SOUL CITY CLEVELAND CELEBRATES 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF GENERAL CAINE CLASSIC 'FOR LOVERS ONLY'
Daya World, LLC in association with Soul City Cleveland Stories is pleased to announce the release of internationally renowned artist Navasha Daya’s cover of the General Caine classic ‘For Lovers Only’.
Originally released in 1982, ‘For Lovers Only’ was co-written by Mitchell McDowell and David Chadwick. The song was performed by the band General Caine (Los Angeles) and featured on the band’s “Girls” album.
While fans of Black music in Cleveland may be able to effortlessly recall the song’s lyrics and chorus, many may not be aware of the innovative role that the late great Cleveland radio personality Lynn Tolliver Jr. played in selecting the original version of `For Lovers Only’ as the theme song for WZAK radio’s unforgettable late night segment of the same name.
40 years after its original release, East Cleveland (Ohio) native Navasha Daya’s rendition of General Caine’s alluring ballad pays tribute to both the song and Tolliver’s vision in helping to introduce the original version of `For Lovers Only’ throughout Cleveland and Northeast Ohio.
“Covering General Caine’s classic song ‘For Lovers Only’ was absolutely surreal. Recording a song that I grew up singing along to as it played nightly on WZAK’s For Lovers Only radio show opened up a floodgate of warm memories,” said Daya who co-arranged her cover of the song with music producer/Soul City Cleveland director Fanon Hill. “While Fanon and I were in the studio recording the song, we both had smiles on our faces throughout the session- we mutually understood the power of ‘For Lovers Only’ as a soulful classic from the soundtrack of our early teen years in East Cleveland, Ohio.”
The indelible songs, stories, artistry and innovation of Cleveland, Ohio’s legendary self determined elder Black musicians, club owners, radio personalities and more will take center stage in the forthcoming independent film “Soul City Cleveland”. “Soul City Cleveland" will be released by The Youth Resiliency Institute, in partnership with Waasi Films and in association with the National Rites of Passage Institute in 2022. Equally important, Soul City Cleveland partners and affiliates will help to celebrate the 40th anniversary of ‘For Lovers Only’ through Soul City Cleveland Stories- a culturally responsive community arts project designed to connect youth and young adults residing in under-resourced communities in Greater Cleveland to elder Black artists and career paths in the entertainment industry.
Today, we celebrate the genius of the late Mitchell “General Caine” McDowell whose untimely death in 1992 refuses to silence his artistry. Today, we celebrate the late Lynn Tolliver Jr., whose genius and innovation cemented his place in the pantheon of legendary Black radio personalities in Cleveland, Ohio and beyond decades prior to his death.
Thank you Mr. Mitchell “General Caine” McDowell and David Chadwick.
Thank you Mr. Lynn Tolliver Jr.
‘For Lovers Only’ plays on…
Visit Navasha Daya’s BANDCAMP page and purchase your own copy of Daya’s sultry cover of `For Lovers Only’.
