I’ll Be Around Riddim – Studio One, Cousins

I’ll Be Around Riddim – Studio One, Cousins brings together Coxsone Dodd and Donville Davis on a 1971 Studio One production that circles back to Otis Gayle’s original I’ll Be Around cut and folds in later takes from Frankie Paul, Johnny Osbourne, Donna Marie and Peter Spence, and Lloyd Brown. The selection is compact but varied, moving from the early roots feel of the title tune into soulful lovers-style interpretations, with Johnny Osbourne’s We Need Love and Frankie Paul’s Caroline adding two of the more memorable entries. The riddim was also used again in later years by artists like Donna Marie and Peter Spence, which gives this set a nice cross-era pull while still staying anchored in classic Studio One style. It plays like a tight vocal showcase with a warm, steady groove and a clearly old-school production touch.