From the corner of a packed boardroom, three decades ago, film producer Don Simpson attempted to make his point.
"The song is no good. It isn't a hit," he cried, in a bid to get Up Where We Belong cut from his latest movie, An Officer and a Gentleman.
The Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes song went on to win the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, the Academy Award for Best Original Song, a BAFTA for Best Original Song, Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, reached No 1 in the US and made the top 10 in more than 20 countries. In a nutshell, the film's song won more than three times as many awards as the film itself.
Bet Don Simpson wishes he'd kept his mouth shut.
As if that wasn't enough, 1982's Up Where We Belong can also add "bumping the Joe Cocker brand" to its long list of credentials.
Written by Jack Nitzsche and Buffy Sainte-Marie, with lyrics by Will Jennings, Up Where We Belong is undoubtedly one of the hits we most associate with the legendary British singer, along with his duet partner Jennifer Warnes.
Well, that and a slowed-tempo cover version of The Beatles' A Little Help With My Friends, which really put Cocker on the musical map in the '60s.
With a little help from his friend, 18-year-old keyboard player, Tommy Eyre, Cocker adapted the famous song to suit his hoarse soul vocal style, introducing the Bach-influenced intro and the crashing chords which made it a British and US hit.
A lifetime of music was always on the cards according to Cocker — fame or not.
"When I was 16 I was a gas fitter, which was a bit like a pipe fitter," he said. "But I never could think of anything other than music. It was an obsession with me, whether I ‘made it' or whatever. I would've carried on working the clubs," Cocker said.
Cocker has mostly made a name for himself singing cover versions of well-known songs and is one of the big names in music with whom playing air guitar is associated.
A spectacle
His most famous instance of rocking the virtual guitar was during the introduction of With a Little Help from My Friends at the original 1969 Woodstock Music Festival, a spectacle which has gone down in history as one of the greatest live performances of all time.
Speaking exclusively to tabloid! ahead of his debut Dubai show tonight, Cocker said for all his achievements there is still one lady this Sheffield lad would like to work with. "I would love to have Aretha Franklin play at my next big birthday bash," he said. "I've always wanted to do a duet with Aretha but never seem to find the right song."
He's best known for iconic songs including You Can Leave Your Hat On from Nine 1/2 Weeks, Up Where We Belong and INXS' Never Tear Us Apart, after which the band personally contacted Cocker to thank him for doing such a great job with the track.
When asked whether the Dubai audience could expect all the favourites there was no hesitation. "This is our first time in Dubai and we all are very excited to be performing in the city," said Cocker.
"We plan to perform all the hits from Unchain My Heart, Leave Your Hat On, You Are So Beautiful, With a Little Help From My Friends and many more plus a few songs from the new CD Hard Knocks. We will rock the house."
Hard Knocks, released in October last year, is Cocker's 21st studio album. Featuring a more modern sound, the album includes nine brand new songs produced by Matt Serletic plus Cocker's version of The Dixie Chicks song I Hope, which was produced by Tony Brown.
Despite his success Cocker has come under fire over the years for not writing his own material, something which appears to bother others more than the man himself.
"I get a bit of criticism for that," he said. "I did try writing songs over the years, but it was never the best. I mean, I enjoyed the process at times, but I find that reinventing songs, that people kind of knew, was something I enjoyed doing more. Take a song like Summer In The City, which is by Lovin' Spoonful, and if you compare it to the original it's kind of nice to bring it up to date. You just bring it to a new audience, songs that have laid dormant."
Nothing fazes the music man today. Maybe because he's seen and done it all. And by all we mean all, including some of the worst backstage dressing rooms in history.
"Man, there have been a few through the years, I can tell you," he said. "Once in Switzerland we used an old train for a dressing room. In Spain once the dressing rooms were next to the bull pen. Sometimes I can still smell the bulls."
So as a stalwart of the industry what advice would Cocker pass down to a younger generation?
"I have one message for young musicians around the world," he said. "Stay true to your heart, believe in your self and work hard."
Don't miss it!
Joe Cocker performs at the Al Badia Golf Club tonight. The show starts at 9pm, doors open at 6pm. Tickets, priced Dh300 and Dh500 for front seating, are available at joecockerdubai.com and all Virgin Megastores.