This record is a good way to start off your week, and we’re definitely feeling it on this dreary Monday. While the original “Brother Louie” written by Hot Chocolate and covered by Stories is a stone-cold killer (tainted by the handiwork of Louis CK as a theme song to his FX show, put together by Reggie Watts with Ian Lloyd on vocals), funkier than a mosquito’s tweeter and almost early disco (those strings and Lloyd’s Rod Stewart like vocals crush it), the story of interracial love still resonates to this present day and would be a hit, too. However, we’re skipping the original version today thankyouverymuch and going straight to a roots/ lovers rock version by Matumbi.

This re-up of the 1973 track comes from the Twinkle Rootz Sound and of course, features Matumbi and the great Dennis Bovell and their bang-up version of the Stories classic. Two versions appear on this seven-inch. A straight-ahead version, which stands out on its own. We all know reggae loves a good cover song, and this one is as good as it gets. However, there is something better. That would be the flip. Here we find a DJ Toasting Version featuring Bovell, and to us, this is where the smart money resides. This one moves, people. We are partial to toasting, but if we were putting our hard-earned cash on a side of this record, the B-Side would win again and again. You can decide for yourself, there are snippets of both tracks below. Let us know what you’re feeling. All we know is that Bovell and company were on to a banger of a cover version with this track. Purchase the record after the stream.

Get the record here.

Dig Deeper!