OLDIES SUNDAY: King Sporty – Thinking Of You (1973)

Yesterday (September 19) marked the 77th birthday of the late Singer/Musician/DJ/Producer, King Sporty. A man who was never afraid to try new things, he was a man who mastered his craft well, and the world loved him. Today, we salute him on “Oldies Sunday” with the selection, “Thinking Of You“.

Released in 1973 through the Konduko label, it was a more uptempo cover of The Blues Busters’ 1971 track which was produced by the late Byron Lee. King Sporty handled production here as it was a smooth blend of Reggae, Funk, and Soul sounds. On the track, Sporty shares lyrics about a lost love who he misses dearly, how them separating affected him, and pleads they give their relationship another chance. The production was really good on this, and made many believe that Sporty was the original performer of the track. “Thinking Of You” was played at various gigs including the Gusman Hall in Miami, Florida, where King Sporty resided and became a pioneer for the Miami Reggae scene.

Prior to “Thinking Of You”, King Sporty was a DJ for the late “Sir Coxsone” Dodd’s sound system. In the 70s, he became a label owner, performer, and co-wrote the Bob Marley classic, “Buffalo Soldier“. Since the mid-80s, he was married to the late legendary R&B Singer Betty Wright until his death in 2015. “Thinking Of You” was sampled in 2010 by Hip Hop group Fun Lovin’ Criminals for their “Classic Fantastic” track.