George HaffendenWe revisit a real gem of a ballad from Booker T’s 2013 album Sound The Alarm that features the incredible vocal talent of a daughter of a very special soul man.
It seem a bit odd to call this song a ‘Rare Cut’ given it was released just three years – but despite the brilliance of the song it seems to have gone unnoticed. ‘Watch You Sleeping‘ is taken from Booker T’s 2013 release Sound The Alarm, which saw the Stax legend combine his classic sound with the neo-soul of the decade, featuring artists such as Mayer Hawthorne and Anthony Hamilton. The album was met with critical success and is one of the best solo albums that Booker T has produced in recent years, and it’s well worth checking out.
Interesting – and quite bizarrely – this is, as far as we are able to find out, Kori’s first proper release. Tracks on SounCloud from her have disappeared, and no other tracks have been released. An album deal seems to have eluded her, either no one is willing to take a risk on her, or maybe she has been warned off the industry by her Dad who famously quit the industry after the success of ‘Lovely Day‘ in the eighties. Kori did feature alongside her father in the documentary Still Bill, with the two of them singing their composition ‘A Telephone Call Away‘ (which George Benson would record with Lalah Hathaway on his Songs and Stories album). Fingers crossed we get some new music from Ms Withers sometime soon, and for that matter Booker T too.
‘Watch You Sleeping‘ is a gorgeous ballad that features Booker T not only on organ but also on vocals, and he is joined in the duet by Kori Withers the daughter of Bill Withers. It’s safe to say that Kori has inherited much of her father’s incredible musical talent. Her sweet, soft voice contrasts beautifully with Booker T’s soft yet gruff tones, and she proves herself to be a singer of great quality. Take a listen below to the track and let us know what you think!