COVER VERSION VS ORIGINAL SONG

Since the early 1960s and even prior, numerous iconic Jamaican hits were derived from popular foreign songs. The original pop and soul tracks were frequently embraced by audiences on the island, leading reggae artists to create their own renditions. Some of these artists gained fame by covering chart-topping songs, turning these adaptations into timeless classics.

For instance, American artist Bill Withers recorded the Grammy-winning song Ain’t No Sunshine, which Horace Andy later adapted, while Dennis Brown’s rendition of Black Magic Woman originally came from Fleetwood Mac. These two examples represent just a small fraction of the many covers that have emerged over the past sixty-five years.

Since the advent of these adaptations, both Jamaican and international reggae musicians have persistently reimagined pop and soul hits, continuing this tradition into the present. You’re welcome to listen to both the original and the cover versions to determine which one resonates with you the most.

ANITA WARD

Anita Ward is primarily recognized for her 1979 chart-topping R&B/Disco smash hit Ring My Bell, which achieved No. 1 status on the US Hot 100, R&B, and Dance charts, as well as in the UK. It also was her breakthrough song in the Netherlands and Belgium. Penned by Frederick Knight, the track was initially written for eleven-year-old Stacy Lattisaw as a teenybopper song about youth talking on the telephone. However, after Lattisaw signed with a different label, Anita Ward was invited to perform it instead. Though she was hesitant at first, it ultimately became her singular major success. The song is celebrated for its pioneering use of the Synare electronic drum, producing a unique high-pitched tom sound on the initial beat of every bar.