Rogers (I Wanna) Testify - a re-recording rather than a re-make.

well, the Persuasions' song is more or less covered. but then the Persuasions did lift the chorus from the Parliaments.
so i suppose, to be wholly accurate - Roger's IWT is a "double cover" version.

Excellent first post.  This just great stuff.  Thanks for this.

Great discovery. Cheers!

"takes" or "tracks"?

I've always liked Roger's writing style. yes - his solo stuff (and the Cross) can be a bit hit and miss, as finished songs. but the song-writing is excellent. his style had a more grown up/American feel - in the same way that some UK bands sounded more American than British (Zep for example). Much of his 70s Queen writing also had that "American" feel too - and (to me) always felt like the more "mature" compositions in Queen's 70s catalog. His stuff was more down-to-earth and never too far from reality.

Although it's easy to see why (see above sentence), it's also strange that he veered away from the soul/gospel style of the original. His early group (The Reaction) certainly had some soul/gospel influences: "Midnight Hour" "Land of 1,000 Dances" and "I Feel Good". By the 80s - he re-found a definite soul/dance groove  - which was reflected in much of his work with the Cross: "Life Changes" "I Can't Get You Out Of My Head" "Ain't Putting Nothing Down" "Shove It" "Cowboys & Indians" "Love Lies Bleeding" and (of course) his "Future Management" single. Much of his 80s-era writing/composition/arrangements seems (to me) to fit nicely into the (adult) US rock bands/artists' divergence into dance and - in particular, a very "Eagles Long Run/One Of These Nights" / Frey & Henley 80s solo style.

Curio No1: one of my dad's friend's used to run our local church youth club disco (around 1972/73. He was always bringing obscure (to me) records to play with the current hits. His "sets" usually included one or two soul/reggae tunes including Isaac Hayes, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Archie Bell and the Parliaments. 

Curio No2: In 1978, a older friend from school had a party while her parents were away on holiday. A fellow Queen fan actually played the Roger vinyl version - asking people to try and guess who it was.

Curio No3: back when I was a serious Queen collector (my stuff was all sold over two decades ago), and before i located and acquired a copy of Roger's IWT - I did buy a copy of the Parliaments' single (sadly now long gone) - on a yellow label. The song-writing credit (on the record label) for the Parliaments' tune is "Taylor/Clinton" (David/George) - as does Roger's cover version. So he's obviously crediting the original writers of the Parliaments' "I Wanna Testify" and not of The Persuasions' Lawson/Dashev ((Jerry/David) "Women and Drinking"

Curio No4: The Persuasions were not averse to the whole "cover" thing themselves - their catalog is scattered with old songs. "Women and Drinking" (itself a part-cover) being the B-side of a cover of the Rivingtons' "Papa Oom Mow Mow"

Curio No5: Zappa fans will know that the Persuasions actually did a Frank Zappa covers LP in 2000: Zappa was supposed to have heard them play "over the phone" in 1969. He then signed them to his record label. forty years later they paid tribute to Zappa by recording Frankly A Cappella: The Persuasions Sing Zappa

Interesting. Could you please provide a YT link?

Thanks a lot.
I didn't know about it

One of my fav Roger solo singles to date. Am happy to have the original 7" singles from both NL and BE. Despite this I have still never heard the original song. Based on this thread I think I really need to do this soon.

I read it that he replied to the thread, intending to view the video. I don't see the need for a sarky comment.

Thank you.