The Air That I Breathe by The Hollies is among a select batch of songs considered ‘Sunday music’ in Jamaica. It was recently covered, reggae style, by singer Hezron.
His version is co-produced by Willie Lindo and Lindel Thompson for LTK 20 Records. Thompson, Hezron’s manager, suggested he put a Jamaican flavor to the 1974 classic.
Hezron admits that he, “Kinda slightly remember hearing it growing up somewhere, somehow, but not as vivid.” After listening to The Hollies track a few times, Hezron went about putting his spin on it, using a method he hopes does the original justice and appeals to a diverse audience.
“An artist must approach all covers from his or her heart which would ignite sincerity and true self-expression, thus translating into his or her interpretation of the song and not a exact replication of the original work,” he reasoned.
A cover is a departure for Hezron, a competent guitarist who writes most of his songs including Taxi Driver, Forever and Always and MoBay, a homage to his hometown.
For much of his career, Hezron has juggled Rhythm And Blues with lovers rock, with a sprinkling of message songs. While he welcomes a hit song, that is never in his mind whenever he composes.
“A great artist once told me that he had never tried to make a hit. He just writes and sings from his heart with soulful and simple compositions that the common man can relate to and that made all his songs hits eventually. His name is Beres Hammond,” Hezron related. “I can truly say that’s the same approach I have naturally taken as a singer and songwriter all my musical life, and so I personally think that all my songs are eventual hits, if not already.”
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