I think we can all agree: there is no substitute for Bill Withers, the talented, artistically stubborn, self-effacing R&B/soul artist who had a string of Top Ten hits across eight albums from 1970 to 1985. Indeed, William Harrison Withers spent his relatively short, 15-year career in the fickle music business, striving for authenticity and being accepted on his own terms. Then he spent the rest of his life rejecting offers to get back into the business, preferring to spend time at home with his family and supporting charitable causes. Withers was born in the mining town of Slab Fork, West Virginia. He was raised as the son of a maid and a coal miner in nearby Beckley. After he left the Navy in 1965 he moved to California. He was 31 years old and working for a factory constructing bathrooms for 747 airplanes when he recorded the song that would be his first major hit in the US. When the song went gold, the record company presented Withers with a golden toilet seat, marking the start of his new career, and an all-time low in HR ingenuity. Withers ignored record company execs who advised “leading up to the crux of the song” rather than making it the very first line, and never penned a third verse for the song when fellow musicians recommended he just stick with the, now famous, bridge: the words “I know” repeated 26 times.
Remarkably, even though “Ain’t No Sunshine” certainly sounds like it comes from a deeply personal place, by all accounts Withers claimed he was inspired to write the song after watching Lee Remick and Jack Lemmon in Blake Edwards’ 1962 film, Days of Wine and Roses. According to songfacts.com, Withers said, “They were both alcoholics who were alternately weak and strong. It's like going back for seconds on rat poison. Sometimes you miss things that weren't particularly good for you. It's just something that crossed my mind from watching that movie, and probably something else that happened in my life that I'm not aware of.” The odd rat poison reference aside, and with all due respect to Edward’s gut-wrenching drama, I’d be willing to be that “something else happened” in Bill’s life that he was very much aware of to inspire this song.
However, if what Withers says is true, Little Hurricane’s version of his song takes on even greater appeal for me. And remember, a cover song is more like an alternative explanation or suggestion — it’s not intended as a rebuttal or explicitly better idea. Little Hurricane is the American duo of Celeste “CC” Spina (drums/vocals) and Anthony “Tone” Catalano (guitar/vocals). Together they play a lo-fi, jazz infused blues/rock that some critics call “dirty blues” to conveniently categorize them and bands like White Stripes and Black Keys. On their third album Stay Classy (A Collection of Cover Songs), Spina and Catalano deliver a sparse version of “Ain’t No Sunshine” that exudes a palpable sense of heartbreak and torment in the vocals and instrumentation that exceeds the original’s smooth, downbeat tone. There’s a creepy darkness and profound sadness to Little Hurricane’s gritty cover that exudes loneliness and loss by a mourner who is balanced on the thin ledge of violence—either to himself or someone else. In the Little Hurricane cover, the situation feels more dire, like it’s moved way beyond a metaphorical day without sunlight; something bad might happen.
Bill Withers passed away on March 30 of this year. His death was brought on by heart complications not the coronavirus. In all the video footage you can watch right up to his death you see a humble, unpretentious man who conveys "cool" without being flamboyant or obnoxious. I’ve always been a fan of his music, and I’m always pleasantly surprised when I dig a little deeper into his catalogue to get past the big hits. It’s well worth the exploration. Equally rewarding is the documentary, Still Bill which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdizl63aols — after you listen to “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Little Hurricane on the Happy Medium Song of the Day.
(Please use the comments box to share your thoughts.)
(Please use the comments box to share your thoughts.)
Bill Withers
1938 ~ 2020
RIP
1938 ~ 2020
RIP