Al Green’s “Never Found A Girl” Covered by Bahamas

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Bahamas photo by Brian Lowe
Bahamas photo by Brian Lowe (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

You’d think that a Toronto-based musician with a Scandinavian last name would develop a sound more akin to a Bon Iver or Fleet Foxes than Otis Redding.

Sure, there’s plenty of roots music in Afie Jurvanen’s latest release “Barchords” and even more in his first project “Pink Strat” which was nominated a Juno Award for Roots & Traditional Album Of The Year in 2010. But make no mistake about Bahamas ability to squeeze out every drop of soul possible.

With an arrangement of one guitar, one set of drums and two backup singers,  the term ‘less is more’ has never been more prevalent. It gives Bahamas the space to reinvent and rediscover the emotion that inspired the song in the first place.

Cue Al Green’s “Never Found a Girl” (written by Eddie Floyd). Think about every song, chart topper or not, that was pure soul. One man with an amazing voice wearing every emotion he’s ever had on his sleeve. Sure, Bahamas first record was done in the woods of Ontario, but it could have just as easily been done at Hi Records during the heart of Memphis Soul.

Stream “Never Found a Girl” Live on KCRW: