Song of the Day 5/12: Bob Marley, “Could You Be Loved (demo)”
Before Bob Marley recorded this song with the Wailers for his last LP, “Uprising,” he recorded a series of demos, experimenting with its key and tempo. Some of them sound better than the more slickly produced original.
This early version, played to a beat box, is a little faster and in a higher key than the official version. The result is a funkier groove that sounds a little like a lost Sly Stone tune.
The official release only made the dance and R&B charts in the US, but was a No. 5 hit in Britain and made the top 5 all across Europe.
Prefer the record, this version sounds “rushed” as if the band was doing up coke that day instead of ganga.