Last week's post about Midnight Train To Georgia ended up with me going both backwards and forwards from the most famous version of the song to track down both the original and more recent covers. This led me to thinking about songs I didn't know were cover versions when I first heard them, which brings us to "Uncover Me Monday", a feature that may or may not rotate with "Cover Me Monday", but at least gives me more options to write about.
Case in point, Freddie McGregor's 80s reggae hit, Just Don't Want To Be Lonely, a top ten hit in the UK when I was 15. It wasn't particularly a favourite at the time, but like most songs from that year, I now feel a great nostalgic warmth towards it. But I had no idea, until very recently, that it was a cover.
The song was originally recorded by Ronnie Dyson, who looks about 12, but was apparently 23 when he scraped the US charts with this trumpet-tastic version...
However, the most famous version (to American ears, if not to mine), was recorded by The Main Ingredient, led by Cuba Gooding Jr.'s dad (guess what he was called?). A top ten US hit in 1974, and definitely the best version I've heard. If only because it opens with the question "Hey, where you going with that suitcase?", which immediately sets it ahead of the pack.
When it comes to Saturday Snapshots, you guys Don't Stop Till You Get Enough. And you didn't do Bad yesterday at all. It's good to know You Are Not Alone when you're playing this game, particularly this week as Alyson & Lynchie fought it out for top spot (I think Lynchie just clinched it), leaving Charity Chic, Walter, Chris and Rigid Digit to hoover up the leftovers. Thanks for playing, guys.
