(May 24, 2024) When you hear the name Bobby Caldwell, you likely immediately think of his signature song “What You Won’t Do for Love.” However, that classic isn’t the only song of Bobby’s to have been sampled in hip-hop or covered in the R&B/jazz realm.
A current example is Bobby’s song “Down for The Third Time,” which was first released on his 1978 debut album alongside his signature song. “Down for the Third Time” has now been reimagined by Citrus Sun, a mainly instrumental-oriented band that’s a side project of Bluey, co-founder of the British jazz/funk band Incognito. (Citrus Sun runs alongside Incognito and features many of the same musicians.)
Citrus Sun’s cover has been called “deliciously funky,” and I agree. It doesn’t stray too far from Bobby Caldwell’s original, but there’s some added thump in this slightly more uptempo rendition that includes Dominic Glover on trumpet and Charlie Allen on guitar. Another neat difference about Citrus Sun’s groovy remake is that it features the melodic vocals of Natalie Duncan, a British singer who’s been compared to Alicia Keys and Norah Jones. She also sings with Incognito.
“Down for The Third Time” isthe lead single from Citrus Sun’s fifth album Anaconga (not Anaconda), which is described as paying “homage to jazz and soul greats – both from back in the day and more recent.” It’s to be released on June 14th.
Check out their lead single below. It’s hard not to nod your head, snap your fingers, and/or tap your feet to this jam. Enjoy!
By Darnea N. Samuels
Citrus Sun - "Down For The Third Time"
