(March 18, 2019) When Junior Giscombe first came on the U.K. music scene over thirty years ago, he was a backing vocalist for a short season with Linx, a funk based band that crossed over into the U.S. R&B charts. Yet this singer/songwriter, initially known as Junior, was meant to pass on the funk in a solo capacity and got the ball rolling in high style with his dance smash, “Mama Used to Say.” Though there were several other hits within a respectable career, including “Too Late” and “Oh, Louise” as well as songwriting credits for Heavy D and the Boyz and Phillip Bailey, Junior’s crème de la crème undoubtedly remains “Mama Used to Say.”
(March 18, 2019) When Junior Giscombe first came on the U.K. music scene over thirty years ago, he was a backing vocalist for a short season with Linx, a funk based band that crossed over into the U.S. R&B charts. Yet this singer/songwriter, initially known as Junior, was meant to pass on the funk in a solo capacity and got the ball rolling in high style with his dance smash, “Mama Used to Say.” Though there were several other hits within a respectable career, including “Too Late” and “Oh, Louise” as well as songwriting credits for Heavy D and the Boyz and Phillip Bailey, Junior’s crème de la crème undoubtedly remains “Mama Used to Say.”
Now “Mama Used to Say” is brought back to life as Junior joins forces with Luciano in a lively upbeat reggae version in our latest First Listen focus. The single released by Hi-Quest Ventures features a video where the two vocalists move and groove on the roots reggae rhythms while their smooth voices deliver a contagious vibe from the first note. Sometimes it is risky business to reconstruct an already R&B classic, but in this case, the teaming of Junior and Luciano is shear joy in motion.
By Peggy Oliver