Sanctuary Records Group - Trojan
Back to Sanctuary/ Castle Music Review Menu - reviewed
Here Comes that feeling – Hit Songs Jamaican Style
Released
on 16 February 2004. -
We'll start
of by accentuating the positive as included in this compilation are some
excellent and worthwhile tracks. For a variety of reasons Jamaican artists have
covered (predominantly) US artists, and when it works they can be classics. The
first one in evidence is Horace Andy's Ain't no sunshine, which has a hard
rootsy beat and the unique vocal. Yes it is a great song and many versions are
good but this gives originator Bill a run for it's money. I wonder if Horace
thought of covering the original bside Harlem, now that would've been good.
Another
great song that works is the Gaylettes Son of a Preacher Man, fast paced
ska/reggae with some great horns. Similar sort of era, but more mellow, Val
Bennett's Take Five, actually works too, as does Busty Brown's To love
somebody. (Twee I know, but a sucker for them, so check the Gaylettes Here
comes that feeling)
A favorite
of mine has always been Dave Barker's just my imagination. Another great song
maybe but a lazy mix with excellent horns contribute to a great track. More
Motown, Delroy Wilson always had a great soul voice and on This old heart of
mine he succeeds in putting his own stamp on the track, rather than being a
direct cover of tempo and style. This is severely slowed down over the original
and the result is an almost unrecognizable track. Similarly Carl Dawkins and
the Wailers Cloud Nine is slowed down. This is kinda bizarre as US Soul was
becoming more frantic and trippy as we ventured into the 70's era of Soul. Plenty
more Motown, Papa was a rolling Stone, War.
From Motown
to Stax, Tomorrow's Children do a creditable version of (Mr) Sister Big Stuff
and Cynthia Richards does the Staples If you're ready.
Some tracks
were probably universally popularized because of the Jamaican version, which
bizarrely was a cover in the first place, the ever popular Tony Tribe's Red Red
Wine and Bob and Marcia's anthemic, to Rudeboys and Skins alike, young gifted
and black and Ken Boothe's Everything I Own.
Although
her versions were fairly lightweight there was something about the sweetness in
Susan Cadogan's voice that appealed none more so than on In the Ghetto. Even
Toot's gospel wailings makes Give peace a chance listenable.
Many,
probably most, covers were cut at a time near to the song it was covering, in
order to piggy back on, or make the song more acceptable to the local audience.
Dennis Brown's Dock of the Bay was however a little after, and probably chosen
because it was a great song suited to a great voice, and despite the scatting
at the end, an excellent version.
Into the
70's Philly was covered, When will I see you again, If you don't know me , you
make me feel brand new, but I'm sure that there was better ones.
John Holt's
Help me make it through the night was rightly acclaimed as a classic in it's
own right. Nicky Thomas's Love of the Common People was also a big hit. On the
popular side Al Brown's Here I am baby is as good as you'll get.
The album
does contain a number of tracks that are pretty uninspiring covers like Rock
the Boat (how did a great group like Inner Circle get to cut something this
bad!). Much of it is lightweight pop reggae – Cecilia, rock your baby,
something, stand by your man, Mr Bojangles. Despite having a great voice Junior
Byles rootsy Fever does not work for me either.
|
Various Artists: Here Comes That Feeling -
Pop Hits Jamaican Style (TJDDD140X) |
|
|
Format: Double CD album
|
|
Tracklisting |
|
TWO-CD SET: |
|
DISC ONE |
|
Rock The Boat - Inner
Circle - Listen |
|
Another Day In
Paradise - Dennis Brown - Listen |
|
Ain't No Sunshine -
Horace Andy - Listen |
|
Cecilia - Bruce
Ruffin - Listen |
|
Rock Your Baby - The
Cimarons - Listen |
|
Son Of A Preacher Man
- The Gaylettes - Listen |
|
Red Red Wine - Tony
Tribe - Listen |
|
The Russians Are
Coming (AKA Take Five) - Val Bennett - Listen |
|
In The Ghetto - Susan
Cadogan - Listen |
|
Unchained Melody -
Honeyboy Martin - Listen |
|
Island In The Sun -
The Paragons - Listen |
|
To Love Somebody -
Busty Brown - Listen |
|
Just My Imagination -
Dave Barker & The Charmers - Listen |
|
This Old Heart Of
Mine - Delroy Wilson - Listen |
|
Kansas City - Joya
Landis - Listen |
|
Young, Gifted And
Black - Bob & Marcia - Listen |
|
(Take Me Home)
Country Roads - Toots & The Maytals - Listen |
|
Sister Big Stuff -
Tomorrow's Children - Listen |
|
Cloud Nine - Carl
Dawkins & The Wailers - Listen |
|
If You're Ready To
Come Go With Me - Cynthia Richards - Listen |
|
Na Na Hey Hey (Kiss
Him Goodbye) - The Pioneers - Listen |
|
Here Comes The
Feeling - The Gaylettes - Listen |
|
Help Me Make It
Through The Night - John Holt - Listen |
|
When Will I See You
Again - Marcia Griffiths - Listen |
|
Long Long Winter -
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Listen |
|
DISC TWO |
|
Baby Can I Hold You –
Sanchez - Listen |
|
Everything I Own -
Ken Boothe - Listen |
|
Love Of The Common
People - Nicky Thomas - Listen |
|
(Sittin On) The Dock
Of The Bay - Dennis Brown - Listen |
|
Papa Was A Rollin'
Stone - The Pioneers - Listen |
|
Shaft - Lloyd
Charmers - Listen |
|
War - Tomorrow's
Children - Listen |
|
Give Peace A Chance -
The Maytals - Listen |
|
Here I Am Baby - Al
Brown - Listen |
|
Bridge Over Troubles
Water - Jimmy London - Listen |
|
If You Don't Know Me
By Now - Zap Pow - Listen |
|
Some Guys Have All
The Luck - Derrick Harriott - Listen |
|
Band Of Gold - Marcia
Griffiths - Listen |
|
Here Comes The Sun -
Dawn Penn - Listen |
|
I Second That Emotion
- The Chosen Few - Listen |
|
You Make Me Feel
Brand New - Boris Gardiner - Listen |
|
Something - Phyllis
Dillon - Listen |
|
I Shall Sing - Judy
Mowatt - Listen |
|
Blackbird Singing -
Desmond Dekker - Listen |
|
Fever - Junior Byles
- Listen |
|
Stand By Your Man -
Merlene Webber - Listen |
|
Mr Bojangles - John
Holt - Listen |
.
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