I started this post out as an Animals post but I had to switch the headliner to Sam Cooke. Cooke could sing the phone book and sound great. The man was unfair… he had everything. He was a terrific singer, writer, and this track shows that his skills as a producer and arranger have been undervalued.
I first heard the song through the Animals. They took the song and made it sparse with Burdon’s voice carrying it. This was the gritty B side to House of the Rising Sun. I bought the single for House of the Rising Sun and I turned it over and loved what I heard. I bought the single sometime in the early eighties.
The Animals version peaked at #32 on the Billboard 100, #7 in Canada, and #7 in the UK in 1965.
Cooke’s version was released as the B-side of “Having A Party,” and both songs became hits. Both tracks featured background vocals by Lou Rawls, who does the call-and-response with Cooke. Both songs were written while Cooke was on tour for Henry Wynn.
This song has a gospel feel to it and I love the call and response parts with Lou Rawls. The song peaked at #13 on the Billboard 100 Charts and #2 in the Billboard R&B Charts in 1962 for Sam Cooke.
In 1964, Cooke was shot and killed by the manager of a motel (Hacienda Motel) in Los Angeles, California. After a police investigation, courts concluded that his death was a justifiable homicide, though Cooke’s family never accepted the conclusion, nor the alleged circumstances around his death.
Bring It On Home To Me
If you ever change your mind
About leaving, leaving me behind
Oh, oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
I know I laughed when you left
But now I know I’ve only hurt myself
Oh, oh, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
I’ll give you jewelry and money too
That’s not all, all I’ll do for you
Oh, if bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
You know I’ll always be your slave
‘Till I’m buried and buried in my grave
Oh, honey bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
One more thing
I tried to treat you right
But you stayed out, stayed out at night
But I forgive you, bring it to me
Bring your sweet loving
Bring it on home to me
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah)
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
The song is about a guy who loses his girl. He doesn’t think much of this loss at first, then starts to miss her terribly and says that he will do anything to get her back. She stayed out at night (apparently some type of dubious behavior is implied), but when she returned home to him, he forgave her. Sweet loving is another term for sex and this guy originally laughed when she first left, but since he hasn’t been getting any of that sweet loving without her in his life, he wants her to come back.
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nice song, works on pretty much every level. Coincidental timing, this morning the DJ on the oldies station I had on in the car played ‘Cupid’ by the Spinners and talked at length about how good Sam cooke had been, which isn’t an artist you hear mentioned all that much now. I never knew he died like that, that’s rather sad.
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Yea he died tragically… a lot of rumors about the mob in that story. Good song and The Animals did a great version of it.
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Yep, Max, I found this treasure via the Animals too. Theirs is another version that works perfectly- it feels more wrenching somehow. But either version is outstanding pop. Damn Cooke was good. Another one gone- or in this case, taken- too soon.
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I was going to write the Animals version up…more but thought that was unfair…but yes Burdon’s voice does make it more wrenching and the sparse music.
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Now you know how much I love Eric Burdon’s voice, but there is just no competition between the Animals’ version of this song and the Cooke & Rawls duo. I really don’t think their version can be topped. I also believe that Cooke’s death was suspicious. Another good use for time machines: go back and find out what really happened and stop crimes before they happen. Too many good people killed who didn’t need to die. And I don’t care how much it changes the future!
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Oh yes… and take Otis Redding off that plane…Duane Allman off of that motorcycle…and push Lennon out of the way.
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****YES****
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A suspicious amount of soulful singers seemed to get caught up in the crossfire at some dark motels late at night…
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A perfect place for a manager/label/etc. to pay someone to off them and make it look like it was justified homicide also.
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Oh, man, I love, love, love that song. I think the first version I heard was John Lennon’s take on his “Rock ‘n’ Roll” solo album from 1975, where he combined it in a great medley with “Send Me Some Lovin'” – so cool!
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I forgot about that one! I should have posted that version also.
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I had forgotten about this Sam Cooke song which I liked very much back then and still do!
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Yea he could sing anything.
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Bruce…I’ll be posting about it Sunday but I’m going to take a month long break after that day. I’ll be back September 2… my work and some house projects need to be finished…plus I need to recharge my batteries so to speak.
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I understand that. When you come back I may well have “disappeared”! Today’s story is 2488. When I get to the 2500th story I’m giving up blogging. (At least for a while). I need to find new interests to liven things up! I’ve been going every day for over 9 years! Have a terrific break Max.
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Don’t you DARE leave without talking to me.
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We have emails!
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I know… still. I need a recharge….it’s going to be odd the first few days without this…like walking around with odd socks.
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You still wear socks? Actually for my brother’s funeral a year ago I had to borrow socks, shoes and a tie. I’m a hippie hangover.
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Now that is a great thing. All you need is patchouli oil.
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Ah! Patchouli oil – an excellent mosquito repellent at a rock festival.
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That sounds about right
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Sam was in the wrong time. Black music didn;t know what to do with him, nor did the white radio. Eric Burden and the Animals captured the tune the way it should have been recorded. The Fabs may have started the Brit invasion, but the Animals gave it grit and soul.
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I agree…even more than the Stones did.
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