Evin Lake remakes a 'Teddy P' classic

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

When Kevin Clarke was growing up in Port Antonio, Jamaican music fans were big in to soul singers from the United States. Teddy Pendergrass, a throaty vocalist from Philadelphia, was arguably the most popular.

Clarke, a singer who goes by the stage name Evin Lake, grew up on classic rhythm and blues of the 1970s. His latest release is a cover of Pendergrass' Close The Door, a monster hit in 1978 for the singer who died from complications of colon cancer in 2009.

Lake's version of Close The Door was produced by Othneil 'Taddy P' Campbell, a bass player who has toured with Maxi Priest and Diana King.

The song was released by Campbell's Bass In Your Face label.

Lake, 35, said he got a special feeling covering one of his favourite performer's best-known songs.

"The thing about singers like Teddy P and guys from those days is that they sang with a lot of soul. They were the real thing," he said.

Return to the recording circuit

Close The Door marks Lake's return to the recording circuit, after logging countless hours on the north coast hotel circuit where many popular reggae acts, including A.J. Brown, Mikey Spice and Benjy Myaz, got their start.

Lake has been around the music business for nearly 20 years. In addition to American soul singers, he recalls honing his vocal style off lovers' rock kings Dennis Brown and Sanchez.

Yet, his first recording was a reworking of R. Kelly's I'll Never Leave which was done in 1993. His version saw little action on the airwaves.

Lake's next two songs were covers of the R&B standards What's Going On by Marvin Gaye, and Donny Hathaway's Someday We'll All Be Free. Both were produced by veteran session guitarist Earl 'Chinna' Smith.

Lake moved on to the X Rated label of Ocho Rios-based Barry O'Hare, who was one of dancehall/reggae's most in-demand engineer/producers during the 1990s. O'Hare produced He's Alive and I Don't Want To Lose Your Love, two songs written by Lake.

Though the songs got reasonable radio rotation, Lake said his career was at a standstill.

"I was getting a lot of airplay but there was no follow-up. It was like I was on autopilot and crashed," he recalled.

Things took a positive turn during his stint on hotel stages in Ocho Rios, Montego Bay and Negril, but Lake says he always yearned for another crack at getting that elusive hit record.

Close The Door was one of many hits written and produced for Teddy Pendergrass by the super team of Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff for their Philadelphia International Records.

Evin Lake would not mind duplicating that success.