“Ain’t No Sunshine” is not just Bill Withers‘ first hit, it has also become his biggest song, at least if Spotify streams are to be believed. It has hundreds of thousands of streams more than his next most popular song, “Lovely Day.” Rather incredibly, it has something like four times as many streams as “Lean on Me,” which was once his biggest song; “Lean on Me” topped the charts in the ’70s. So maybe, at this point, it’s his signature song. Continue reading »
Five Good Covers presents five cross-genre reinterpretations of an oft-covered song.
Hard to believe we haven’t done this, given the myriad reprises and reinventions it has received over the years. I know, I know, I know, I know, I know*, you may think we have, but we haven’t, something to remedy right now. (*And in case you have never counted, the answer is 26 times…….)
The breakthrough hit for Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine” was originally the B-side of “Harlem,” the initial single drawn from his debut long player Just As I Am. DJs started playing the flip more; this led to a re-release and bingo, it hit #3 on the Billboard chart, in the summer of 1971. Quadruple platinum sales have accrued in the intervening years, in both the US and the UK, performing nearly as well in other markets, often getting a second surge of sales whenever some of the cover versions themselves cracked the charts, from Michael Jackson’s in 1972 to the one by American Idol‘s Kris Allen in 2009.
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It’s hard to do a fresh cover of “Ain’t No Sunshine.” It’s been covered so well by so many at this point, and if you’re trying to compete with Bill Withers or Joe Cocker on their turf, you’re bound to lose. But British singer-songwriter Richard Maule found a novel way to make the song his own. The cover he sent us is inventive, bold, and the right amount of irreverent. Instead of going for big soul belting like so many do, he created a quirky quasi-acappella arrangement looping his voice and handclaps over and over again – and while it seems complicated, it wasn’t. Continue reading »
Sometimes covering a classic song can go, well, poorly. There are a few songs that should never be touched, and several others, such as Bill Withers‘ “Ain’t No Sunshine,” that shouldn’t be messed with unless you really know what you are doing. Or, as in Silent Rider’s case, you completely flip the song, making it something entirely of its own.
“A dark, autumnal inspired re-envisioning of Bill Withers’ classic, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” is how the Brooklyn-based band described their take on the song, and we think that encapsulates it perfectly. It is dark, moody, and definitely worth a listen on a stroll through a cold autumn night.
Check out more from Silent Rider on the band’s website.
When it comes to classic songs like “Ain’t No Sunshine,” finding fresh, unique covers can be almost impossible. Originally recorded back in 1971 by soul singer Bill Withers, “Ain’t No Sunshine” has been covered by everyone from Sting to Michael Jackson to Eva Cassidy. But even a 40-year-old cover-prone song like “Ain’t No Sunshine” can be redone in an original way with a little bit of creativity and a lot of talent. Seattle-based neo-soul musician Anomie Belle happens to have both. Continue reading »
Cover Classics takes a closer look at all-cover albums of the past, their genesis, and their legacy.
Tony Rounce, the guy at Ace Records who compiled Come Together: Black America Sings Lennon & McCartney, had an easier job than most people who put together tribute albums. For one, this wasn’t an album that required all-new recordings by current bands; Rounce got to cherry-pick the best of the best from the ’60s and ’70s. For another, when the greatest songwriting team in the history of rock and roll is being interpreted by the likes of Aretha Franklin, Otis Redding, and Little Richard, it’s going to be hard not to put together an excellent product.
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