# Luxury You Can Afford

Luxury You Can Afford is the seventh studio album by Joe Cocker, released in 1978 on Asylum Records, his only release for that label.

## Critical reception

Professional ratings :
| Review scores ||
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+ |
| High Fidelity | (favourable) |
In 1994, The Independent wrote that Cocker "reveals the self-disgust at ['A Whiter Shade of Pale']'s heart ... his rawness is thrown into stark relief by Allen Toussaint's too-slick production."

## Track listing

* "Fun Time" (Allen Toussaint) – 2:39
* "Watching the River Flow" (Bob Dylan) – 3:16
* "Boogie Baby" (Phil Driscoll) – 3:51
* "A Whiter Shade of Pale" (Gary Brooker, Keith Reid, Matthew Fisher) – 5:27
* "I Can't Say No" (John Bettis, Daniel Moore) – 2:51
* "Southern Lady" (Phil Driscoll) – 3:16
* "I Know (You Don't Want Me No More)" (Barbara George) – 3:08
* "What You Did to Me Last Night" (Bettye Crutcher) – 3:28
* "Lady Put the Light Out" (Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett) – 4:46
* "Wasted Years" (Phil Driscoll) – 4:49
* "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong) – 4:29

## Personnel

* Joe Cocker – lead vocals, harmonica (5)
* Barry Beckett – acoustic piano (1, 4, 7, 11), clavinet (1), Fender Rhodes (3), Minimoog (3, 4), ARP String Ensemble (3, 4), Hammond organ (3)
* Richard Tee – acoustic piano (2, 5, 6, 8, 9), Fender Rhodes (10)
* Allen Toussaint – horn and string arrangements (1, 9), Fender Rhodes (2, 3, 8), Hammond organ (5, 6), clavinet (5)
* Randy McCormick – Fender Rhodes (4, 7), clavinet (11)
* Billy Preston – Hammond organ (4, 11)
* Dr. John – Fender Rhodes (6), Hammond organ (8)
* Donny Hathaway – Fender Rhodes (8), acoustic piano (10)
* Mitch Chakour – guitar (1), acoustic piano (3)
* Cliff Goodwin – guitar (1, 3)
* Pete Carr – lead guitar (2, 11), slide guitar (2), guitar (3)
* Cornell Dupree – guitar (2, 5, 6, 8–10)
* Larry Byrom – lead guitar (4, 7)
* Jimmy Johnson – rhythm guitar (4, 7, 11)
* Joey Murcia – guitar (5, 10)
* George Terry – guitar (5)
* Howie Hersh – bass guitar (1, 3)
* Chuck Rainey – bass guitar (2, 5, 6, 8–10)
* David Hood – bass guitar (4, 7)
* Rick Danko – bass guitar (11)
* John Riley – drums (1, 3)
* Steve Gadd – drums (2, 5, 8–10)
* Roger Hawkins – drums (4, 7, 11)
* Bernard Purdie – drums (6, 8)
* Hank Crawford – alto saxophone (1, 8)
* Leroy Cooper – baritone saxophone (1, 8)
* Ronald Eades – baritone saxophone (2, 5, 7, 8, 11)
* Gary Brown – tenor sax solo (1)
* David "Fathead" Newman – tenor saxophone (1, 9)
* Harvey Thompson – tenor sax solo (2, 9), tenor saxophone (5, 7, 8, 11)
* Bobby Keys – tenor sax solo (3)
* Charles Rose – trombone (2, 5, 7, 8, 11)
* Marcus Belgrave – trumpet (1, 9)
* Phillip Guilbeau – trumpet (1, 9)
* Harrison Calloway, Jr. – trumpet (2, 5, 7, 8, 11), horn arrangements (2, 5, 7, 8, 11)
* Wayne Jackson – trumpet (2, 5, 7, 8, 11)
* Clyde Kerr Jr. – trumpet solo (7)
* Clydie King – backing vocals
* Ann Lang – backing vocals
* Mona Lisa Young – backing vocals

## Production

* Producers – Barry Beckett and Allen Toussaint
* Engineers – Bill Gazecki, Skip Godwin, Gregg Hamm, Jerry Masters, Steve Melton and Alex Sadkin.
* Assistant Engineers – Bob Gore, Roberta Grace, Sheila Taylor and David Yates.
* Recorded at Criteria Studios (Miami, Florida); Sea-Saint Studios (New Orleans, Louisiana); Muscle Shoals Sound Studios (Sheffield, Alabama); Elektra Sound Recorders (Los Angeles, CA).
* Mixing on Tracks 2, 5, 6, 7 & 10 – Barry Beckett
* Mastered by Terry Dunavan
* Mixed and Mastered at Elektra Sound Recorders.
* Design – Johnny Lee
* Photography – Gary Heery

## Chart performance

| Year | Chart | Position |
| 1978 | Australia | 12 |
| 1978 | New Zealand | 25 |
| 1978 | Netherlands | 47 |
| 1978 | Canada | 61 |
| 1978 | US Billboard | 76 |