The Jamaica Observer’s Entertainment Desk continues its month-long feature titled ‘Cover Me Good’. It will look at songs covered by Jamaican artistes which became hits.

VETERAN singer Ken Boothe clearly remembers the day the idea was born that he should record a cover of Bread’s Everything I Own.

“I was in Canada and I was in the apartment of my friend Paul Buchanan and we were listening to Andy Williams’s version of the song. I remember Bucky saying to me: ‘You should really record the song when you get back to Jamaica’, and it just stuck with me,” he said.

In an interview with the Jamaica Observer, Boothe shared that he took Buchanan’s advice. When he returned to Jamaica, he began working on an album for producer Lloyd Charmers.

“Dem time deh album was 10 songs an’ we had nine an’ so we were searching for the final song for the album. I remembered the song I had heard in Canada an’ suggested it to Lloydie (Charmers). He was not really interested in the ideas that I had, but I said it to (guitarist) Willie Lindo and (bassist) Lloyd Parks who were with me at Federal Records studio on Marcus Garvey Drive,” he recalled.

Although still not interested, Charmers agreed to have Boothe audition the song and that’s when everything changed.

“The song jus’ captivated the whole studio. Mrs Khouri came out of her office to listen. This was not a regular thing, it only happened when she really liked something. She said if we didn’t record this song, she was going to sell off Federal Records an’ the studio,” Boothe recalled.

That was 1974.

Everything I Own was released and raced up the local charts, before setting its sights on the overseas market, primarily the United Kingdom where it was picked up by Trojan Records. It reached number one in the UK Singles Chart on October 26 1974, and stayed there for three weeks.

Everything I Own was written by David Gates, and recorded by his band Bread for their 1972 album, Baby I’m-a Want You. The original reached number five on the American Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

Billboard ranked it as the number 52 song for 1972. Everything I Own also reached number five in Canada.

In addition to Boothe and Williams, the song has been covered by Boy George, Shirley Bassey, Jack Jones, Olivia Newton-John, Rod Stewart, Crystal Gayle, Nicole Scherzinger, Chrissie Hynde and Boyzone.

Boothe’s team who contributed to creating the Jamaican classic were Lindo on guitar, Parks on bass, Paul Douglas (drums), and Charmers as producer, as well as playing organ, piano and percussion. The song was mixed by engineers Buddy Davidson and George Raymond.

Commercially, it is the biggest song for Boothe who became a star during the rock steady craze of the late 1960s.

“I have performed this song everywhere an’ once it starts, the audience just cannot resist it. Outside of Jamaica, we are always appreciated in England. They have always embraced the music… Over on the continent, this song is also appreciated. Countries like France, Italy, Belgium always show love — an’ I give thanks,” he said.