Ned Doheny – A Love Of Your Own (Demo Version)
I have to admit to taking a serious late-pass on the pleasures of Ned Doheny. This was the last release in a package of 5 from Numero earlier in the Spring and I was just too engrossed in the rest to give it more than a cursory listen while at Long Beach in between classes (that will be the last time I ever try to preview music during office hours I swear). Doheny didn’t become a big name, but quite a lot of his songs became hits for other artists, including Chaka Khan. This set is a cross section of material from the 1970s and early 1980s and features almost a dozen unreleased demos. “A Love Of Your Own” is a song I was familiar with, having heard the Average White Band’s version of it for years. It wasn’t until this release that I learned that the song was originally written by Doheny, along with Hamish Stuart of the AWB, who you can hear on the harmony vocals. This demo version is a bit more stripped down than either of the studio versions the two men cut, which highlights the groove all the more. Perfect breezy 1970s soundtrack for the California summer, or for wherever you are if you want a little taste of Cali in your ears.