‘All Day Sucker’ (featuring Eva Cassidy)
Once again, an as-yet-unknown song featuring Eva Cassidy has been released. It is a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s ‘All Day Sucker’ by Yromik Ffodnero. He used a recording by Ju Ju House and Eva Cassidy.
All Day Sucker
William “Ju Ju” House is drummer in the Washington D.C based Go-Go group Experience Unlimited (so named out of respect for the Jimi Hendrix Experience). Fronted by lead singer/bassist Gregory “Sugar Bear” Elliot, the group has maintained a fairly loyal following. The band’s biggest hit was ‘Da Butt,’ (written by Marcus Miller) which appeared on the soundtrack for the Spike Lee film School Daze (1988). Go-Go is urban black music that originated in Washington D.C. Its emphasis on hard-driving percussion is African in its roots, as is the call and response between the band and the audience. Go-Go was made popular by the godfather of the genre Chuck Brown (1936 – 2012) who recorded the The Other Side album with Eva Cassidy in 1992.
Ju Ju House
Experience Unlimited made their album Living Large (1989) in Chris Biondo’s studio in Rockville. When the group told Biondo that they needed a gospel choir for their album Biondo asked his friend Eva Cassidy. Eva did all the choir parts on her own.
EU members drummer Ju Ju House and keyboardist Kent Wood can also be heard on several recordings of Eva Cassidy that appeared on different albums. Ju Ju played the drums on ‘Wayfaring Stranger’, ‘Oh, Had I A Golden Thread’, ‘Nightbird’ and ‘Blues In The Night’. Kent Wood can be heard on ‘The Christmas Song’ duet with Chuck Brown, ‘Wade In The Water’ and ‘Wayfaring Stranger’. Ju Ju and Kent joined the stage at the Eva Cassidy-tribute night at The Bayou in 1996 where Kent accompanied Eva Cassidy’s swan song: ‘What A Wonderful World’. Kent Wood died in a car crash in 2006. Ju Ju House is still active as a musician.
Jocelyn Brown, Chuck Brown, Lenny Williams, Ju Ju House, Chris Biondo & Eva Cassidy in 1992
‘This Is For My Mother’ appeared a while back. Sugar Bear did the lead vocals and Eva Cassidy can be heard in the background choir. Since this week, ‘All Day Sucker’ has been released, with Eva’s voice less prominent. The original version is from Stevie Wonder’s signature album Songs In The key Of Life (1976).
I’m an all day sucker
Coming to give something to get nothin’
I’m an all day sucker
Coming to give something but to get none of your love
Eva loved Stevie Wonder’s music. Her greatest wish was to sing in Stevie’s backing choir. One of Stevie Wonder’s recent songs, ‘Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate’ is strongly influenced by the D.C. Go-Go sound. Stevie Wonder and Eva Cassidy have come a little closer together.
Yromik Ffodnero: ‘All Day Sucker’ (feat. Eva Cassidy & JuJu EU)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdJqkq_k1aQ&list=OLAK5uy_lPk8bjPRBEIItLc-2zZ7089YaHph7ctik
Sugar Bear & Ju-Ju – ‘This Is For My Mother’ (feat. Eva Cassidy)
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