Michelle Malone and Shawn Mullins Team Up for Cover of Otis Redding’s “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long” (premiere)

Soulful Georgia artist Michelle Malone is just another case that proves there’s something special in the water in Georgia as the state seems to birth stellar soul singers at a rate faster than just about anywhere else. Malone has made her name by blending Americana, rock, blues, and soul into a potent mixture that makes for highly affecting music all powered by her glorious voice. Her most recent album, Slings and Arrows, continues this progression with perhaps a little more emphasis on the soul side of the equation.

We should be grateful for that too because Malone can really belt a tune as you’ll hear on this rousing, heartfelt, powerful version of Otis Redding’s highly emotional classic “I’ve Been Loving You Too Long”. Joined by Shawn Mullins, the two stamp their own mark on the classic while staying true to the spirit of the original. It’s a slice of irresistible blue-eyed soul. Malone says, “It’s an honor to represent the legacy of Georgia music through great songs like this one by Otis Redding.”

Malone conceived Slings and Arrows, as a tribute to Georgia music, using only Georgia-based musicians on the album, and recording and producing the record in Atlanta. “I take a lot of pride in Georgia and the importance that Georgia music has played not only in my music but also in American music in general,” she says. “Georgians such as Little Richard, James Brown, Ray Charles all laid the groundwork. Without them, we would never have had Elvis, the Beatles, the Stones – there would be no rock and roll.”