do I Still Figure in Your Life
“A Sunday afternoon ballad.” written by Pete Dello appeared on Cocker’s first album With A Little Help From My Friends released in May 1969.
You made yourself some new friends, knocking around
But all those wild people,
you know they make me nervous
Do I still figure in your life
Hey hey hey
Do I still figure in your life
It’s got a brand new look about it
that’s hard to trace
The tender way you look
the way you’re smiling, yeah
Do I still figure in your life
Hey hey hey
Do I still figure in your life
It’s got a brand new look about it
that’s hard to trace
The tender way you look
the way you’re smiling
Do I still figure in your life
Hey hey hey
Do I still figure in your life
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Feelin’ Alright
Dave Mason of Traffic wrote the song which also appeared on Joe’s first album.
Every night I have the strangest dreams
Imprisoned by the way it could have been
Left here on my own or so it seems
I got to leave before I start to scream
‘Cause someone locked the door and took the key
I’m not feelin’ too good myself
Yes, you feelin’ alright?
I’m not feelin’ that good myself
And even now I sit and I wonder why
That when I think of you I start myself to cry out
I just can’t waste my time, I must keep dry
Gotta stop believin’ in all your lies
‘Cause there’s too much to do before I die, hey
I’m not feelin’ too good myself
You feelin’ alright?
I’m not feelin’ too good, little girl
Yeah by the time I really felt that way
But that was then, and now you know it’s today
I can’t get off, I guess I’m here to stay
‘Til someone comes along and takes my place, yeah
With a different name, oh, and a different face
I’m not feelin’ that good myself
You feelin’ alright?
Hey, not feeling that good myself
Woah, not feelin’ alright
Yeah, not feelin’ that good myself
Oh, woah, I’m not, well I’m not feelin’ good myself
You can turn away, feelin’ alright I’m not feeling too good myself
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Just Like a Woman
Another Dylan tune (of course) that also appeared on his first album. Joe refers to the fact that Dylan is on his way to the Isle of Wright Festival in England which was part of the reason he didn’t appear at Woodstock. That and the fact that Dylan wasn’t doing shows to begin with.
The song also appeared on his first album.
Tonight as I stand here in the rain
Everybody knows that baby’s got new clothes
But lately I see her ribbons and her bows
And the problems from her curls
She makes love just like a woman
And then she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl
Yes I believe I’ll go and see her again
Ain’t no one has to guess that baby can’t be blessed
‘Til she finds out, she’s like all the rest
With her fog, her amphetamines, and her pearls
And she makes love just like a woman
And then she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl
So I came in here
And your long-time curse, it hurts, oh and what’s worse
Is the pain in here
Oh, I can’t stay in here
Ain’t it clear
I believe it’s time for us to quit
And when we met again and are introduced as friends
Please don’t let on that you knew me when
I was hungry, and it was your world
And you make love to me just like a woman
Say that you’re fair just like a woman
Well but you break up like a little girl
I don’t know what I’m gon’ do
‘Cause it’s just like a little girl
Seems like I don’t know what I’m gon’ do with you
Hey, my little girl
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Let’s Go Get Stoned
First made famous by Ray Charles and written by Valerie Simpson, Jo Armstead, and Nick Ashford, Let’s Go Get Stone would be included on his 1970 live album, Joe Cocker, Mad Dogs & Englishmen.
Let’s go get stoned
When your baby won’t let you in
Got a few pennies, a bottle of gin
Just call your buddy on the telephone
Let’s go get stoned
Let’s go get stoned
When you work so hard all the day long
And everything you do seems to go wrong
Just drop by my place on your way home
Let’s go get stoned
You’re taking just a taste
But don’t blow your cool
And start messing up the place
It ain’t no harm you’re faking just a nip
But make sure you don’t fall down bust your lip
Let’s go get stoned
Let’s go get stoned
Joe Cocker Woodstock
I Don’t Need No Doctor
Also written by written by Valerie Simpson, Jo Armstead, and Nick Ashford and also made famous by Ray Charles.
I don’t need no doctor
‘Cause I know what’s ailing me
I don’t need no doctor
‘Cause I know what’s ailing me
I’ve been too long away from my baby, yeah
I’m coming down with a misery
I don’t need no doctor
For my prescription to be filled
(I don’t need no doctor)
(I don’t need no doctor)
No, no, no, I don’t need no doctor
For my prescription to be filled, yeah
Only my baby’s arms could ever
Could ever take away this chill
Now the doctor say I need rest
For I need is her tenderness
He put me on the critical list
When all I need is her sweet kiss
He gave me a medicated lotion
But it didn’t soothe my emotion, yeah
I don’t need no doctor
For my hope to live is gone
(I don’t need no doctor)
(I don’t need no doctor)
No, no, I don’t need no doctor
For my hope to live is gone
All I need is my baby, please!
Won’t you please just come on home?
Come on home
Joe Cocker Woodstock
I Shall Be Released
In for a penny, in for a pound. Another Dylan tune and also on Cocker’s first album. The Band will include the song in their set later.
They say every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
They say that every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above this wall
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
A man who swears he’s not to blame
All day long I hear him shouting so loud
Just crying out that he was framed
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Hitchcock Railway
Written by Don Dunn and Tony McCashen, Hitchcock Railway was on the Joe Cocker! album.
One round trip the other way
Oh, I get the feelin’ when forever calls
I get the feelin’ when forever calls
Hand grip, Hitchcock railway
Soft ride, made for comfort
Been tried, guaranteed passport
Hey, I’m gonna ride, I’m gonna testify
Get my soul, lift my mind
Hitchcock railway
Prepare, better start runnin’
On time, hold you through now
State line, I’ve been convicted
Hitchcock railway
Ooh, somebody take a train ride
Ooh, leap on
One round trip the other way
Oh, I get the feelin’ where the river falls
I get the feelin’ where the river falls
Hand grip, Hitchcock railway
Soft ride, made for comfort
Been tried, guaranteed passport
Hey, I’m gonna ride, I’m gonna testify
Get my soul, lift my mind
Hitchcock railway
I’m gonna ride a train back home
I’m gonna buy me a ticket at a station
Don’t want to go on a train tonight
On a train tonight
On a train tonight
Joe Cocker Woodstock
Something to Say
Written by Cocker and Peter Nicholls, (the band’s road manager) Something to Say appeared on Cocker’s third studio album, Joe Cocker. A & M released it in November 1972.
And so, what can I say, I thank you, dear
To share the few things you have
And oh, I’d like to say, I’m glad you’re here
And hope your leaving is not sad
Soon I’ll have to go an’ get back on the road
Then I’ll have no reason left at all
In times it’s hard to say the things I feel
To wonder while I’ve known so long
Oh, you still remain so sure and real
But ev’rything is going wrong
But soon I’ll have to go an’ get back on the road
Then I’ll have no reason left at all
Oh, have you somethin’ to say, say it for me, please
Oh, have you somethin’ to say, say it before I leave
Oh, have you somethin’ to say, say it from your heart
Oh, have you somethin’ to say, say it before I part
And so, what can I say, I thank you, dear
For sharing what few things you have
And oh, I’d like to say, I’m glad you’re here
And hope your leaving is not sad
Soon I’ll have to go an’ get back on the road
Then I’ll have no reason left at all
Oh, have you somethin’ to say, say it for me, please
Oh, have you somethin’ to say, say it before I leave
Oh, have you somethin’ to say, say it from your heart
Oh, have you somethin’ to say, say it before I part ….
Oh let it roll, right from your heart now
Oh let it roll, right from your heart now
Have you got somethin’ to say
Have you got somethin’ to say
Have you got somethin’ to say
Let it roll, yeah ….
Joe Cocker Woodstock
With a Little Help from My Friends
And the closing is THE closing. While the Woodstock album could have included other songs from this great set, this is the one and it became the one.
And while none of the Beatles were at the festival, their spirit and many of their songs were.
Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song
I will try not to sing out of key
All I need is my buddies (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I say I’m gonna get high (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh yeah (Ooh)
(Does it worry you to be alone?)
No no
How do I feel at the end of the day?
(Are you sad because you’re on your own?)
I tell ya I don’t get sad no more
Yeah yeah, I’m gonna try (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Keep on getting high, oh Lord (Ooh)
(Could it be anybody?)
All I need is someone
That’s just where I’m going, yeah
Somebody knows that’s where I’m showing
Baby
Oh, I’m gonna keep on trying (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I’m gonna keep on trying (Ooh)
(What do you see when you turn out the light?)
I can’t tell you but it sure feels like mine
I promised myself I’d get by (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Said I’m gonna try and not work too hard (Ooh)
(Could it be anybody?)
Oh there’s gotta be somebody
Don’t treat me wrong Lord
Oh yeah yeah
Oh, yes I’m gonna keep trying, now (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Keep on trying with my friends (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
Oh, I’m never gonna stop there, oh (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I’m gonna keep on trying, yeah yeah (Ah, with a little help from my friends)
I’m getting high, I’m gonna make time, oh Lord (Ooh)
Gonna get by with my friends
Oh, I’m gonna get on by, yes I’m gonna get on by, my Lord
I’m gonna tell them all about it, I’m gonna tell them all, yeah yeah
Joe Cocker Woodstock
And then the rains came…
A couple of hours later with everything soaked, Country Joe and the Fish continued day 3 as thousands had to head home.
