First Listen: Joyce Sims returns with a “Love” classic

joycesims2022

(July 13, 2022) Joyce Sims first captivated audiences in the mid-1980s with a string of self-penned songs which deftly blended soulful melodies with a dance-savvy structure. Fortified with the production prowess of hip-hop guru Mantronik, gems such as “Come into My Life,” “Lifetime Love,” and “All and All” became staples of both R&B radio and nightclubs stateside, while also garnering the singer-songwriter a large following throughout Europe.

Sims dipped her own hands into the production pot early on, crafting a successful rendition of Barbara Acklin’s “Love Makes a Woman” on her first album and working behind the boards on a number of tracks from more recent CD’s like Love Song and A New Beginning. Now, she’s in the producer’s booth again, along with collaborator Frank Blythe, for a new take on one of her favorite R&B classics, Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do for Love.”

Coasting along an easy-riding, slightly tropical groove, Sims adapts her soothingly stylish pipes to Caldwell’s signature tune with a fitting flow. The arrangement retains the jazzy essence of the original, albeit in a more understated fashion. The first taste of her upcoming fifth album, Change, “What You Won’t Do for Love” is one of two covers which she recently recorded—the other being a fresh take on “It Wasn’t Easy,” an album track from 1987 which has become a fan favorite.

Sims says, “The past two years have been pretty challenging for me, but my love for music has kept my creative juices flowing. The lyrics of ‘What You Won’t Do for Love’ are so powerful and real.” Take a First Listen to her interpretation of the tune below!

by Justin Kantor

Joyce Sims – “What You Won’t Do For Love”

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