Bob Andy’s ‘Too Experienced’ gets acoustic treatment

Reggae singer Rachaad Amajii recently recorded a cover version of Bob Andy's classic hit Too Experienced, which was produced by legendary Jamaican producer Clement 'Coxsone' Dodd and released on his Studio One label in 1968.

It is also one of the featured tracks on Bob Andy's critically acclaimed Song Book album, which was released by Dodd in 1970.

"I was blessed to meet Bob Andy while he was doing a project at Bobby Digital's studio in 2013, and in the ensuing years, he shared a great wealth of knowledge with me. One day I told him I would like to cover one of his songs. He was very pleased to hear that and gave me his approval instantly," said Amarjii.

The St Thomas-born singer said that even though Feeling Soul has always been his favourite tune from Bob Andy, he chose to record Too Experienced because "I wanted to test myself".

"From the moment I made that decision, I knew I had to bring my A-game because over the years, it has been covered by several great artistes, including Barrington Levy, Eddie Lovette and Winston Francis. That's why I chose to do an acoustic version, and I am confident that if Bob Andy were alive, he would be pleased with it," he said.

Produced by Amarjii, the acoustic version was scheduled to be released by Natural Heights Production on Sunday, which is Bob Andy's birthday, as a tribute to him.

"This man was an awesome human. Despite all his achievements and his reputation as a prolific singer and songwriter, he was very humble and kind, always willing to share his knowledge with aspiring artistes, producers and musicians," he said.

The musical accompaniment for the song was provided by Akili Peynado on guitar, Camilla Crosdale on flute, and Amarjii on acoustics. It was recorded and mixed at Arkitech Studio in Kingston, which is owned by Devario 'Voltage' Jones.