Cover Culture : Horace Andy / Tony Allen – Night Owl

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.

HORACE ANDY

In 1970, Jamaican singer Horace Hinds successfully passed an audition at Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One, prompting Dodd to have him record under the name Horace Andy. This decision was influenced by the desire to leverage the fame of Bob Andy and also to distinguish Hinds from his cousin, Justin Hinds, whose singing style was similar at that time. The song he performed during the audition, Got To Be Sure, marked his debut release for Studio One. The next two years saw additional singles like See A Man’s Face, Fever, and Mr. Bassie, as well as Skylarking and Night Owl, a cover of the Tony Allen song. The latter initially came out on a colored version of Dodd’s Bongo Man label in 1972, while subsequent releases featured black & white labels.

TONY ALLEN

Born in New Orleans and raised in Los Angeles, Tony Allen, along with The Champs, recorded one of the greatest doo-wop 7″ singles, Nite Owl, during his first significant recording session in 1955. The song quickly gained popularity in his new hometown and was on the verge of national success when Allen opted to leave Specialty Records, the label for whom the song was recorded. Despite having a potential hit, Specialty withdrew its support for both Nite Owl and its emerging star. As a result, the record failed to make the charts, and Tony Allen’s career struggled to take off. Throughout the 1960s, the song was covered by various US artists, including Dick Dale and His Del-Tones, The Righteous Brothers, and Bobby Paris.