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Live at Woodstock

by Joe Cocker

Released: October 06, 2009

Rock, blues, blue-eyed soul, pop

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Improvisation.

The Album

The setlist includes songs from Cocker's first two albums: With a Little Help from My Friends released in April 1969, and Joe Cocker!, which came out after Woodstock in November 1969. Cocker's albums primarily featured songs written by other artists, such as Bob Dylan and The Beatles, and were well-produced with dedicated session musicians. "Live at Woodstock" is a live album capturing Joe Cocker's iconic performance with The Grease Band at the Woodstock Festival on August 17, 1969.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

The album was officially released for the first…

The album was officially released for the first time in 2009 by A&M/Universal.

Unlike other bands that emphasized extended improvisation and…

Unlike other bands that emphasized extended improvisation and solos, the Grease Band members had limited opportunities for solos.

Following the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock festival…

Following the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock festival, A&M Records released all the songs performed by Joe Cocker and the Grease Band.

This album serves as the definitive source for…

This album serves as the definitive source for anything related to Cocker, featuring excellent sound quality.

On stage, Cocker relied on his backing band…

On stage, Cocker relied on his backing band, allowing him to focus entirely on his singing and engaging the audience.

Watch and listen

Explore the Album

Joe Cocker - Live at Woodstock

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Then

Reception

The title track "With a Little Help from My Friends" had already reached number one in the UK by November 1968.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Live at Woodstock" is a live album capturing Joe Cocker's iconic performance with The Grease Band at the Woodstock Festival on August 17, 1969. The album was officially released for the first time in 2009 by A&M/Universal.

Following the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock festival, A&M Records released all the songs performed by Joe Cocker and the Grease Band. This album serves as the definitive source for anything related to Cocker, featuring excellent sound quality.

The setlist includes songs from Cocker's first two albums: With a Little Help from My Friends released in April 1969, and Joe Cocker!, which came out after Woodstock in November 1969. The title track "With a Little Help from My Friends" had already reached number one in the UK by November 1968. Cocker's albums primarily featured songs written by other artists, such as Bob Dylan and The Beatles, and were well-produced with dedicated session musicians.

On stage, Cocker relied on his backing band, allowing him to focus entirely on his singing and engaging the audience. Unlike other bands that emphasized extended improvisation and solos, the Grease Band members had limited opportunities for solos. This didn’t detract from the enjoyment; the performance offered a balanced mix of rock, R&B, and ballads. Cocker's presence was constant, supported by background singers who were surprisingly male—don't let your ears deceive you!