Sam Cooke With The Soul Stirrers: “The First Mile Of The Way” (2021) Vinyl Review

Record Store Day’s Black Friday list just became significantly shorter, due, as I am told, to a vinyl shortage. Some of those albums planned for release on Friday will be released in December, others not until next year. But one fantastic release that is still scheduled for this Friday is The First Mile Of The Way, a three-record set from Sam Cooke With The Soul Stirrers, featuring his early gospel work and some pop demos. The title is a play on the song “The Last Mile Of The Way,” which The Soul Stirrers recorded, and which was used as a title track to a compilation. In addition to the excellent music, this release features a great package, with several inserts, including a promotional photo, a list of records available from Specialty, newspaper clippings, and even correspondence between Sam Cooke and Art Rupe of Specialty Records about Cooke recording pop songs. The music is presented on three ten-inch records.

LP 1

The first record is made up of studio recordings by The Soul Stirrers. The album opens with “Any Day Now.” You can hear the take being announced at the beginning. This is a gorgeous, slow spiritual number about impending death, and acceptance of it. “There’ll be no sorrow, no sadness/Just all complete gladness/But any day I know, I know that I am going home.” This track features an absolutely arresting vocal performance that is passionate and beautiful. That is followed by “Pilgrim Of Sorrow,” a fantastic track. “I have no hope for tomorrow/And I have no place that I can roam/Sometimes, sometimes I am so lonely/Sometimes I don’t know what to do/I look around to friends for consolation/And I find that they have troubles too.” In these uncertain times, this one really hits home. It is Sam Cooke at his best.

Then we get into a more traditional-sounding spiritual, “Jesus Gave Me Water,” a vocal track that is uplifting and kind of fun. It recounts the story of a miracle that touched a woman, who testifies about her experience. That’s followed by another wonderful vocal number, “Peace In The Valley.” When they sing, “No more trouble, there will be/There will be peace in the valley,” they sound so optimistic, it feels like a promise. Listening to this recording, it feels like heaven is just around the corner, that paradise is achievable. Humanity is at its best when it is singing, don’t you think? Then his vocal performance on “Jesus, Wash Away My Troubles” sounds close to those hits we know Sam Cooke for. Perhaps that is because this is a song he wrote. I like the work on piano too. “Sometimes I feel like I’m almost gone/Still I’m a long way from home.” Yes, it’s another song about death, about not being afraid, even looking forward to the day. Imagine that. The first side concludes with “Were You There,” an interesting song in which people ask each other if they were there the day they crucified Jesus. It sounds along the same lines as people asking others if they attended Woodstock. I love the way the energy builds up on this track.

The second side opens with “I’d Give Up All My Sins And Serve The Lord,” a cheerful, passionate number. “Then I found God in a song/And I gave up every wrong.” Ah, they make it sound so easy. Hey, this could be that very song for someone. “Then I found God in a dream/I can tell you what I mean.” And somehow he makes that sound right and sane. It must be nice to have that sort of experience, I suppose. That’s followed by “Touch The Hem Of His Garment,” an original number, this one about a sick woman who is desperate just to touch Jesus’ clothes. “She spent her money here and there/Until she had no more to spare/The doctors, they’d done all they could/But their medicine would do no good.” Again, with “One More River,” death is in the near future. “One more river to cross/Before I reach my journey’s end.” But it is like folks are striving and striding toward that end, which is intriguing to me. I wonder if this record were played for folks on their deathbeds if it would bring them complete peace, help them pass with smiles on their faces. I think it might.

“Mean Old World” is one that everyone can appreciate. “This is a mean old world to live in all by yourself.” He offers this advice: “What you should do is try to make at least one friend each and every day.” Indeed. It’s a tough world, and we do need each other. That’s followed by “He’s So Wonderful,” a song in praise of God. “Whatever I need, the lord will provide.” This song encourages others to try him out as well. Some good guitar work opens “That’s Heaven To Me,” and for a moment it could be a rock and roll tune. This one is different in its message, not singing about heaven as an actual place, but as an idea, with flowers, sunsets and people helping strangers seeming like heaven to him. It is another of the record’s highlights.

LP 2

The second record contains a live performance of The Soul Stirrers at The Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles on July 22, 1955. The three songs are all originals, and the sound is really good. We hear the crowd cheering at the beginning of “I Have A Friend Above All Others,” and at other times can hear people responding, almost like it is a church service. It’s a pretty cool recording. And what a vocal performance. The crowd responds to that as much as to the message, it seems. “Somebody cares when things go wrong/Somebody’s love is there to guide you and make you so strong.” And there is a spoken word section, in which not only is God praised, but a new member of the group is introduced. The energy picks up on “Be With Me Jesus,” with some hand claps, and we realize it really is a spiritual service we are listening to. Perhaps a non-traditional setting, sure, but one of the newspaper clippings included in this set tells us the concert featured several gospel groups and was sponsored by a religious radio personality. This track goes on for a while, and does get a bit repetitive, but no matter. It is good.

The entire second side of the record is one song, a number titled “Nearer To Thee,” about a crowd singing “Nearer, My God, To Thee.” It begins as a beautiful, even soothing song. “Some of them were crying/But they kept on singing ‘Nearer, My God, To Thee.’” It is a powerful and passionate vocal performance, reminding us that trouble comes to everyone sometimes. The crowd responds. It must have been something to be present for this. This track is approximately eight and a half minutes.

LP 3

The last of the three records is a collection of early Sam Cooke demos. We are now in the secular world, these songs dealing with romantic relationships rather than spiritual ones. The first side opens with “Lovable,” a wonderful love song with a classic rhythm. And, yes, maybe these aren’t the deepest, most meaningful set of lyrics ever written, but Sam Cooke cane make even standard lines sound great. “I love my girl/She’s so lovable.” That’s followed by “I Need You Now,” a song about being lonely and missing a woman. And seeing other couples together only makes him miss her all the more. “Darling, I need you now/Cut your vacation short,” he tells her.

The take is announced at the beginning of “I’ll Come Running Back To You” (take one, for those who are curious). This is a sweet, gentle song. In this one he misses a woman he is no longer dating. He expresses some guilt, admitting he didn’t treat her right, but hopes she’ll call his name. That’s followed by “I Don’t Want To Cry.” We hear the take being announced at the beginning of this one too (take three). It’s another sweet number, this one also about missing a woman who has left him. You can hear the love in his voice. “My days and nights are all spent thinking of you/Of places we went and things that we used to do/My tears I’ve tried to hide/But oh darling, how I am hurting inside/I don’t want to cry, but I can’t keep tears from my eyes.” You get the feeling that if the woman in question only heard this track, she’d go straight back to him.

The second side begins with “Forever,” and again we hear the take being announced. In this romantic number, he sings that he wants this love to last forever. It features a really good vocal performance. “Why, why, why won’t you tell me, tell me the way you feel/Why, why, why, why, why, why, why, why won’t you hold me and tell me if this love is real.” That’s followed by “Happy In Love,” which has a different vibe, perhaps in large part because of that guitar work. It feels like it should be played on ukulele. “You won’t care if the sun don’t shine/All your worries will  be left behind/You’ll be happy, happy, happy, happy all the time/When you’re happy, happy, happy in love, tra la la.” “Take one” is announced at the beginning of this excellent set’s final track, “That’s All I Need To Know,” another sweet love song. “You don’t have to tell me where you came from/About things you’ve done before/If you’ll only say you love me/That’s all I need to know.”

Record Track List

LP 1

Side 1

1. Any Day Now
2. Pilgrim Of Sorrow
3. Jesus Gave Me Water
4. Peace In The Valley
5. Jesus, Wash Away My Troubles
6. Were You There

Side 2

1. I’d Give Up All My Sins And Serve The Lord
2. Touch The Hem Of His Garment
3. One More River
4. Mean Old World
5. He’s So Wonderful
6. That’s Heaven To Me

LP 2

Side 1

1. I Have A Friend Above All Others
2. Be With Me Jesus

Side 2

1. Nearer To Thee

LP 3

Side 1

1. Lovable
2. I Need You Now
3. I’ll Come Running Back To You
4. I Don’t Want To Cry

Side 2

1. Forever
2. Happy In Love
3. That’s All I Need To Know

The First Mile Of The Way is scheduled to be released on November 26, 2021 through Craft Recordings. It is a limited edition of 3,400 copies.