Words by Kieran Meadows
During a recent appearance on Dutch DJ Giel Beelen’s radio show, English singer Joss Stone performed a wicked, unexpected acoustic cover of Virgin Islands band Midnite‘s standout singalong tune, “Love The Life You Live.” Stone’s version is sure to bring a smile to any Midnite fan and reggae fan in general, as it sticks extremely close to the original, with the U.K. soul/pop singer giving it her own unique touch, including pretty nice phrasing of Vaughn Benjamin’s powerful words.
Though unexpected, the choice of song from Stone is not as surprising as you think. Stone made a featured appearance on Damian Marley and Nas’ joint LP Distant Relatives, on the track “My Generation,” and forged a relationship with Jr. Gong when they were in the short-lived supergroup SuperHeavy. This past July, she released Water for Your Soul, an album heavily influenced by reggae. The album includes the Damian Marley co-produced tracks “Love Me” and “Wake Up,” and the song “Harry’s Symphony” contains samples/interpolations from Barrington Levy, Inner Circle and Cocoa Tea.
The “Love The Life You Live” cover will hopefully spark some interest from Stone’s fans in Midnite’s deep catalog. A nice look for the VI massive.
Watch the video clip below, and see our webisode with Midnite’s Vaughn Benjamin and Pressure Busspipe, shot in the group’s hometown of Frederiksted, St. Croix, here.