When many Jamaicans first heard John Holt’s I’d Love You Want to Me in 1973, they believed the song was an original. Three years ago, Tony Roy had similar thoughts when he heard the easy-listening track while chilling in Nevada.

Instantly drawn to the song, he was determined to do his own reggae cover which happened last year. It was during production that Tony Roy discovered I’d Love You to Want Me was originally done by American singer Lobo.

“Is a great song, nuh matter who do it first,” Roy, who lives in Baltimore, Maryland, told Observer Online. “All I know is, I had to do a version.”

He co-produced his take with Wayne Holness.

Tony Roy, who is from St Thomas, said it was important to put his signature on the classic song, as well as do the Lobo and Holt versions justice.

“When we finally decided to record di song, di first thing dat came to mind was to do it my way. Dat was di most important ting, and I think we accomplished dat.”

The original peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart 53 years ago. Holt’s cover is from his 1,000 Volts Of Holt album, which was a strong seller in the United Kingdom.

Tony Roy, a fixture on the Baltimore/Washington DC reggae scene for over 25 years, is accompanied on I’d Love You to Want Me by Holness on keyboards and bass guitar, drummer/percussionist Joslyn McKenzie, guitarist Ragmar “GSharp” Rochester, saxophonist Walter Tates Jr and Maria Smith on background vocals.

Howard Campbell