We all love a good ballad and it’s safe to say Al Green holds the bar very high. That being said, on their latest single rising Los Angeles kingpins, Night Owls, were game to take on the task by re-imagining The Reverend Al’s classic with their signature Jamaican twist while bringing something new and fresh to the table. “”Let’s Stay Together” is such a classic ballad, which everyone knows and loves, but it’s stuck in ballad land”; says Night Owls producer Dan Ubick. “I wanted to create a version that had a little more bounce to it while retaining the intimacy that we love so much. A more upbeat version you could play at a party.”
After searching far and wide Night Owls discovered the perfect voice for the track in Destani Wolf who was brought to Dan’s attention by way of mutual friend Bobby Easton. “Her voice blew me away”; Dan recalls. Growing up listening to her parent’s Otis Redding, Los Panchos and Aretha Franklin records, Destani, a Latina from the Bay Area, already knew the song well and brought the emotional aspect that is so important. The San Francisco Chronicle once compared Wolf to to a cross between Nina Simone and Janis Joplin and through the years Destani has sung with everyone from The Pharcyde, Matisyahu, John Cale, Bobby McFerrin and Cirque du Soleil’s “BAZZAR”.
As this year comes to a close with “Let’s Stay Together” being the last song from Night Owls’ first string of recording sessions, Dan decided to give fans a proper Version/Dub on the B side, complete with drop outs, Space Echoes, verb splashes and drum and bass sections. Side-B features Night Owls keyboard maestro Roger Rivas on Melodica ala JA don Augustus Pablo, dubbed out and reworked for a whole new twist. This “Version” is a perfect complement for DJ’s to create extended edits and use in live sets to keep the crowd moving.
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released December 10, 2021
Produced by Dan Ubick and Night Owls. Recorded and Mixed by Dan Ubick for DanUbe Productions at The Lions Den in Topanga, CA.
Destani Wolf: Vocals
Blake Colie: Drums
Roger Rivas: Organ, Piano & Melodica
Dan Ubick: Guitars & Percussion
Dave Wilder: Bass
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