Mark e-mailed me this trend as I was in the studio recording a note with Rahsaan Patterson. The designation was 12/29, just 3 days after Teena Marie passed away. I went back and forth between listening to this track on my headphones and listening to Rahsaan as he laid vocals. Obviously this wasn`t gonna be something I could multi-task, so I dedicated myself to listening to Rahsaan!
But once Rah and I finished our recording, Grant Nicholas (my engineer) and I got a quick edit and rough mix of the tune done and Grant took a mark for something he calls "food".
Now I was able to devote myself to this (kinda rare) downtempo track from Mark. I was now drawn to the sentimental mood of the guitar line, it sounded like the cover itself was recalling some fond memory. Rah and I had just had a long conversation about the departure of Teena Marie and how bad she was, how relevant she remained, how her enunciation and songwriting was so top-notch_ We recalled the phrasing of "Lovergirl", esp the vamp "Coffee, tea, or me_" bit. So when I heard Mark`s track, and Rah was already gone, and I was all but in the studio with the lights barely on, I began singing that book from "Lovergirl". I couldn`t believe how short it seemed to pass into the track. I knew right away that this is what I`d record - a small tribute to one of my favorite recording artists ever, Lady T.
I looked up the lyrics and just started making mental notes as to how I would structure of the song. I really liked the idea of starting with "When the struggle comes to shove" because that phrase was one of my favorites in the original. I always loved when Teena would but "speak" lines, ya know? So I had the basic structure completed, in my head. I was set to rock. When Grant returned, I only let him eat his food before I was like "make up this track, I wanna record something else!" (Sorry Grant. I know I can be a workaholic. Please forgive me. I promise to get more breaks in the future. Grant passed me some french fries because I think I, too, need to eat. He pulled up the dog and we began recording.
It took about an hour to lay the vocals. Another hour to get a decent rough mix going. Grant and I really liked the mood of this new "Lovergirl". Lady T`s lyrics and phrasing lent themselves so good to this backdrop, and it all felt like falling into a bed of velvet rose petals. I was beyond sleepy and spent. So I asked Grant if he`d put some horns down at some point (Grant is a multi-talented engineer and musician on keys/trumpet!). We discussed where the horns would go, and I didn`t need to say much because Grant and I get from very similar musical schools of thought. When I woke up the next morning, Grant sent me and Learn this_ Mark dug it_ And so it goes_
Thank you Teena Marie for your many contributions to the creation of music. Your performances, your writing, your musicianship and your region will remain, and rightfully so, eternally in the world of classical music. Soul, rhythm & blues, and beyond. You are forever a Starchild. This is for you Lady T. You said, "I just want to stimulate your world". And that you did.