allen hoist - you'll never know (swell session version)

i mentioned in the entry about the 4hero remix of rhianna's "oh baby" that was on an 4hero kick a few years ago and seeked out several of their remixes. allen hoist had done a cover of marvin gaye's "inner city blues (makes you wanna holler)" and marc mac/4hero's remix was incredible. so i had the name allen hoist in my head when i saw that andreas saag aka swell session, another favourite producer of mine, done a version of an hoist track.

hoist, an american who later relocated and situated himself in france, is by his own biography a prodigal jazz vocalist and multi-instrumentalist. he had released a jazz album prior making a splash with the cover of gayes track. it sparked the beginning of a set of singles and eventually album of what hoist dubbed as an "retrofuturistic soul experience", which really means early seventies era motown and ilk meets the west london club scene. or in really simpler terms, 4hero or incognito.

"you'll never know" is the third single from this set and the version driving the single was by andreas saag/swell session. saag emphasises a heavy four on the floor and a hard bassline but syncopates other percussion and elements. as usual with most of andreas saag's productions there is a bounce and such a heavy groove that makes at least one part of your body move.

another typical element with a saag production is those really chunky basslines with the combo of equally fat keyboard sounds. the elements in this one reminds me of "had it comin'", a track he would do a little while along with uk producer landslide & swedish vocalist paul macinnes for his album "swell communications".

the most interesting part of the track is on the last two minutes and this is where the track changes a bit. first off the level of bounce goes up but it's going to change again. this time it goes into proper jazz territories and saag uses hoist's saxophone well to bridge it. the four on the floor is taken of and you hear some sombre saxophone licks that fades out along with the repeated vocal hook.

you hear saag's rhodes backed up the jazzy drums that he looped up prior and a new part of hoist's vocal come in. i don't know if saag recieved an outtake or whatnot but hoist sound very emotional and heartfelt when he proclaims "i don't know, said i don't know" and "won't you tell me why". reason is because hoist really lays it on thick and it does the job.

this leads me to think if saag might have done a version where he took it in the jazz ballad route as he's quite skilled at making those as well. but then again, i don't think he will ever top the first half of "all of me" so. yes.


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