Cover Culture : Hortense Ellis aka Mahaila Saunders / Erma Franklin – Pieces Of My Heart

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.

HORTENSE ELLIS AKA MAHAiLA SAUNDERS

The late Hortense Ellis, the younger sister of renowned artist Alton Ellis, began her recording career in the 1960s with some of Jamaica’s leading producers, including Ken Lack, Coxsone Dodd, and Duke Reid. Performing under the name Mahaila Saunders (adopting her husband Mikey Saunders’ surname), she released several singles for producer Lee “Scratch” Perry, notably Right On The Tip Of My Tongue and Pieces of My Heart. The latter is a rendition of a romantic soul song by Erma Franklin, featuring The Upsetters as her backing band. This single came out in Jamaica and the UK in 1971. However, it was in the late 1970s that Hortense Ellis truly found success with the track Unexpected Places, recorded for Gussie Clarke, which became a significant hit both in Jamaica and the UK.

ERMA FRANKLIN

The original version of Piece of My Heart was laid down by Erma Franklin, Aretha Franklin’s older sister, in 1967 for producer Bert Berns’ Shout label. Bert Berns had approached Van Morrison, who he was working with, to record the track, but Morrison opted out, choosing to focus on his own songs instead. Franklin’s song climbed to No. 10 in December 1967 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles chart in the US and also reached No. 62 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. The song gained mainstream popularity when Big Brother and the Holding Company, featuring Janis Joplin on lead vocals, covered it in 1968, resulting in a significantly larger hit. Following this, Franklin’s song was nominated for the 1969 Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance.