When producer Gyasi Addae called on singer Princess Lemonious to cover Simmer Down, she admits she had never heard The Wailers song before. But after listening to the ska classic on YouTube, she agreed to put her spin on it.
Her version, a co-production between Gyasi Recordings and Jano Thriller Productions, was released this month.
“He told me that it was a song by Bob Marley, but to tell the truth I have never been big into ska. I listened to it, liked it and hopefully I can do another ska song,” she told the Jamaica Observer.
Led by Marley on vocals, The Wailers cut Simmer Down for producer Clement “Coxson” Dodd’s Studio One label in 1964. It was the first of many hit songs for Jamaican music’s most famous group.
It is Lemonious’ second project for Gyasi Recordings and Jano Thriller Productions, which operates out of Brooklyn, New York. They also produced her cover of Dennis Brown’s If I Follow My Heart, another Studio One original.
Her take on If I Follow My Heart was released two years ago. It came about after similar prompting from Addae, a Brown admirer who loved the much-covered ballad.
“I just listened to it over and over before recording it, and fell in love with the song all over again,” said Lemonious. If I Follow My Heart is currently No.17 on the Foundation Radio Network Top 30 Chart.
Born in Kingston, Lemonious has lived in the United States for over 20 years. Since 2016, she has recorded for ‘Gyas’ and ‘Jano’ but kicked off her recording career in 2014 with the soca song, Sweet and Sour.
That was followed by Love Song Got To Play, which she wrote, and This Love which was written and produced by Addae.
— By Howard Campbell
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