Before she became a familiar name, Susan Cadogan was simply working as an assistant librarian. Then 1974 came along and she found herself recording with Lee Scratch Perry in his newly opened Black Ark studio. Out of those sessions came Hurt So Good, a tune that climbed the UK charts and opened the door for her. Trojan later released the Susan Cadogan album built from those Black Ark tracks.

One of the surprises on that record is her version of Fever, the classic most listeners associate with Peggy Lee’s hit from 1958. In Jamaica it only appeared as a 7″ with a dub on the flip, so it has always been one of those deep-crate finds. Harlem Shuffle Records is the first to bring this scarce release back as a proper reissue.

Susan’s delivery on Fever is soft, smoky and full of feeling. She never pushes too hard. She just lets the melody breathe. Perry’s production stays minimal, almost shy, with that wandering flute floating behind her. The result is a lovely, understated performance. Scratch later recycled the riddim for several cuts, with Junior Byles’ version standing out. The flip here offers an instrumental-leaning take with fragments of Susan’s vocals woven in. Strong recommendation for anyone who loves that early Black Ark atmosphere.



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