Despite vast differences in musical style, go-go and country soul artists have rarely shied away from expressing their feelings for the woman of their dreams in song. The most high-profile records of both genres have served as odes to special ladies and often sparked romance on dance floors across the country.
A D.C. artist recently broke new ground in the music industry doing what has never been done before: combining elements of both genres to create the love song of all love songs. Shorty Corleone’s “Magdalena” takes listeners on a journey as a man woos a goddess that’s in a league of her own.
The new tune derives from a previously released B-side record of the same composition that Donny Hathaway recorded in the late 1960s. Shorty Corleone, a die-hard fan of late blues and jazz vocalist, considers “Magdalena” an ode to his creative genius.
“I’ve always been a Donny Hathaway fan but had no idea that he attempted to explore a country western record,” said Shorty Corleone. “The R&B and country soul markets are different. I just want to perform the record and entertain the people with the story of Magdalena. It’s a feel-good record.”
Shorty covered the song over the course of three months while working with country music artist Scott King. The final record, produced at Carter Audio Studios in D.C., infuses the percussion, drums, and live bass often found in go-go music with a country music-inspired folk guitar sound and story line that will entrance listeners as Shorty talks about the woman that “can make a dancer stumble and preacher bite his tongue.”
The visual for “Magdalena” takes place in an Oklahoma saloon. Magdalena, a waitress, takes orders throughout the night and tends to customers, many of whom try to grab her attention with little success. Shorty watches intently as she struts around in a tight, gray dress. They later catch each others eye and get closer as the night goes on. At the end of the night, Shorty gets his girl.
“We filmed the video for about three days,” said Shorty. “I rolled with the record for about three months and decided that I wanted to do it. I immediately became a fan of Magdalena as I’m sure you’ll be when you see the video.”
Note: Fellas, you definitely want to check this out; Shorty picked the perfect girl.
CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW:
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