Joe Cocker, The Letter | COVERS

In the 40th edition of COVERS (2024), Joe Cocker delivers a compelling rendition of “The Letter” originally performed by The Box Tops.

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 40^th edition of COVERS (2024), Joe Cocker delivers a compelling rendition of “The Letter” originally performed by The Box Tops.

“Gimme a ticket for an aeroplane / I Ain’t got time to take no fast train / Oh, the lonely days are gone, I’m comin’ home / Oh, my baby she wrote me a letter…” “The Letter” was originally recorded by American rock band, The Box Tops. The late Wayne Carson Thompson (1943 – 2015) penned the classic, one of his most renowned compositions. How successful was the single originally? It peaked at no. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. In other words, it was ‘kind of a big deal.’  That didn’t stop Joe Cocker (1944 – 2014), a dynamic, legendary singer from England, from releasing his rendition. “The Letter” appears on Cocker’s 1970 live album, Mad Dogs & Englishmen. Notably, Joe gets a little help from his friends: the late great Leon Russell (1942 – 1976) and The Shelter People. Cool 😎!

“The Letter” in Joe Cocker’s hands, is EVERYTHING. Accompanying Cocker initially is some of the most electrifying, bluesy piano you’ll ever hear.  The keys aren’t the only instrument that stands out in the electrifying arrangement.  The drums are pummeling, delivering a scintillating rhythmic foundation.  The organ is soul-stirring, taking us to church 🙌.  The horn arrangement is sickening.  Specifically, there is an awesome trumpet and saxophone solo, further upping the ante.   Even with the rich timbre provided by the instruments, Cocker remains the star.  His vocals are gritty and powerful – once-in-a-lifetime.  Even though he owns the vocals, Joe gets a marvelous assist from background vocals who help to complete a ‘wall of sound.’ The chorus is a big deal, after all, his baby wrote him that letter! Woo! Beyond the chorus, the section to beat is the vamping outro, where Cocker riffs over the background vocals singing, “My baby wrote me a letter.” Bringing it on a no. 1 hit is tough, but the deceased Englishmen accomplishes the task and then some on “The Letter”.

Joe Cocker // Mad Dogs & Englishmen // UMG Recordings, Inc. // 1970

Joe Cocker, The Letter: Covers No. 40 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner /The Musical Hype; UMG Recordings, Inc.; Alan Cordero, Ba Tik, Kampus Production, Matteo Milan, SHVETS production from Pexels; OpenClipart-Vectors, StockSnap, Vicki Hamilton from Pixabay]