Sounds For Sunday

Otherwise known as Sounds For Getting Past The Middle Of The Week After A Dreary Bank Holiday...

I don't know about anybody else but I tend to get obsessed with a single tune at a time, especially lately. I've kind of reverted back to my teens, when I would play the same song over and over again until the rest of the family knew it as well as I did. And were sick to death of the sound of it!

This week I've been listening to a tune by Ken Boothe. (It's The Way) Nature Planned It pts 1 & 2. It's a version of a song originally cut by The Four Tops in the early 70s. Ken first recorded it on his album Let's Get It On in 1974.

Ken is one of the great reggae vocalists. History hasn't been as kind to him as some other singers however. Mostly because for a while he was known as the 'ladies' favourite'. Being too smooth for the boys meant that a lot of people viewed him at the time as being less authentic, less 'real'. It's bollocks really, because he is simply an amazing vocalist; it wouldn't be ridiculous to describe him vocally as the reggae Marvin Gaye. And he was a sharp looking guy. Check out the picture above....

The version of the tune I'm obsessing over isn't the original recording from 1974 however. In the late 80s, following Boy George's version of Everything I Own (which Ken recorded in the early 70s), a compilation of re-recorded versions came out. This version comes from that. It is a bit 80s around the edges, especially in the brass, which would appear to be 80s synth brass in places, although that might just be the production..But the vocals are amazing, absolutely amazing. I did toy with posting the original, complete with turntable hum and slightly at the wrong speed, but thought better of it, because I do think this is better, brass be damned!

Enjoy!

Ken Boothe - (It's The Way) Nature Planned It pts 1 &2