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I have Joe Cocker's With A Little Help From My Friends album on vinyl record.Even though the title track is a rendition of a Beatles song,it sounds so different from the original Beatles version,you wouldn't know it was the same song if you didn't listen carefully to the lyrics.
The original Beatles Sgt.Pepper version and Joe Cocker's rendition sound like two different songs all together.There is absolutely no comparisan between the two whatsoever.
Joe Cocker has remarkable talent.He really rocks with his version of "With A Little Help".YOU GO MAN!
One thing that once confused me.It sounds like he had girls harmonizing with him and providing background vocals.However,all of his band members are pictured on the back of the album cover,and I don't see any girls pictured there.

Oh, there were some girls around all right...

His backup band for years was Leon Russell and The Shelter People...when Leon was playing, all the girls in the room was hollerin'...whether they was on the mic or not.

The backup singers on this record were the same group that backed the Stones on "Sticky Fingers". Most notable among these babes was Claudia Linnear, the original "Brown Sugar" lady...

And of course, Jimmy Page plays lead guitar on Joe Cocker's "With A Little Help From My Friends". His distortion tone and licks are unmistakable.

Paul wrote: The backup singers on this record were the same group that backed the Stones on "Sticky Fingers". Most notable among these babes was Claudia Linnear, the original "Brown Sugar" lady...

That group would also include Clydie King and Merry Clayton. It seemed during the 70s as if they played on *everyone's* albums.

Ah, yes, how could I forget Merry Clayton!

She sings backup on the "Performance" soundtrack album. Her wailing on the "Death of Turner" track makes my scalp crawl.

Ry Cooder also plays on that soundtrack.

For those of you who have never seen the flick, it's a real trip. Way ahead of its time, and unreleased for three years after it wasa filmed. Mick Jagger in drag, and one of the best MJ songs EVER, "Memo From Turner".

Oh, there were some girls around all right...

And plenty of booze!! The reason for a number of cancelled shows over here some years back.....

Back in the mid 80's, Leon and his band were in town and ate in my restaurant. He sat in a back booth. I thought that he looked familiar with that long gray (white?) hair and beard. I didn't go and say hello because I thought that he deserved some privacy. Had I known that he had played with Harrison on "Concert for Bangladesh", I may have mustered the courage to say "hello". I didn't.

I saw Joe Cocker and the Grease Band (were on the first album or two) before Woodstock, I had no idea who he was before I went to the show.
I like "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" by him a lot better than "With a Little Help From my Friends" I'm probably burnt out on that song.

Oh yeah, I have that album also on vinyl. Stevie Winwood also played on it and his and Page's pictures are on the back. Albert Lee and Carol Kaye also played on a few tracks, Henry McCullough also played on some tracks, quite a star-studded event. They weren't taking any chances on him, think they had confidence in him or what?

Female backing singers:

Brenda Holloway, Merry Clayton, and Brenda's sister (that's what it says).

Madelene Bell, Sunny and Rosetta Hightower.

Su and sunny Wheetman,

These were the combinations on the different songs.

On "With a Little Help From my Friends":

Madelene Bell, Sunny Wheetman, and Rosetta Hightower.

Thank you for that info Bob.

Where are they now...

Whenever I think of Merry Clayton I think of her expressive wailing on the Stones', Gimme Shelter. Wonderful!

When i think of Joe Cocker's version of with a little help from my friends.....i think of Dig a pony....if you listen carefully you can hear that the chorus in each song is quite similar to one another......at least the chord prgoression...but i may be wrong