Regarded as the singer’s singer, Tony Bennett came to the fore during the 1950s when crooners like Frank Sinatra and Perry Como were dominant. His 1953 song, Rags to Riches, is an easy-listening standard.
Singer Clement Gordon’s reggae version of that song was recently released, just days after Bennett’s death on July 21 at age 96.
“I recorded this song over a year before the passing of the legendary Tony Bennett. I love this song for years and said I want to cover it, so I was at the studio and said let’s do it,” he recalled.
Gordon’s version of Rags to Riches features Sly Dunbar on drums, Dean Fraser on saxophone, Paul “Wrongmove” Crosdale on guitar and keyboards and Owen Reynolds playing bass.
Rags to Riches was a staple of Bennett’s live show. Typical of songs by American singers from that era, it was jazz-influenced and heavy on orchestration.
Gordon, who has been recording for over 35 years, says there was no difficulty making the transition to reggae.
“It was easy because you are working with people who know what they are doing. They have been doing this for donkey years and I have been around for years also,” he stated.
Gordon was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital. He is strongly influenced by the ska and rock steady movement in his country during the 1960s, as well as American R&B.
His best-known songs are Granny and This Old Heart of Mine.
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