It’s been almost 40 years since Lionel Richie ruled global charts with the single All Night Long.
At that time, Ed Robinson was playing drums and singing in bands on Jamaica’s north coast. A big fan of Richie since his days with The Commodores, Robinson recently covered All Night Long. It revived memories of a period that helped him develop as an artiste.
“What came to mind was, it brought me back to when I used to sing that song back in the days on the hotel circuit,” said Robinson, whose self-produced version has done well in South Florida and Jamaica.
Being a drummer and vocalist, he said the percussive feel of the single was what first attracted him. The song’s Latin rhythm made the original a megahit shortly after it was released in August 1983 by Motown Records.
Robinson, best known for his 1993 reggae cover of Bob Dylan’s Knocking on Heaven’s Door, recently added his touch to Deep River Woman, another Richie original.
He does not hide his admiration for the singer/multi-instrumentalist, who left The Commodores one year before All Night Long exploded.
“Lionel Richie is not only one of the greatest writers, but one of the best performers, arrangers; an all-rounder,” said Robinson.