LAST LISTENED TO a couple of days ago
CHANCE OF WAKING TO IT ok, i guess
RATING
Ken Boothe is better known for another song. It's another cover, like this one. I forget the name and can't really be bothered to check for it. But you'd know it, if you heard it. He is Jamiacan and does reggae, by the way.
This one is, if you've not guessed, a cover of The Supremes hit You Keep Me Hanging On. If you can imagine that song done in a rocksteady/reggae/Jamaican soul style, by a man better known for somthing else, then you've got it. It's a nice enough tune, but it's nothing special and it lacks the drive and passion of the original. Still, if things Jamaican are your bag, then you'll might well go for this.
The version here is the extended 12" version and it really just goes on too long. The original can only have been around the three minutes. This version, however, is just over seven and instead of the extended sound dynamics that you might hope for (in a dubwise stylee), it merely stretches out the instrumental parts, with little additional flair. This goes on for quite a few minutes. Towards the end, someone at Studio One clearly got bored and decided to drop the vocals back in and rather abruptly at that, even for the somewhat slap-dash approach found at times in Jamiacan music (which of course is part of its appeal). And that's it for this tune.
Hear it once. Yawn. No repeat, thanks. Next…
5 comments:
i completely disagree, great cover, i can listen again and again, never too long...the Ken Boothe most famous cover was "everything I own" but he did "aint no sunshine" too. I love his voice...2 stars doesnt make justice...
I am left cold by the original comment.. have just listened to Kens' version again and again, and feel sorry for someone who views music in such a nation based way..
'part of it's appeal..' is it's 'slapdash way..'
'someone at Studio one clearly got bored...'
'If you like jamaican music you may well like this...'
Such ignorance at what Jamaica has contributed, and indeed a failure to understand the historical context of these cover versions, how Studio One itself developed, and the technical excellence it has left us with, the wonderful library of tightly made riddims, well sung, gorgeously produced tunes from such an impoverished nation is truly astonishing...
Cuba, Panama, Jamaica, populations small, hearts and passion large...
This compilation is full of gems, and to denigrate them as this blogger has is not just sad, but also deeply flawed...!!!
At the time Ken cut this, 'dub' wasn't what it became, the sound system culture drove the artists, songs cut locally were fought over, and Coxsonne had a massive knowledge of US tunes that had been popular with sounds such as Prince Buster and Duke Reid from the 50s...
the transition to Rock Steady which this is part of, to Reggae, and to U Roys' and King Tubby and Lee Perrys' mastery of music with limited resources (using two tracks to produce music 64 tracks today can't come close to) has it's roots in tunes such as Kens'..
Listen to again and again and then discover the rich mine of music from JA...
One Love
Butch, honestly, I just plain don't like the track. There's really no need to be insulting. I've heard and love a lot of Jamaican music and I've read a lot about it too. I'm aware of both its social place and historical importance. But, basically, I just don't think this track cuts it. It's my personal opinion. You know, like what a blog is for.
Lastly, what on earth do you mean by viewing such music in a 'nation based (sic) way'? It sounds to me appalingly insulting. If you'd taken a moment to look at any more of my blog you might have noticed that I have a wide and varied musical taste that I would have thought hinted at my broad tastes and, above all, lack of nation-based viewpoint (whatever that means).
you are just a square man who doesn't smoke herb nor has a heart
Nice one anonymous. Smoking 'herb' is exactly how you get a heart. I wonder why I never realised.
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