Oh, to have been at Miami's Harlem Square Club on the night of Saturday, January 12, 1963.
It would have meant passing up Ella Fitzgerald and Dick Shawn at the Casanova Room, and rain-checking Chero and his Del Prado Orchestra at the Boom Boom Room, but the night's hottest act would have made the decision painless.
The 750-plus who were there to witness Sam Cooke's show would no doubt have taken heed of the singer's parting advice to "keep on having that party", buoyed along by one of his most spirited sets.
They can count themselves among the lucky ones to have experienced the erstwhile smooth soul singer in rare form, unleashing an intensely virile performance that belied the gracefulness of his recordings.
Cooke was fresh from a tour of England with Little Richard, who had just returned to the secular scene following a five-year devotion to gospel music.
Having witnessed Little Richard's feverish performances night after night, Cooke decided to retool his own show to better capture his passion for the music he made.
From the outset, Cooke has the audience in the palm of his hand. He exhorts them not to fight the feeling as King Curtis and his band warm to their work, backing their man though a string of early hits that have suddenly taken on an urgent and more celebratory tone.
Chain Gang and Cupid set the crowd up for a medley of It's All Right/For Sentimental Reasons that brings them to full voice, singing along with choir-like proficiency.
Twistin' The Night Away and Bring It On Home To Me are among the remaining highlights before Cooke signs off with an exuberant version of Having A Party that has the whole room swinging.
The recording remained unreleased until 1985, such was the depth and quality of other projects of the time. Thankfully, RCA eventually recognised the value of the gold they had in their vaults.
