Song for Sam Cooke - Dion (no longer audio only)

Community Recordings Audio-Video Of You Playing
1

Edit: Attempt at a video. I recorded this again (in an attempt to make a video) Hope it works, apologize if it does not. Lighting and video quality is sorely lacking. All cheap equipment.

Beautiful song Dion wrote for his dear friend and musician Sam Cooke. I believe Dion wrote this nearly 20 years ago but only released in his -Blues With Friends-album a couple years ago. It’s the kind of song, that although you may never have heard it, you feel like you have. IMO.

I am a big fan of Dion (old and new), knew of this song cuz I have the album and just wanted to give the song a try. This is truly a first take, I just got the urge to turn on the microphone and Audacity and give it a go.

I tried to capture Dions emotion as he portrays in his version. BTW he collarorated with Paul Simon for this one. I’m not the only one that loves DIon, he is also loved by all the music entertainment industry. hie “Friends”.

5 Likes
2

Nicely done there Mike. Good playing and singing. I’ve not heard of Dion but I’ll give him a look up.

3

Good to hear you again Mike. I really like this song and the Paul Simon embellishments on the original.
For a first take this is impressive and you’ve made it your own. I thought your guitar play and vocal were good on this. To get a little closer to the vibe you might want to try to get a little closer to the original rhythm pattern, which could be a bit difficult to play and sing. That being said, a big well done from me.

4

Thank you Stefan, I appreciate the listen and the kind words. Dion, also nown as The Wanderer (from what is perhaps his most famous song) has in recent years (10 or so, but in Dions timefram that is “recent”), is most known for his songs in the early 60s when he toured with the likes of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and of course Sam Cooke. If you listen to his earlier songs I am sure you will know him.

Thanks!

1 Like
5

Great to hear someone who knows the song. I wasn’t expecting that. It seems Dions’ late works are not very widely known. Another great song, also collaborated with Paul Simon, is “New York is My Home”. I dabbled with one but it is not an easy song (for me) to get close to what Dion and Simon have accomplished.

Thanks for the kind words. Also thanks for the listen, it is about 5 minutes so I know I am asking a lot from anyone who chooses to listen to this. This one sort-of rolled out of me for some reason. It clicked. I tried a bit to make it my own with a perhaps more aggresive guitar and approach than the original. And of course I could never even dream of approaching Dion and Paul Simon. So figured I’d Wander some (See what I did with that…lol ??).
I appreciate your noticing.

6

Good job, Mike, smooth playing and delivery of the vocal with feeling and accents.

Well done.

Didn’t know the song, nor Dion DiMucci (had to Google for the surname)

7

Thanks you David, much apprecated the listen (bit of a long song) and kind feedback.

1 Like
8

Decided to attempt a video. I’m very novidce and clunky with this endouver. But gave it a try.

9

Video turned out OK, Mike. Like everything else, takes some learning and practice.

If you’d like to apply yourself to improving video production then happy to offer some thoughts.

All I will say, from an AVOYP perspective, as a means to support continued guitar learning, I’d suggest you try and sit a little further back from the camera so we can clearly see the whole of the guitar. That allows more feedback on the playing.

1 Like