K-Ci, If You Think You’re Lonely Now | COVERS

In the 49^th edition of COVERS (2024), K-Ci delivers a compelling rendition of “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” originally performed by Bobby Womack.

Ah, it’s time to get cozy and cover up! In COVERS, we highlight a musician or band covering songs by another musician (likely a popular musician). COVERS focuses solely on the musician who covers.  It is open to established musicians and musicians who may not be as well-known. In the 49^th edition of COVERS (2024), K-Ci delivers a compelling rendition of “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” originally performed by Bobby Womack.

“If you think you’re lonely now / Wait until tonight, girl.” Word. K-Ci (Cedric “K-Ci” Hailey), best known as one half of K-Ci & JoJo, covered a popular Bobby Womack classic, “If You Think You’re Lonely Now” in 1994.  One of Womack’s later hits, arriving in the 80s, K-Ci delivers a modernized take.  Even with more contemporary touches of the 1990s, “Lonely” in his hands retains the soulfulness of the original. If anything, K-Ci builds on the soulfulness.  Gracing the 1994 soundtrack to the film Jason’s Lyric, the late, great James Mtume produced this cover that could be mistaken as the original recording.  The production is sleek – guitars, strings, drum programming, and sweet background vocals.

As awesome as the musical accompaniment is, it is K-Ci that steals the show.  He provides gritty vocals.  He knew the assignment, as they say! I love how dynamic he is, giving his all in his performance.  His marvelous ad-libs and riffs only add to the excellence.  The growls are EVERYTHING.  To reiterate, had Bobby Womack not originally recorded “If You Think You’re Lonely Now”, it could have been mistaken for a K-Ci original.  “Now” performed superbly on the pop charts, peaking at no. 17 on the Billboard Hot 100.  Amazingly, the original didn’t chart on the pop charts. Folks, sometimes it takes a cover, and K-Ci delivers a superb one.

K-Ci // All My Life: Their Greatest Hits // Geffen // 2005

K-Ci, If You Think You’re Lonely Now: Covers No. 49 (2024) [📷: Brent Faulkner /The Musical Hype; Geffen; Alan Cordero, Ba Tik, Kampus Production, Matteo Milan, SHVETS production from Pexels; OpenClipart-Vectors, StockSnap, Vicki Hamilton from Pixabay]