180g 45RPM Vinyl 2LP Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound from the Original Three-Track Masters
Clearly Sam Cooke's most intimate, most soulful and ultimately most realized recordings, Night Beat has the feel of a private performance captured after hours when the audience had gone home and the singer was singing purely for the love and soul of his songs. From spiritual tracks to bluesy ballads to gospel classics, Cooke makes each cut his own here which in turn makes for a warm collection that's easy to connect with. Analogue Productions presents the album on 180g 45rpm vinyl 2LP mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound from the original three-track masters.
"...Thanks to Analogue Productions' 45-rpm reissue of Cooke's 1963 RCA album Night Beat he still speaks to us - eloquently. The sound is opulent; the songs excellent; the singing nonpareil; the mood, oh-so nostalgic." Music = 4.5/5; Sonics = 4/5 - Jonathan Valin, The Absolute Sound, September 2010
"...The recording by Dave Hassinger is a masterpiece of immediacy, transparency and harmonic complexity...This is a big, juicy, wet and intoxicating recording comprised of richly drawn instruments, particularly Billy Preston's shimmering Hammond organ and Hal Blaine's woody percussion...A knockout of a reissue and essential." Music = 10/11; Sound = 10/11 - Michael Fremer, Musicangle
"Whenever I think of Night Beat, I wonder how many records as perfect have been made since 1963. Listen anew to Sam Cooke's vocal honey on this Soul Blues album and I doubt you will come up with any worthy contenders...This 45 RPM issue was remastered at Sterling Sound and brings out the backing musicians including organist Billy Preston and guitarist Barney Kessel better than the ABKCO release, and makes it sound more like Sam was in the same room with the band. The definitive Night Beat." Recording = 10/10; Music = 10/10 - Dennis Davis, Hi-Fi+
1. Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen
2. Lost and Lookin'
3. Mean Old World
4. Please Don't Drive Me Away
5. I Lost Everything
6. Get Yourself a Another Fool
7. Little Red Rooster
8. Laughin' and Clownin'
9. Trouble Blues
10. You Gotta Move
11. Fool's Paradise
12. Shake Rattle and Roll