Joe Cocker: Mad Dogs & Englishmen

Charming, messy documentary of Joe Cocker's 1970 American tour. Some really fun performances are captured here (and, gratefully songs are allowed to pay out at their full length). At the same time, we get a pretty fascinating voyeur's peek into the odd, wild commune like life of Cocker's tour; a huge number of musicians, girlfriends, wives, babies, roadies and the occasional groupie. And, perhaps funniest of all, the off-screen Cocker – who's on stage energy and almost spastic movements famously make him look like a man possessed –off-stage seems like a quiet, likable, thoughtful, even somewhat shy fellow. Not a particularly deep film, but an enjoyable two hours if you're at all interested in Cocker and his hard edged rock-blues-gospel approach to some great classic rock tunes.

Impressively directed by Pierre Adidge - "Mad Dogs and Englishmen" certainly captures the raw intensity of singer, Joe Cocker as he goes into yet another spastic rendition of some great rock, blues, and soul songs (all recorded before a live audience).

Released in 1970 - This live-concert documentary covers Cocker's tour of the US (from Detroit to San Francisco). And we look on as Cocker gets by with a little help from his friends.

IMO - Joe Cocker (gravel-voice, and all) was a unique performer from his generation.

This music-documentary not only looks at touring and backstage life for Joe, but it also includes performances by Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge, as well.

"Note" - In 2014 - Joe Cocker (70 at the time) died of lung cancer. He had been a heavy smoker all his adult life.

MAD DOGS & ENGLISHMAN: A great film and is a statement of Rock History because of the people involved. Joe Cocker asked Leon to get some mates together as this tour was to get off the ground right away. For the most part Leon just pulled Delaney & Bonnie's Band right out from under them. Jim (not John) Price, Bobbie Keys, (who both later went with the Rolling Stones and then the Blues Brothers), Rita Coolidge,(who did a solo "SUPERSTAR" which was cut from the first video issue because of A&M problems) She has since recorded out of Japan and Canada and sings with her sister Priscilla and her niece Laura Satterfield in a group called Walela. Jim Gordon, (who co-wrote LAYLA) Carl Radle and of course sometimes Leon. All were with Delaney and Bonnie. There group just fell apart after that. Bonnie did play Bonnie the waitress on the Roseanne Show and sometimes sang on that show with David Crosby. I might add at this time that Claudia Linnear who solo's on Let It Be is the girl who Mick Jagger wrote Brown Sugar about. If you listen to the sound of Delaney & Bonnie's albums you will here the Mad Dogs sound. Donna Wiess is a great writer of music and has worked with Rita Coolidge off and on over the years.

I found "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" to be a very satisfying music presentation.

At the time of this rock'n'roll documentary, British vocalist, Joe Cocker (1944-2014) was a youthful 26 and, believe me, he certainly proved to be quite an energetic performer on stage.

Not only does the viewer get the opportunity to watch the gravel-voiced Cocker go into his spastic movements (as he totally got into delivering his songs) - But, there was also plenty of worthwhile "behind-the-scenes" footage to watch, as well.

Traveling along on the concert tour from Detroit to San Francisco - "Mad Dogs & Englishmen" also included (for your added enjoyment) live performances by both Leon Russell and Rita Coolidge, too.

Sure this on-tour movie is cliched in parts, none more so than with the post-Woodstock-ian split-screen techniques thrown into every musical sequence, but the whole is elevated by the great music this 30 strong band of gypsies generates.

The story was that Joe, seeking to capitalise on his new-found Stateside success, found himself without a band for a coast to coast tour booked well in advance. Whereupon his US record label introduced him to the Master Of Space And Time, Mr Leon Russell who not only put together this massive band, comprising such later luminaries as Stones saxophonist Bobby Keys and most of Derek's (Eric Clapton) Dominos as well as Leon's own Delta Lady Rita Coolidge on backing vocalists, but also played lead guitar and lead piano, as well as arranging the music.

I love the big sound this band makes, with almost every song given the celebratory, evangelical treatment just bound to get the crowd going. The song selection is excellent, lesser known Cocker gems like "Space Captain" and "Darling Be Home Soon" rubbing shoulders with established classics like "Feelin' Alright", "The Letter" and of course Joe's piece-de-resistance "With A Little Help From My Friends".

One could argue that Cocker was something of an extra in his own movie which is partly due to Russell's charismatic presence, whether on guitar or piano, but also because Joe himself seems like such a self-effacing guy. Even when interviewed on camera, Cocker doesn't really have a lot to say and you can tell he's happiest when letting his frazzled larynx rip on songs whether he's live in concert or having a knees-up on the tour bus.

So, nothing revelatory here either in the music, anything said by the contributors or the presentation of the film itself. Still, it's an entertaing travelogue by a band the size and quality of which hasn't been witnessed too many times since.