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Coverage Vol. 3
9/9/24
BY: IAN SHERRY
On Instagram it's acceptable, trendy even, to take a sound from another video then make a video of your own, with your own message/joke using the same sound in the background. That format falls into the ‘recycled mindless internet crap’ category, but I did indeed see a funny one once. The ‘sound’, which I’m sure has been used to death in a variety of fashions since the original video, is a recording of a guy who mistakenly begins to rap Kendrick Lamar’s “Poetic Justice” over Janet Jackson’s “Any Time, Any Place”. The first samples the later, so it's an easy mistake to make, but he was immediately scolded by a friend who was trying to enjoy his contemporary oldies. In my opinion anyone who leans towards Lamar’s recycled and remixed version of Jackson’s classic has lost their damn mind, but I can identify with the mistake. Just this morning I was listening to my very own oldies playlist, and as it finished and Spotify took over the track selection, I immediately recognized Jaheim’s “Put That Woman First”. One of the best songs by one of the best voices of 2000s r&b, I was initially happy to hear it play, but realized not too far in that this was a different song, likely the original. I was right, but the two versions are so similar at points, both lyrically and in the instrumental hook, that I couldn’t immediately decipher if it was a cover or a very thorough sample-job.
It turns out William Bell’s “I Forgot To Be Your Lover” is indeed a completely different song, and while I prefer the revamped version by my favorite golden-toned thug with a heart, there are quite a few strong renditions of the original track. Let’s dive in and crown a champ.
Welcome to Coverage 3.
Honorable Mentions
Al is butt naked on this album cover and he delivers the weakest, most vocally and instrumentally thin rendition to boot. Yikes.
THE REVELATION, TRE WILLIAMS 2012
This supporting track for Wu-Tang Clan’s foray into the world of martial arts movies leads the pack in production quality and includes a solid guitar-forward bridge, but the vocal performance leaves something to be desired, often failing to stay within the instrumental framework of the song.
I feel bad that Tommy can’t climb any higher (he looks awfully friendly), but his well-executed straightforward version doesn’t surpass the original in any particular way.
WILLIAM BELL, 1968
Bell wrote and performed a beautiful song. It was safe, simple and powerful, but its simplicity lent itself to improvement and that’s the only reason he falls outside the top four. That being said, this version remains the standard.
Cray is one of my all-time favorites, but just like Blood Sweat & Tears missing out on the last coverage, Cray didn’t do quite enough with his version. However, his always steely guitar has a different warmth to it on this track, making it worth a listen.
The Mad Lads gave the most ingenuitive vocal performances of the bunch. Their foursome added a 60/70s Temptations-esque spin to the track, and if it had actually been The Temptations it would’ve cracked the top spot, but it just wasn’t.
NUMBER FOUR
Admittedly I was torn between this version and the last. Both reinvented the song vocally, but The Black Keys frontman Dan Auerbach’s twist is more in the cadence than the vocal sequencing. As a result, he better replicates the familiar feel of the time-honored original. There are times he delivers a line, or note, down when I want it up or vice-versa, but those are issues of taste and preference. The key, (get it?) is that he maintains the emotional feel the track is intended to deliver, and he does so as well as nearly anyone else. I am a fan of Auerbach’s solo work, and his stylistic versatility combined with the adaptability of his partner Patrick Carney make this modern rock-tinged edition of Bell’s classic a resounding success.
NUMBER THREE
I wouldn’t have imagined a reggae arrangement of this song, but it turned out to be a stroke of genius. The similarities between reggae and soul lie in their deep lineage and aged variety; as a result, the song makes a pretty smooth adaptation between the Black American ballad and this heartfelt reggae version. George Faith floats with restraint over an energized reggae pace, guiding a song that could’ve lost its original intention in the right direction. By holding back and letting the echoed production swirl around his vocals, a slight discrepancy in pace becomes clear between his words and the music flowing around him, reminding the listener of the melancholy cry the song was designed to simulate. It may not be the most true-to-form version, but it is a creatively gutsy reimagination of a soul song that resulted in an undeniably well-executed reggae song.
NUMBER TWO
BILLY IDOL- "TO BE A LOVER", 1986
Because of the different title and overall ‘Billy Idolness’ of this song it’s not completely recognizable, but this highest charting version of “I Forgot To Be Your Lover” is indeed a straight cover. Idol, who could not be bothered to bend to the song’s original form (or title), also recognized what he could do with it. He nearly doubles the length, adding air to the structure, high-energy instrumental portions, a confident vocal performance, and an entirely different attitude. The track ramps up quickly with true rock & roll style, the bounciness of the 80s, and the improvisational ability of a great performer, before eventually concluding just after the best guitar performance on any of the versions. It was a true pop/rock blowout of the words that originally sat on the paper, and it was done to near perfection.
NUMBER ONE
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, SAM MOORE, 2022
That’s Sam Moore of Sam & Dave, in 2022, at age 86, singing beautifully beside Bruce Springsteen. This is absolutely the best version of the original imagination William Bell had in 1968. It has every ounce of class and quality the original put on display, but with even more soul. Moore opens their rendition in his aged yet unwavering voice, ranging up and down subtly, filling the speakers for the bigger lines and finessing his way through others. He sings as strong as ever and with enough emotion to match his partner’s fanfare. Springsteen has always had a very genuine tone to his confident, even overbearing vocal persona, and on this track he lets it take the forefront. He backs Moore on the chorus, bolstering and energizing the tune as they approach the handoff. Then with the instrumentation of prime Detroit soul and the audio equipment of a 2022 Springsteen contingent, the energy elevates through The Boss’s verse, and the well-oiled veteran duet finishes off my very favorite version of “I Forgot To Be Your Lover”.
Listen to Jaheim's "Put That Woman First" and "Finding My Way Back" for some CG Xtra Credit.