Cover Culture: Sanchez / Chris de Burgh – Lady In Red

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.

SANCHEZ

Sanchez, whose real name is Kevin Anthony Jackson, is one of those Jamaican voices you don’t forget. Born in Kingston, he was raised in Stony Hill and Waterford. There, people didn’t call him Sanchez because of music. It came from football. As a youth, he stood out on the pitch, and the nickname stuck. Before recording, Sanchez worked as a selector with Kingston sound systems like Rambo Mango. That experience shaped him. It taught him timing, song choice, and how to connect emotionally with listeners. So, when producer Hugh “Redman” James brought him into the studio, Sanchez was ready. Redman had an eye for young talent, and this pairing proved it. His first single was a reggae version of Chris de Burgh’s The Lady In Red, released in Jamaica in 1987 on the Redman International label. The song showed exactly what Sanchez could do best. It announced him as a serious voice for romantic reggae.

CHRIS DE BURGH

Chris de Burgh released The Lady In Red in June 1986 on A&M Records, pulled from his eighth album Into The Light. And once it hit radio, the song blew up fast and became his biggest hit by far. Overnight, the British-Irish singer-songwriter went from a respected cult artist to a name everyone suddenly knew. The single topped the charts in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Norway, and parts of Belgium, and reached No. 3 in the US the following year. That run turned The Lady In Red into de Burgh’s best-selling single and his calling card. Suddenly, he wasn’t just an artist with a loyal following. He was mainstream. And The Lady In Red rode that wave straight to No. 2 in the UK. It was only de Burgh’s third UK single and his first to crack the Top 40. But here’s the twist. Not everyone was feeling that soft-focus romance. Some listeners found it way too sweet. Rolling Stone readers even voted it the third worst song of the entire 1980s.