Chris Stapleton has the kind of voice that could sing a telephone book and make it sound like a platinum record, and his ability to cover one of Josh Turner’s biggest hits perfectly is no exception. (Of course, Stapleton did help write the song in the first place.)
During a 2019 appearance on Pittsburgh’s Y108 country station, the soul singer performed a stunning rendition of Turner’s No. 1 single, which Stapleton said he began writing on Valentine’s Day.
Chris Stapleton Covers Josh Turner Perfectly
Country music charts might imply that Chris Stapleton was “covering” Josh Turner, but Turner’s chart-topping single from 2005 was one that Stapleton, Chris DuBois, and Jace Everett co-wrote. Pedantics aside, we think Stapleton’s version of “Your Man,” made famous by Josh Turner, speaks for itself.
“I was working on Valentine’s Day,” Stapleton began as he introduced the song. “By working, I mean I was sitting in a room playing a guitar. On Valentine’s Day, when you’re doing something other than hanging out with your wife, you should write something romantic. So, this was what I did, and it bought me a house.”
Stapleton then went into the song’s distinct opening lines: Baby, lock the door and turn the lights down low; put some music on that’s soft and slow. Playing a percussive rhythm part on a late 1950s Gibson LG-2, the country star’s version was an intimate take on Turner’s more heavily produced chart-topper.
The Song Was A Smash Hit for Both Artists
“Your Man” proved to be an important milestone in both Josh Turner and Chris Stapleton’s careers. Turner released the track as the lead single off his 2005 record of the same name, and it became his first No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot Country chart. The smash hit was also Stapleton’s first songwriting chart-topper and garnered him and his co-writers ASCAP and BMI awards.
Hearing Stapleton sing his own version of the song for Y108 highlights the differences between his voice and Turner’s. Stapleton’s soulful rasp is undeniable, but Turner’s booming bass voice is what hooked listeners in the radio version of “Your Man.” Still, both artists are more than willing to give credit where it’s due.
In a 2021 conversation celebrating the 15-year anniversary of Your Man, Stapleton said that Turner’s performance of the song helped it become “this other animal, you know. I don’t think anybody else could’ve sung that song and have the impact that it did. The right combination of the song and artist, that’s what really can make something have some magic, and I think that was the case here.”
Turner returned the praise, recalling the time he first heard the demo tape of Stapleton performing “Your Man.” “I just could not hear how it would be for my record.” Turner said he went home and ended up lowering the key to F# major (three whole steps lower than Stapleton’s radio performance version). “I found a cool little pocket where it just felt really good,” Turner said.
We’d say both versions feel pretty darn good.
Photo by AFF-USA/Shutterstock
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