Cecilia Song Cover Versions

Paul Simon wrote Cecilia and the song first appeared on the Simon and Garfunkel album "Bridge over Troubled Water" in 1970. Whether because that original version was so amazingly well done or simply because it was so popular--reaching #4 in the US--no recorded cover versions of the song charted again for twenty-five years.

There were, indeed, covers of Cecilia recorded, however. Joe Dassin recorded a French version, to which you can listen below, and Martin Mann recorded the song in German. The New Wave Band (later to be called 10cc) covered Cecilia in 1970, and Times Two did a pop-infused, bouncy cover version released in 1988. A cappella groups The King's Singers and Tonic Sol-Fa both covered the song, as well. None of these covers appeared on Top 100 charts.

In 1995, along came Suggs, the lead singer for Madenss, and his first solo album "The Lone Ranger". Suggs introduced a whole new generation to the fickle Cecilia. His cover version of Cecilia hit #4 in the UK in 1996. Famed reggae producers Sly & Robbie worked with Suggs on this hip-hop influenced version. In my opinion, none of the covers can touch the original, however.