Episode 103: Lee Fields on Sam Cooke’s “Portrait Of A Legend” (2003)

Episode 103

12th September 2019

Legendary soul singer Lee Fields (Daptone, Truth & Soul, Big Crown Records) stopped by Heat Rocks to discuss the 30 tracks compiled by ABKCO records on Sam Cooke, Portrait of A Legend, released in the summer of 2003. The album covers multi-genres including gospel, pop and soul – Sam’s hits, during his storied 15 year career which ended tragically with his untimely death at 33. Referred to as, “the man who invented soul” Sam Cooke hummed and crooned his way into soul music’s canon starting with three words: You Send Me.

Episode notes

The Album: Sam Cooke Portrait Of A Legend (2003)

Legendary soul singer Lee Fields (Daptone, Truth & Soul, Big Crown Records) stopped by Heat Rocks to discuss the 30 tracks compiled by ABKCO records on Sam Cooke, Portrait of A Legend, released in the summer of 2003. The album covers multi-genres including gospel, pop and soul – Sam’s hits, during his storied 15 year career which ended tragically with his untimely death at 33. Referred to as, “the man who invented soul” Sam Cooke hummed and crooned his way into soul music’s canon starting with three words: You Send Me .

Lee Fields’ career began 50 years ago with the release of his first single on the Bedford label “Bewildered”. Since then he’s released dance tracks, recorded with The Expressions, had his music placed in shows like Atlanta and Dear White People, toured the country and has his songs remixed by some of the best.

He and Morgan discussed the gospel according to Sam Cooke, symbolism in A Change Is Gonna Come, Sam Cooke as a lyricist, Sam Cooke as a storyteller. A veteran soul singer in conversation about one of the architects of soul music It gets no better.

More on Lee Fields

More on Sam Cooke

Show Tracklisting (all songs from Portrait Of A Legend unless indicated otherwise):

  • Nothing Can Change This Love
  • Lee Fields & The Expressions: Honey Dove
  • Touch The Hem of His Garment
  • You Send Me
  • You Were Made For Me
  • Only Sixteen
  • Soul
  • Sam Cooke & The Soul Stirrers: The Last Mile of the Way
  • Little Red Rooster
  • Chain Gang
  • Cupid
  • Bring It On Home To Me
  • Nothing Can Change This Love
  • (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
  • Summertime
  • You Send Me
  • Sugar Dumpling
  • Muhammad Ali: The Gang’s All Here
  • A Change Is Gonna Come
  • Aretha Franklin: A Change Is Gonna Come
  • Otis Redding: A Change Is Gonna Come
  • Touch The Hem Of His Garment
  • You Were Made For Me

Here is the Spotify playlist of as many songs as we can find there

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In this episode...

Guests

  • Lee Fields

About the show

Hosted by Oliver Wang and Morgan Rhodes, every episode of Heat Rocks invites a special guest to talk about a heat rock – a hot album, a scorching record. These are in-depth conversations about the albums that shape our lives.

Our guests include musicians, writers, and scholars and though we don’t exclusively focus on any one genre, expect to hear about albums from the worlds of soul, hip-hop, funk, jazz, Latin, and more.

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