Article published in RAVE magazine, December 1968
RAVE’s Maureen O’Grady tells why gas-fitter Joe Cocker will never go back to installing cookers and sleeping in the park . . .
Joe Cocker: The Wild Man Of The North | EVER since “Marjorine” was released way back in March, all eyes were fixed on the Charts waiting for its entry—but no! Like many of the best-loved names around the clubs, a chart success was not to be, at least not then.
His background may have been pretty similar to most other singers coming out into the pop scene, but his voice was certainly different. Gutsy, bluesy, but extremely commercial. Now with a big hit like “With A Little Help From My Friends” on his hands, he has the success he wanted so much.
Joe is twenty-three years old and comes from Sheffield. He’s always admired Ray Charles very much, one of the biggest influences on Joe, who turned from a gas-fitter into a gas singer.
“Gas-fitting was by day, and by night I raved it up with this group I formed when I was sixteen. Semi-professional. I just used to install gas fires and cookers with a mate. Most of the time, however, I must admit was spent in the pub. I was ‘crazy about Ray Charles, and like hundreds and hundreds of kids where I lived, we all picked up guitars, started to play and hoped.
Joe Cocker: The Wild Man Of The North
A typical day as a gas-fitter would be to clock in in the morning, and just go to sleep somewhere. This usually turned out to be a park bench, or something! At the end of the day I’d go back, sign my sheet, usually copying the one of the fellows next to me.
Sometimes I wouldn’t wake up in the park till about six in the evening. Trouble was, I used to get so shattered playing all night that I just didn’t have the energy to work as well. It was all very amusing in those days I can tell you!”
He did, however, give up singing for about six months and worked for W. H. Smith, but the love bug of singing and music had obviously bitten too hard for Joe. And like so many people who’ve once been associated with the world of pop, he came bouncing right back.
Joe Cocker and his group, the Grease Band, had some interesting venues in their early days. Like a pub called The Minerva, where Joe openly admits the customers used to throw bottles at them! But then even Joe himself did not know what wonderful things lay in store for him, just round the corner.
Marjorine
Joe’s friend Chris Stainton wrote the first one “Marjorine” as an instrumental and Joe, deciding it was for him, added the lyrics in about five minutes. The tape was handed by a friend to Tony Hall, who passed it on to whizz record producer Denny Cordell.
Joe was immediately brought down to London and “Marjorine” was released early this year.
“I think my biggest disappointment was when that record flopped. Everyone, absolutely everyone, I met loved it. In fact I thought that it was far more commercial than “With A Little Help From My Friends”, but there you are, you can never tell these days. So since March I’ve just been doing all the club gigs and such all over the country.
Really just building up what is now such a fantastic number of fans. “With A Little Help From My Friends” has always been a great favourite with the audiences, and always included in the act, it seemed a natural release. But basically the long gap between the two releases is because it took so long to get it all together.
Joe Cocker: The Wild Man Of The North
I went off to the States which took up quite a bit of time. I’m really dying to be recognised over there. To be honest, I always did try to get that coloured sound, but now it comes naturally. That is me. With this big hit, the offers should come pouring in and I really can’t wait to do tons of pop tours all over the place. I love this business and singing.
“Everything about this life is a groove, and if you knew me well, you know that I just groove along from day to day. Of course when you’re successful, you do attract a certain kind of person who didn’t want to know you before, but you soon find out the ways of dealing with them. It’s not too difficult. You just have to learn to adjust to this way of life and what goes with it.”
If ever you meet someone who knows Joe, he will tell you that he is the sweetest, kindest person you could meet. He’s completely dedicated to his work, completely professional in his attitude. Some critics’ reviews of the recent Tiny Tim concert, the new freaky rave from the States, clearly place Joe talent-wise in the show-stealing class already.
There he stands on stage, just like a rock ‘n rolling windmill, not caring how ridiculous and comic some people say he is. It’s his way of putting over a song. He may be raw and unpolished, but like an uncut diamond the greatest beauty and value has yet to be seen—and appreciated.
Joe Cocker: The Wild Man Of The North
Already the changes are taking place in Joe. When he first came down to London from Sheffield I remember someone describing him as a thickset country-farmer type. Certainly that was a fair description, but over the past months Joe has melted down to the more usual svelte-like pop star figure.
He’s having clothes made by a couple of Americans based in Paris, who usually dress Liz Taylor and Richard Burton; he’s absolutely crazy about London and the great differences there are from his home town Sheffield.
Joe’s friends
He lives in the smart area of Chelsea, digs sincerity and admits he has tons of faults in his own character. He doesn’t rate marriage at all, doesn’t read his horoscope, likes casual, lazy clothes he can wear all day long.
His favourite article of clothing being a Rotherham Tram Corporation Jacket. He digs the looks of Julie Driscoll and the wild mouth of Julie Christie. His friends include The Family, Spooky Tooth, Traffic and The Move.
I don’t think Joe will ever have to go back to the Gas Board for another job. Yet on the other hand, I really don’t think they’d take him back! There’s one thing about him that’s not changed and never likely to—he still can’t get up in the mornings! Still, with a little help from his friends, he hasn’t missed a date yet!
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