One of the songs he listened to during his youth, Bobby Floyd longed to cover ‘Your Love Is Amazing’, made popular in Jamaica by Delroy Wilson and Errol Dunkley. In late 2024, he linked with producer Clovis Forde and finally cut his version.

Released in March, it is Floyd’s first released song in some time. Not that he has been inactive, far from it. The veteran singer has recorded a number of songs, but says producers have not released them which left him frustrated and resulted in his briefly turning away from music.

Floyd, who lives in rural St. Ann parish, Jamaica, took a different approach to ‘Your Love Is Amazing’.

“If you listen to Delroy and Errol Dunkley, they did it differently. So, I wanted a different rhythm structure and a different drum intro, and I think it came out well,” he said.

His version of ‘Your Love Is Amazing’ features saxophonist Dean Fraser and Forde’s son-in-law Anbesa Tafari on violin. It is the first production for South Florida-based Forde, who was neighbors with Floyd in the community of Duhaney Park, Kingston during the 1970s.

Floyd is best known for the 1982 roots-reggae song, ‘Love Without Feeling’, recorded at Channel One in Kingston and produced by Sly and Robbie. Prior to that, he did songs as a solo act for high-profile producers, Lee “Scratch” Perry, Niney Holness and Bob Andy.

His career actually started in 1969 as a member of The Immortals, a harmony trio that also included Willi Williams. They cut one unreleased song for producer Joe Gibbs before calling it a day.

In 2005, Floyd returned to Jamaica after living in the United States for almost two decades. While in New York City, he recorded a number of self-produced songs which were not released due to lack of promotional funds.

He also did several recordings for Clement Dodd at Studio One in Brooklyn, but they were also unreleased. With a number of his songs sitting on the shelves, Floyd grew disillusioned with the music business and five years ago, embraced religion by becoming a Seventh Day Adventist.

With ‘Your Love Is Amazing’, he has rediscovered a zest for recording. He has also been working with engineer/producer Steven Stanley, who guided him on a version of R&B group The Moments’ ‘With You’, expected to be released soon.

Bobby Floyd is hoping both songs mean a change in his fortunes.

“I would like to see better things, I would like to hear the songs being played,” he said.

(Photo contributed)