Bedroom soul crooner Taylor Williams was short on original material heading into the studio. So Colemine Records’ Terry Cole suggested he pick a song to cover from a list of 30 deep cuts.
“Funny thing is, we barely talked about it for weeks,” says Greensboro, N.C., native Williams. “We reconvened, and both of us landed on this one. It just popped out from the list immediately.”
Original recorded by the Exceptional Three in 1971, “What About Me?” is the b-side to Williams’ debut single, “Dreaming,” an original he wrote on the fly, tracking his vocals in a single take. Both songs were recorded at Portage Lounge in Loveland, Ohio, and feature the no-nonsense production of Leroi Conroy (a.k.a. Cole). Williams played guitar, organ and vibraphone on “What About Me?” with drummer Charles Alley nailing down a disco-era groove.
“I love how minimal and raw the original is,” Williams says. “And I’m happy to put our spin on it.”
We’re proud to premiere Jason Williams’ cover of Floyd Beck’s “What About Me?”
—Hobart Rowland
