Shav A spreads the LOVE
SOMEONE Love’s You Honey, the 1978 song made popular by Charley Pride and which received a baptism in reggae by singer JC Lodge, is getting another makeover. This time it’s by emerging singer Shav A.
“Mine is a more contemporary version. I put a modern twist to it. I just my style,” Shav A, 29, told the Jamaica Observer.
Released a month ago, Someone Love’s You Honey is on the G Shav Music imprint.
According to Shav A, JC Lodge’s version provided the inspiration for the remake.
“It was my manager’s idea, as back then it was a huge hit. So he thought it would do good for us, this time around,” she said.
“I think I did justice to it. A lot of people are saying they love my version. It’s still in rotation. It is creating a lot of traction. You find a lot of disc jocks are requesting it,” she continued.
Charley Pride, country music’s first black superstar, died of COVID-19 complications on December 12. He was 86.
He was best known for songs like
Kiss An Angel Good Mornin’, which was covered by reggae singers Delroy Wilson and Ken Parker. He even tried a little reggae with the 1979 song You’re my Jamaica, which enjoyed solid radio rotation in this country.
The Mississippi native’s greatest link to Jamaica, however, was Someone Loves You Honey – a ballad he released on RCA in 1978. It was covered by a then-unknown, London-born singer named J C Lodge two years later and shot up reggae charts in Jamaica and North America.
“I don’t know much about him [Charley Pride], to be honest. But I have heard his version and it’s a little bit different from mine,” said Shav A.
Shav A, whose given name is Shavanique Allen, is the daughter of veteran cultural singer Admiral Tibet.
She attended Kingston
High School. However, on graduation, she began touring with her dad as a back-up singer.
“I have been singing for a long time. Professionally, I would say about six years. I started off as a back-up singer for my dad, and later on I decided I wanted to solo,” she said.
Two-and-half years ago, she grabbed attention with the single Father. She had also released Island Girl.
She migrated to the United States earlier this year and plans to make inroads in the industry. “A remix of Island Girl with Beenie Man will be released in January. That will be off the chart,” she added.