Bahamas Covers Bobby Womack: “Please Forgive My Heart”
When I first heard Bobby Womack’s “Please Forgive My Heart”, what really stood out (aside from his always soul-barring vocal delivery) was the ultra-modern production. Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz) and Richard…
By Rachel Reynolds • • 1 min readBahamas by Brian Lowe
When I first heard Bobby Womack’s “Please Forgive My Heart”, what really stood out (aside from his always soul-barring vocal delivery) was the ultra-modern production.
Damon Albarn (Blur/Gorillaz) and Richard Russell (one of the founders of XL Recordings) produced the track, which was part of his first album of original material in 18 years.
It was striking, combining deep emotional depth with the electronic stylings of a hit pop song. At 68 years old, Bobby created a new classic that should hold up as much as well as the other songs he is known for.
When Bahamas decided to end their Morning Becomes Eclectic set with that cover, it was a slowed down, bass-heavy version that really heats up towards the end.
It couldn’t be more different, but the simplification puts the focus squarely on the lyrics.
The song is an apologetic confessional and having Afie Jurvanen’s vocals buoyed by the addition of a female voice makes this version really poignant.
Bahamas played songs off their excellent sophomore album and I highly recommend listening to the full session here.
RR
Editor’s Note: DJ Garth Trinidad wrote a beautiful tribute to Bobby Womack when he passed away earlier this summer.