With the release date for his debut album 2nd Avenue Ball a month away, Clinton Curtis holds fans over with the freebie “And It Stoned Me,” a Van Morrison tune from one of Clinton Curtis’s favorite albums, Moondance. In addition to being one of Clinton’s favorite jams, the song also deeply resonates with him personally. Clinton explains, “This song pulls you right back to a simpler time, where an entire day could be spent hitching rides back and forth from the fishing hole. Being loose, easy, and carefree, having grown up in America’s only Caribbean island, and being the son of a charterboat captain, this is all something I can really relate to.”
To recreate this classic song, Clinton Curtis decided to display his far-reaching talent as a musician by playing all of the instruments on the track. (See video link below). To give the song a personal touch, Clinton let his Jamaican-fed roots shine on the reggae-tinged chorus. “Matt Stine engineered the whole track and joined me for the Nyabinghi drum break in the middle so I wasn’t so lonely,” Clinton said.
Staying true to the ethos of the original song, Clinton’s version has the same steady tempo and classic feel. Often compared to Van Morrison by music critics, it was only a matter of time before Curtis paid homage to the legend. “It’s a total curse for me, since he’s one of the most untouchable, incredible singers in the history of rock and roll, but don’t get me wrong, I’ll take the compliment,” says Clinton.
Also, Clinton Curtis’ bi-weekly UStream series, dubbed CC Radio will air its second episode tonight at 9pm EST. Award winning artist Matthew Burrows, who created all the album art for 2nd Avenue Ball, will talk about his work while Clinton and his band perform songs, including a new blues original created especially for the show. Tune in at http://clintoncurtis.com/home/cc-radio.
Download the mp3 here: http://media.audibletreats.com/Clinton_Curtis-And_It_Stoned_Me_Van_Morrison_Cover.mp3
And a short video showcasing Clinton performing all the parts live in studio here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mY1eNydnlw