Rare & Hard-To-Find Audio CDs (series)

At the Copa

by Jackie Wilson

Product Description:

Recorded live at the Copacabana in New York, New York in 1962. Includes liner notes by Ed Sullivan.

All tracks have been digitally remastered.

This 1962 effort is the only live album released during Wilson's lifetime, and it's less a showcase for Wilson's talent than a textbook of pre-Beatles show biz practice. In other words, Wilson presents himself as a sort of all around entertainer a la Sammy Davis Jr., rather than the R&B and soul giant he's best remembered as.

Backed by a big TV style band and chorus, he tackles standards such as "Tonight," from WEST SIDE STORY, "Body and Soul," and Cole Porter's "Love For Sale." The sprawling band accompanies Wilson on his more characteristic hits, including "Lonely Teardrops," and "That's Why (I Love You So)" as well. He also engages in some cornball and obviously scripted between song patter, again typical of the period. For a more nuanced view of Wilson's live work, try to find Rhino Video's SHINDIG! PRESENTS: JACKIE WILSON.