PREMIERE : B.J. Smith - Don't Be Cruel feat. Joe Harvey-White (Mother Earth Version)

Long-time NuNorthern Soul contributor B.J. Smith is a man in constant motion. Alongside his solo output, he divides his time between playing guitar in Crazy P man James Baron’s JIM outfit, contributing to acclaimed projects such as Smith & Mudd, Bison and White Elephant, and composing for TV. With such a packed schedule, his solo releases have been scarce, the last being a stripped-back take on his Big Sur single in late 2023.It’s been even longer since Smith added to his much-loved Dedications To The Greats series, which began on NuNorthern Soul in 2013 with striking reworks of tracks by Mos Def and The Pharcyde. Later volumes saw him turn his hand to Outkast, Prefab Sprout and Soul II Soul, each treated with his signature blend of warmth and invention. Now, five years on, Smith returns with ‘Dedications To The Greats Vol. 4’. This time he offers a “cover of a cover” – a bold reinterpretation of Billy Swan’s version of ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, itself made famous by the great Elvis Presley. The project emerged from Smith’s shared love of Swan’s recording with pedal steel player Joe Harvey-Whyte, whose plaintive, expressive touch is central to the EP. Across three distinct takes, Smith and Harvey-Whyte weave something both expansive and intimate. Leading the set is the 14-minute ‘Mother Earth version’, where rippling acoustic guitars, reverb-laden pedal steel and Smith’s wordless vocals drift into a slow, hypnotic groove. It’s a spacious journey that unfolds with languid solos, gentle percussion and hazy organ motifs, sounding worlds apart from either Presley or Swan. The ‘Earth Heart version’ – presented in both vocal and instrumental form – takes a different path, pushing the song’s lyric and melody to the fore. Here, Tamar Osborn’s graceful flute lines intertwine with guitar and pedal steel before Smith’s heartfelt vocal enters. The arrangement swells and recedes in waves, building patiently towards a powerful close. Rounding out the release, the ‘Root Heart Instrumental’ fuses Balearic breeziness with Americana tones. Shuffling drums, sun-lit acoustic strums, warm bass and Harvey-Whyte’s pedal steel combine with Osborn’s flute to create a glowing, love-soaked sunset moment. The result is another inspired chapter in Smith’s ongoing exploration of other people’s songs – familiar yet transformed, timeless yet utterly his own.