Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964

Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 is a compilation album by American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke, released posthumously on June 17, 2003 by ABKCO Records. The disc covers Cooke's entire career, from his early 1950s beginnings with the Soul Stirrers to the posthumous 1964 single "Shake". The collection includes most of the singer's hit singles, including "You Send Me", "Wonderful World", "Chain Gang", "Cupid", "Twistin' the Night Away", "Bring It on Home to Me", "Another Saturday Night", "Little Red Rooster", "Ain't That Good News", "Good Times", and what is often regarded as the singer's magnum opus, "A Change Is Gonna Come".

Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964
Compilation album by Sam Cooke
Released	June 17, 2003
Recorded	March 1, 1951 – November 16, 1964 Various recording locations
Genre	Rhythm and blues soul
Length	79:08
Label	ABKCO
Producer	Sam Cooke Hugo & Luigi René Hall Al Schmitt Art Rupe Lou Adler Bumps Blackwell
Sam Cooke chronology
Keep Movin' On (2002) Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 (2003) The RCA Albums Collection (2011)

The compilation is generally considered the most complete and comprehensive collection of Cooke's work. It has been included on various "best-of" lists by music publications, including Rolling Stone and Time.

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
BBC Music	Favorable[2]

Biographer Peter Guralnick, author of Cooke's biography Dream Boogie and the liner notes for the disc, writes: "For an overview of Sam's career, from his gospel beginnings through "A Change Is Gonna Come," nothing can compare to Portrait of a Legend which serves as a guide to Sam at his very best."[3] The BBC's Alwyn Turner writes, "With perfect sound quality, and with sleeve-notes by Peter Guralnick, this is the best single-volume introduction to his work available."[2] Bruce Eder of Allmusic considered it an improvement on the 1986 compilation The Man and His Music in terms of running time and audio quality; he did, however, lament the lack of inclusion of "'That's Heaven to Me' and 'Soothe Me', arguably one of Cooke's most important songs."[1]

It is Cooke's highest placing position on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All-Time, at number 107,[4] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list.[5] In 2010, Time included the compilation on their list of the All-TIME 100 Albums, covering "the 100 greatest and most influential musical compilations since 1954." In the article, Alan Light writes, "The 31 tracks on Portrait of a Legend impressively capture Cooke’s range on a single disc […] Many artists are called "legends," but Sam Cooke truly earned this title."[6]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sam Cooke, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer	Length
1.	"Touch the Hem of His Garment"		2:01
2.	"Lovable"	Cooke Tony Harris	2:24
3.	"You Send Me"		2:43
4.	"Only Sixteen"		2:02
5.	"(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"	Derek Watson William Best	2:38
6.	"Just for You"		2:19
7.	"Win Your Love for Me"	L.C. Cook	2:46
8.	"Everybody Loves to Cha Cha Cha"		2:45
9.	"I'll Come Running Back to You"	William "Bill" Cook	2:13
10.	"You Were Made for Me"		2:53
11.	"Sad Mood"		2:39
12.	"Cupid"		2:36
13.	"(What a) Wonderful World"	Cooke Lou Adler Herb Alpert	2:05
14.	"Chain Gang"	Cooke Charles Cook, Jr.	2:34
15.	"Summertime"	George Gershwin Ira Gershwin DuBose Heyward	2:20
16.	"Little Red Rooster"	Willie Dixon	2:52
17.	"Bring It on Home to Me"		2:42
18.	"Nothing Can Change This Love"		2:37
19.	"Sugar Dumpling"		2:43
20.	"(Ain't That) Good News"		2:28
21.	"Meet Me at Mary's Place"		2:41
22.	"Twistin' the Night Away"		2:41
23.	"Shake"		2:50
24.	"Tennessee Waltz"	Pee Wee King Redd Stewart	3:09
25.	"Another Saturday Night"		2:40
26.	"Good Times"		2:27
27.	"Having a Party"		2:35
28.	"That's Where It's At"	Cooke J. W. Alexander	2:35
29.	"A Change Is Gonna Come"		3:11
30.	"Jesus Gave Me Water"	Lucie Campbell	2:29
Total length:			79:08

There is an additional track containing a segment of an interview by Magnificent Montague from 1963 in which Sam Cooke hums a few bars.

Personnel

All credits adapted from the disc's liner notes.[7]

Sam Cooke – vocals, producer Michael Gochanour – analog to digital transfers Rick Essig – analog to digital transfers Teri Landi – analog to digital transfers Ben Bailes – assistant engineer Matt Boynton – assistant engineer Tom Camuso – assistant engineer Jimmie Haskell – arrangement, conducting René Hall – arrangement, conducting, guitar, producer Alisa Coleman-Ritz – art direction Iris W. Keitel – art direction April Hobbs – art production coordinator Seth Adkins – art production coordinator Laura Walton – audio production coordinator Alicia Adams – backing vocals Betty Baker – backing vocals Betty Jane Barker – backing vocals Carol Lee Lombard – backing vocals Charles Parlato – backing vocals Doreen Tryden – backing vocals Jack Halloran – backing vocals Jackie Ward – backing vocals James Bryant – backing vocals J.J. Farley – backing vocals Jimmie Outler – backing vocals Lee Gotch – backing vocals Loulie Jean Norman – backing vocals Lou Rawls – backing vocals Paul Foster – backing vocals R.B. Robinson – backing vocals Ralph Brewster – backing vocals Richard Gibbs – backing vocals Robert Tebold – backing vocals Sally Stevens Castle – backing vocals S.R. Crain – backing vocals Sue Allen – backing vocals Thomas D. Kenny – backing vocals Thomas L. Bruster – backing vocals Adolphus Alsbrook – bass guitar Chuck Badie – bass guitar Clifford Hils – bass guitar Eddie Tilman – bass guitar Frank Fields – bass guitar Harper Cosby – bass guitar James Bond – bass guitar Milton Hinton – bass guitar Ray Pohlman – bass guitar Red Callender – bass guitar Ted Brinson – bass guitar Jack Costanza – bongos Armand Kaproff – cello Cecil Figelski – cello Emmet Sargeant – cello Frederick Seykora – cello Jesse Ehrlich – cello

Joseph Coppin – cello Leanne Allik – conception Glen Osser – conductor Sammy Lowe – conductor Angelo Tillery – cover illustration Hiroyuki Komuro – DSD assistant Gus Skinas – DSD Charles Blackwell – drums David Francis – drums Earl Palmer – drums John Boudreaux – drums June Gardner – drums Ronald Selico – drums Edward Hall – drums, percussion Frank Capp – drums, percussion Hal Blaine – drums, percussion Julius Wechter – drums, percussion Al Schmitt – engineer Dave Hassinger – engineer Dick Bogart – engineer Dino Lapis – engineer Barney Kessel – guitar Bob King – guitar Bobby Womack – guitar Clifton White – guitar Edgar Blanchard – guitar Everett Barksdale – guitar Glen Campbell – guitar Howard Roberts – guitar John Pisano – guitar LeRoy Crume – guitar Norman Bartold – guitar Tommy Tedesco – guitar Ulysses Livingston – guitar William Pitman – guitar Joseph Gibbons – guitar, banjo William Hinshaw – French horn Peter J. Howard – legal Peter Guralnick – liner notes Hillary Putnam – manufacturing Kenneth Silinsky – manufacturing Emil Radocchia – marimba, timpani, percussion Bob Ludwig – mastering Billy Preston – organ Jess Rand – photography Edward Beal – piano Ernest Freeman – piano Ernie Hayes – piano Harold Battiste – piano Raymond Johnson – piano Russell Bridges – piano Warren Myles – piano Al Schmitt – producer Art Rupe – producer Hugo & Luigi – producer

Lou Adler – producer Bumps Blackwell – producer Jody H. Klein – reissue producer Teri Landi – reissue producer Joe Parker – sales Red Tyler – saxophone Edgar Redmond – saxophone Jewell Grant – saxophone John Kelsom – saxophone Plas Johnson – saxophone William Green – saxophone Maria Papazahariou – session research Steve Rosenthal – sound restoration David Wells – trombone John Ewing – trombone Louis Blackburn – trombone Anthony Terran – trumpet John Anderson – trumpet Melvin Lastie – trumpet Stuart Williamson – trumpet Lawrence Bunker – vibraphone Allan Harshman – viola Alexander Neiman – viola Harry Hyams – viola Irving Weinper – viola Samuel Boghossian – viola Wilbert Nuttycombe – viola Ambrose Russo – violin Alfred Brown – violin Archie Levin – violin Arnold Belnick – violin Ben Miller – violin Charles Libove – violin Darrel Terwilliger – violin David Nadien – violin Elliot Fisher – violin Fred Fradkin – violin Gareth Nuttycombe – violin Harold Dickterow – violin Harry Lookofsky – violin Hinda Barnet – violin Irving Lipschultz – violin Isadore Roman – violin Israel Baker – violin John DeVoogdt – violin Joseph Saxon – violin Leonard Malarsky – violin Marshall Sosson – violin Marvin Limonick – violin Max Cahn – violin Myron Sandler – violin Ralph Schaeffer – violin Robert Barene – violin Sidney Sharp – violin Tibor Zelig – violin William Kurasch – violin

Charts

Chart (2003)	Peak position
UK Albums (OCC)[8]	19

Chart (2006–07)	Peak position
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[9]	3
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[10]	3

Chart (2012)	Peak position
US Billboard 200[11]	135
US Top Catalog Albums (Billboard)[12]	20

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[13]	Platinum	300,000^^
Summaries
^*sales figures based on certification alone ^^shipments figures based on certification alone

References

1. Bruce Eder. "Review: Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964". Allmusic. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
2. Alwyn Turner (2006). "BBC -Music - Review of Sam Cooke: Portrait of a Legend 1951-1964". BBC. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
3. Guralnick, Peter (2005). Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke. New York: Back Bay Books, p. 715. First edition, 2005.
4. Wenner, Jann S., ed. (2012). Rolling Stone - Special Collectors Issue - The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time. USA: Wenner Media Specials. ISBN 978-7098934196
5. "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2019.
6. "All-TIME 100 Albums". Time. New York City: Time Inc. January 22, 2010. ISSN 0040-781X. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
7. Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 (liner notes). Sam Cooke. US: ABKCO Records. 2003. 92642.CS1 maint: others (link)
8. "Sam Cooke | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved April 13, 2014.
9. "Norwegiancharts.com – Sam Cooke – Portrait of a Legend - 1951-1964". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
10. "Charts.nz – Sam Cooke – Portrait of a Legend - 1951-1964". Hung Medien. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
11. "Sam Cooke Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
12. "Sam Cooke Chart History (Top Catalog Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved October 16, 2016.
13. "British album certifications – Sam Cooke – Portrait of a Legend". British Phonographic Industry. Select albums in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Type Portrait of a Legend in the "Search BPI Awards" field and then press Enter.

External links

• Portrait of a Legend: 1951–1964 at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed)