Sam Cooke To Act As A&R For Scepter Records

Sam Cooke
R&B singer Sam Cooke entered into negotiations to handle A&R duties for Scepter Records it was announced today (December 1st, 1962).

Cooke, who was signed to RCA/Victor and running his own SAR Records imprint, was to act as a freelance A&R for Scepter, a label founded by Florence Greenberg.

Luther Dixon, who had been doing A&R for Scepter since the label’s early beginnings and started around 1959-60.

According to Scepter executives, Sam would start slow as and A&R and graduate into a full-time position scouting talent for the label.

Scepter stated that although Sam Cooke was acting as an A&R, legendary songwriting team Lieber & Stoller would continue to act as producers and honor their contracts.

The deal never panned out, as Sam Cooke was killed a year later, in December of 1964.

Grouchy’s Pick: The Shirelles – Thing of the Past [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFfXGel2HIU[/youtube]

Grouchy’s Pick: Sam Cooke – Teenage Sonata [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zfWQsenqcE[/youtube]

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