Editing Joe Cocker (section)

=== Mad Dogs & Englishmen (1970–1971) ===
[[File:Joe Cocker 72.jpg|thumb|left|Cocker in concert at Palasport, Rome, July 1972]]
Despite Cocker's reluctance to venture out on the road again, an American tour had already been booked so he had to quickly form a new band in order to fulfill his contractual obligations. It proved to be a large group of more than 20 musicians, including pianist and bandleader [[Leon Russell]], three drummers – [[Jim Gordon (musician)|Jim Gordon]], [[Jim Keltner]], and Chuck Blackwell, and backing vocalists [[Rita Coolidge]] and [[Claudia Lennear]]. Denny Cordell christened the new band "Mad Dogs & Englishmen", after the [[Mad Dogs and Englishmen (song)|Noël Coward song of the same name]] (with its refrain, "Mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the midday sun"). Cocker's music evolved into a more bluesy type of rock, comparable to that of [[the Rolling Stones]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.prefixmag.com/news/joe-cocker-dies-of-lung-cancer-at-70/78688/ |title=Joe Cocker Dies Of Lung Cancer At 70 |publisher=www.prefixmag.com |date=22 December 2014 |access-date=23 December 2014}}</ref>

During the ensuing Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour (later described by drummer Jim Keltner as "a big, wild party"),{{sfn|Bean|2003|p=70}} Cocker toured 48 cities, recorded a live album, and received positive reviews from ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' and ''[[Life (magazine)|Life]]'' for his performances. However, the pace of the tour was exhausting. Russell and Cocker had personal problems; Cocker became depressed and began drinking excessively as the tour wound down in May 1970. Meanwhile, he enjoyed several chart entries in the United States with cover versions of "[[Feelin' Alright?|Feelin' Alright]]" (originally recorded by [[Traffic (band)|Traffic]]) and "[[Cry Me a River (1953 song)|Cry Me a River]]".{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}

His version of [[the Box Tops]]' hit "[[The Letter (Box Tops song)|The Letter]]", which appeared on the live album and film, ''[[Mad Dogs & Englishmen (album)|Mad Dogs & Englishmen]]'', became his first US Top Ten [[hit record|hit]]. After spending several months in Los Angeles, Cocker returned home to Sheffield, where his family became increasingly concerned with his deteriorating physical and [[mental health]]. In the summer of 1971, [[A&M Records]] released the single "High Time We Went". This became a hit, reaching number 22 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart, but was not issued on an album until November 1972 on the ''[[Joe Cocker (1972 album)|Joe Cocker]]'' album.{{citation needed|date=October 2024}}