THIRD World fans will hear Bunny Rugs on the band’s next studio album, due for release this year.

Guitarist Stephen ‘Cat’ Coore, co-founder of the band, says three songs from the album features Rugs who died February 2 in Orlando, Florida at age 65.

The album is a collection of covers of classic pop songs as well as Third World hits. Rugs can be heard on fresh versions of 96 Degrees in The Shade, Now That We Found Love and Try Jah Love, three of the band’s biggest sellers.

Covers of Marvin Gaye’s Inner City Blues, I Go Crazy, originally done by Paul Davis and Credence Clearwater Revival’s Have You Ever Seen The Rain are also part of the 12-song set which will be distributed by American company Cleopatra Records.

Coore told the Sunday Observer that it is important Third World broadens its appeal.

“It’s up to us to diversify the music from here on. We can’t just be singing the old songs,” he said.

Coore added that Rugs wanted the band to continue. Coore and bassist Richard Daley are the only survivors of the classic line-up from the 1970s and 1980s that released outstanding albums on Island and CBS Records.

“It was his wish and we never thought about not going on,” said Coore.

Rugs, who joined Third World in 1976, has been succeeded by AJ Brown who stood in for several dates last year when Rugs was ill.

Third World is scheduled to perform at the February 23 Blue Mountain Music Festival in St Andrew.