# Hard Knocks (album)

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Record Collector | |
| Uncut | |
Hard Knocks is the twenty-first and penultimate studio album by Joe Cocker, released on 1 October 2010 by Columbia Records in Europe. It features nine new songs produced by Matt Serletic plus Cocker's version of the Dixie Chicks number "I Hope", which was produced by Tony Brown. Apart from a regular CD release, the album was also released on vinyl.
The album reached number 1 on Billboard's Independent Albums chart and number 2 on the same magazine's European Albums chart.
A Limited Live Edition (CD/DVD) version of the album was released in December 2010 in Europe with live tracks off the album recorded at Le Zenith in Paris in 2010.

## Track listing

* "Hard Knocks" (Marc Broussard, Maxwell Aaron Ramsey, Shannon Sanders) – 3:24
* "Get On" (Matt Serletic, Danny Myrick, Stephanie Bentley) – 3:28
* "Unforgiven" (Mitch Allan, Kara DioGuardi, Nick Lachey, Dave Hodges) – 4:14
* "The Fall" (Matt Serletic, Danny Myrick, Aimée Proal) – 3:49
* "So It Goes" (Matt Serletic, Jeffrey Steele, Danny Myrick) – 3:21
* "Runaway Train" (Ollie Marland) – 3:27
* "Stay The Same" (Matt Serletic, Danny Myrick, Stephanie Bentley) – 4:39
* "Thankful" (Matt Serletic, Kara DioGuardi) – 3:59
* "So" (Chantal Kreviazuk, Thomas "Tawgs" Salter) – 3:56
* "I Hope" (Keb' Mo', Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Emily Robison) – 4:46
* "Forever Changed" – 3:51 – iTunes bonus track
Limited Live Edition additional tracks
* "Hard Knocks" (Marc Broussard, Maxwell Aaron Ramsey, Shannon Sanders)
* "Get On" (Matt Serletic, Danny Myrick, Stephanie Bentley)
* "Unforgiven" (Mitch Allan, Kara DioGuardi, Nick Lachey, Dave Hodges)
* "Thankful" (Matt Serletic, Kara DioGuardi)
* "You Are So Beautiful" (Billy Preston, Bruce Fisher)
* "With a Little Help from My Friends" (John Lennon, Paul McCartney)

## Personnel

* Joe Cocker – lead vocals
* Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards (1–9)
* Matt Serletic – keyboards (1–9), programming (1–9)
* Steve Nathan – synthesizers (10), Wurlitzer organ (10)
* Ray Parker Jr. – guitars (1–9)
* Tim Pierce – guitars (1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9)
* Joel Sherear – guitars (2, 5, 7)
* Tom Bukovac – electric guitar (10)
* Kenny Greenberg – electric guitar (10)
* Chris Chaney – bass (1–9)
* Glenn Worf – bass (10)
* Josh Freese – drums (1–3, 5, 7)
* Matt Chamberlain – drums (4, 9)
* Dorian Crozier – drums (6, 8)
* Cleto Escobedo III – saxophones (1, 2)
* Jeff Babko – trombone (1, 2)
* Ron King – trumpet (1, 2)
* Stevie Blacke – cello (3, 4), viola (3, 4), violin (3, 4)
* Sheree Brown – backing vocals (1–4, 7, 9)
* Mabvuto Carpenter – backing vocals (1–4, 7, 9)
* Robyn Troup – backing vocals (1–4, 7, 9)
* Stephanie Bentley – backing vocals (7)
* Ashley Cleveland – backing vocals (10)
* Kim Keyes – backing vocals (10)
* Judson Spence – backing vocals (10)
Choir on "Thankful"
* Jennifer Bailey
* Mabvuto Carpenter
* Kara DioGuardi
* Erica Dowd
* Dorian Ford
* Nomisha Jackson
* Renee Jackson
* Robyn Troup
* Niomisha Wilson

## Production

* Matt Serletic – producer (1–9)
* Tony Brown – producer (10)
* Mark Dobson – recording (1–9), Pro Tools editing (1–9)
* Doug Trantow – recording (1–9), Pro Tools editing (1–9)
* Jeff Balding – engineer (10)
* Alex Arias – additional engineer (1–9), assistant engineer (1–9), Pro Tools assistant (1–9)
* Mike Leisz – assistant engineer (1–9)
* Chris Lord-Alge – mixing
* Andrew Schubert – additional mixing
* Brad Townsend – additional mixing
* Keith Armstrong – mix assistant
* Nik Karpen – mix assistant
* Bob Ludwig – mastering
* Ryan Corey – art direction, design
* Jeri Heiden – art direction, design
* Olaf Heine – photography
Studios
* Tracks 1–9 recorded at Emblem Studios (Calabasas, California).
* Track 10 recorded at Sound Stage Studios (Nashville, Tennessee).
* All songs mixed at Mix LA (Los Angeles, California).
* Mastered at Gateway Mastering (Portland, Maine).

## Charts

Chart performance for Hard Knocks :
| Chart (2010–2012) | Peak position |
| Australian Albums | 71 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) | 4 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) | 32 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) | 41 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten) | 21 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) | 41 |
| French Albums (SNEP) | 34 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) | 1 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI) | 42 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ) | 20 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI) | 34 |
| Polish Albums (ZPAV) | 14 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) | 13 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) | 86 |
| Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) | 52 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) | 2 |
| UK Albums (OCC) | 61 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard) | 48 |

### Year-end charts

| Chart (2010) | Position |
| German Albums Chart | 31 |

## Certifications

| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
| Germany (BVMI) | Platinum | 200,000$^^$ |
| Poland (ZPAV) | Gold | 10,000$^*$ |
| $^*$ Sales figures based on certification alone. $^^$ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |||

## Personnel

* Joe Cocker – vocals
* Ray Parker Jr., Tim Pierce, Joel Shearer, Tom Bukovac, Kenny Greenberg – guitar
* Chris Chaney, Glenn Worf – bass guitar
* Josh Freese, Dorian Crozier, Matt Chamberlain, Greg Morrow – drums
* Jamie Muhoberac – keyboards
* Matt Serletic – keyboards, programming
* Steve Nathan – synthesizer, Hammond organ, piano
* Jeff Babko – trombone
* Cleto Escobedo III – saxophone
* Ron King – trumpet
* Robyn Troup, Sherree Brown, Rich King, Mabvuto Carpenter, Stephanie Bentley, Kim Keys, Ashley Cleveland, Judson Spence – backing vocals
* Stevie Blacke – cello, violin, viola