Mavis Staples, Can You Get To That | COVERS

In the 39^th edition of COVERS (2025), Mavis Staples delivers a compelling rendition of “Can You Get To That,” originally performed by Funkadelic.

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 39^th edition of COVERS (2025), Mavis Staples delivers a compelling rendition of “Can You Get To That”, originally performed by Funkadelic.

Mavis Staples (b. 1939) is a legendary soul and gospel singer.  By the time the 2013 album, One True Vine, arrived, the Grammy-winning Staple Singers frontwoman had nothing else to prove. Even so, she sensationally covered a Funkadelic classic, “Can You Get To That”. A minor hit on the pop charts for the soul/funk/rock band from their magnum opus, Maggot Brain, “Can” was written by George Clinton (b. 1941) and Ernest Harris.  Taking the superb song and making it her own, Staples enlisted the talented Jeff Tweedy (b. 1967, of Wilco fame) to produce this marvelous remake.

“Can You Get To That” commences with the signature, folksy, acoustic guitar-led intro of the original (Tweedy). This is the first indication that “Can” is a strongly engineered track. The musical accompaniment is on point with the guitar, the robust bass line, and a strong anchor provided by the drums.  The tone of the drums, within the recording, marks another selling point.  Of course, Mavis Staples eats. I love the mix of her husky vocals and the higher background vocals (Tweedy, Donny Gerrard, Kelly Hogan, and Makeda Francisco), particularly in the first verse. Staples and the musical personnel do a phenomenal job of capturing a similar vibe to the original by Funkadelic. Even so, they still make “Can You Get To That” their own distinct take.  The vocal arrangement matches the excellence of the instrumental arrangement.  Those background vocals sound particularly compelling background vocals during the chorus. Also, there is a talented bass singer who appears during the chorus and sings a verse, channeling his inner Ray Davis (1940 – 2005). All told, Mavis Staples and company excel on their cover of this beloved Funkadelic classic.  “Can You Get To That” in the hands of Mavis rocks!

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Mavis Staples » One True Vine » Anti Inc. » 2013

Mavis Staples, Can You Get To That: Covers No. 39 (2025) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; Anti Inc.; Alan Cordero, Flávia Vicentini from Pexels; AcatXIo, OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay]

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