Oh gosh, would you look at the thyme…s!

Now here is a song you just have to love – have to! Oh, how the 70s will come screaming back to you; like a sodden cloth of nostalgia pressed firmly to one’s forehead, The Thymes will soothe that modern music migraine you have been suffering with since the turn of the century.

‘Ms.Grace’ is a song about an infatuation with a woman, and while you may be thinking: ‘aren’t most songs about that?’, in 1974 the Thymes changed all of this when they did absolutely nothing different and made a great song anyway.

You have to understand that, that is exactly what soul music was all about – feeling the love, the groove, the funk. When you’re in love, you just have to sing about it…in a very high pitch voice and preferably with backing vocals.

‘Satin, and perfume, and lace’

Before I praise this song too much, I can understand why someone would dislike it; it’s a very simple song and the attention deficit that plagues most of our younger listeners these days, along with their diet taken solely from a smorgasbord of disinterest, may certainly play a roll in their not liking it.

I adore this song for that very quality; it’s simple, It’s uncomplicated, and it’s straightforward. Now, I have just used the same word three times, but it doesn’t make it any less true. It also harks back to a time when love songs weren’t suicide fuel; Ms.Grace is sunshine personified and will have you clapping and tapping your feet along in no time. Do not operate heavy machinery when listening to the Thymes!

‘Ooh, Ms Grace’

Their dance moves may not be on point and, with the quality of the video, it’s difficult to tell where the audience ends and The Thymes begin, but just listen to those harmonies.

You can hear (with your ears) a full ensemble consisting of drums, a bass, brass, strings, vibraphone, organ, guitar and a sweet chorus of vocals that are carrying those beautifully simple and poetic lyrics. I have never tried drugs before, but I imagine this is what you hear when you do – happiness.

However, I do have one qualm with it: the intro is a little out of context, muddling, and bears very little significance in even existing. While that may seem a little harsh, just listen to the difference…

0:00 – Including intro.
0:23 – Without intro.

What do you think?

‘Hey you, listen to me!’

So, my version is a very stripped-down version and, with you having already fallen in love with The Thyme’s version, mine may seem a little empty - however, I shall persevere.

I recorded this after a very long and very warm day, but you can still see how happy this song makes me; I genuinely enjoy singing it and I wish I had waited a little longer to record it – I’ll explain why in a minute. For now, here I am – sweaty and unapologetic.

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‘The strangest thing of all, you see’

What’s wrong with it?

Well, my dearest friend, quite frankly, there is a lot wrong with it. I wish I had waited longer because, since this recording, I have learnt how to better control my vocal and I now play this a semi-tone higher which (in my opinion) makes it sounds much better.

I actually completely mess up the ending; my laughter is from my making a simple mistake, and is a genuinely candid moment of my thinking ‘F**k it, that’ll do.’

I am an incredibly meticulous and fastidious person, and I also set the bar very high for myself, but that day…that goddamn scorcher of a day, had me lowering that bar just so I could get something out.

I hope that you have enjoyed my cover of The Thyme’s Ms Grace. I‘m not always self-deprecating, certainly not for the purpose of encouraging praise, I actually just consider myself to have a very realistic outlook of what is to be expected of a performer. They say that: ‘you’re your own worst critic’ but, if I wasn’t, I would have nowhere to go, I would never improve, and I would not be able to one day shake hands with those that have inspired me to become the musician I am – although, I may have to dig some of them up first.

Award for the creepiest lyrics goes to…
‘Someday I’ll make you mine, all mine!’

For further interest.

For those of you who are of a musical or technical inclination, these words, I write for you…

I play this song in standard tuning (EADGBE) in the key of A Major. I have used a capo because I learnt the song using open chords and just couldn't be bothered transcribing it as I was messing around trying to get the right key for my vocals. If you have any questions, just ask.

The microphones I have used to record are: