Jerry Cook

West Coast singer Jerry Cook had a couple of releases, but Take What I’ve Got is the best side I’ve heard from him, despite the claims of the strong Northern side “I Hurt On The Other Side”, also recorded by Sidney Barnes for Blue Cat. “Take” is a bouncy, breezy rollicking slice of R & B which swings along, propelled by the big horn section and some fine “choppy” rhythm guitar. The chord changes and lyrics are a straight lift from Joe Tex’s “You Got What It Takes” and they are also reminiscent of Alvin Robinson’s excellent “Something You Got” both from a couple of years earlier. Kudos to everybody involved in Cook’s version for giving the correct Tex writer credit. Cook’s track has great energy and a lovely crafty tone to his vocal, in a nice variant on Joe’s own sly persona. A special kudos to Arthur “Sleepy” Wright’s perfectly judged arrangement

Neither side of Cook’s Troyx 45, again under the direction of Wright, sadly don’t reach this standard.

 

Notes ~

1. Beware bootlegs. The Capitol 45 has been the subject of a very accurate repro and a false release on Troyx.

2. The artist on Applause is completely different.

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