Music legend Joe Cocker has just signed a deal with 429 Records for his latest recording, ‘Hard Knocks’ which will be released in the USA on Nov. 22.

The British singer songwriter with the distinctive bluesy soul voice has been around the block a few times and has sold millions of records along the way. “I’ve spent probably more time on the streets than being educated,” says the 66-year-old Brit. “Fans who’ve been around long enough to remember me all those years ago will probably understand the album title.” Whether you fully understand it or not, the fact remains Cocker, with four decades of artistry behind him, is still standing strong.

Plenty of people were involved in the writing and performing of ‘Hard Knocks,’ including Marc Broussard, who wrote the title track. A track by track bio on Cocker’s website explains, “He’s from New Orleans and we kind of took a few liberties. We kind of rearranged it a little; we changed the words around, because it was all about collecting fish and shellfish and all that so I couldn’t be singing that. So we kind of messed around with it.”

‘Hard Knocks’ as a whole is more of a pop recording, much more so than Cocker's last few records. Recorded much like a demo, this one has no special effects or electronics and promises 9 new songs and a cover version of the Dixie Chicks song “I Hope.”

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