(January 12, 2026) The song “Can We Pretend” has a back story that’s straight out of Hollywood. The song was penned for Bill Withers by his wife at the time, actress Denise Nichols, star of the television series Room 222. Nichols and Withers wed in 1973, and the folksy, lyrical tune expresses the sentiment of newlywed couples for time to stand still. The lyrics capture the joy of discovery, as well as the insecurity of two people trying to figure each other out.
Singer Gil Johnson figures that he’s been singing “Can We Pretend” for 50 years, but he hadn’t considered recording it until recently. “I was riding in my car about two years ago when the song came on my playlist,” Johnson recalled. “My girlfriend said I should record the song and from there the process began.”
Johnson’s remake of this classic tune retains the whimsical, romantic and sentimental feel of the original. However, the updated version has an arrangement that has more of a breezy R&B/contemporary jazz feel that’s driven home by the jazz influenced guitar riffs of Doc Powell. Check out Gil Johnson’s “Can We Pretend” here.
By Howard Dukes
