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"Wonderful World" (occasionally referred to as "(What A) Wonderful World") is a song by American singer-songwriter Sam Cooke. Released on April 14, 1960 by Keen Records, it had been recorded during an impromptu session the previous year, Cooke's last recording session at Keen Records. He signed with RCA Victor in 1960 and "Wonderful World," then unreleased, was issued as a single in competition. The song was mainly composed by songwriting team Lou Adler and Herb Alpert, but Cooke revised the lyrics to mention the subject of education more. "Wonderful World" ended up doing substantially better on the charts than several of his early RCA singles, becoming his biggest hit single since "You Send Me" (1957). The song peaked at number 12 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and hit number two on ''Billboard'' Hot R&B Sides chart. Herman's Hermits charted better with a cover of the song in 1965, reaching number four in the United States and number seven in the United Kingdom, respectively. Another cover by Art Garfunkel in the late 1970s appeared on the charts as well. The song was featured in the 1978 film ''Animal House'' and gained greater recognition in the UK upon a 1986 re-release when it peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, going silver. Its success was attributed to sound-alike versions featured in the film ''Witness'' (1985) and a memorable Levi's 501 television commercial. ==Background== Lou Adler and Herb Alpert composed the song with the theme that neither knowledge nor education can dictate feelings, but that love "could make the world a wonderful place." Adler did not take the song very seriously but Cooke appeared to be taken with it. "He’d say, ‘What about that song, you know?’ And then he'd start on it again," recalled Adler. Cooke wanted to steer the song toward the subject of schooling, revised the song and decided to cut it at a recording session on March 2, 1959, five days after completing his Billie Holiday tribute album, ''Tribute to the Lady''. The session's main goal was to record three songs Cooke had composed. There was no arranger or orchestra and the personnel consisted of Cooke, guitarist Cliff White, bassist Adolphus Alsbrook, teenage drummer Ronnie Selico and a quartet of singers that Cooke biographer Peter Guralnick believes may have been the Pilgrim Travelers — J.W. Alexander, Lou Rawls, and George McCurn (nicknamed Oopie). No footage of Cooke performing the song in his lifetime is known - in 1986 ABKCO president Allen Klein offered a $10,000 reward for anyone obtaining such footage. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Wonderful World (Sam Cooke song)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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