Mavis Staples Finds a Place to Call Home in Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed”

Mavis Staples counts herself among the legion of Frank Ocean fans and she’s just released her rendition of “Godspeed” as a sign of her admiration. Of course Staples is an iconic voice of her generation through her groundbreaking music with the Staple Singers on “I’ll Take You There,” as well as the family group’s participation in the 1960s civil rights movement alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. For this heartfelt track, Staples and producer Brad Cook bring in songwriter and Youth Poet Laureate Kara Jackson for spoken word vocals.

Channel Orange was my first introduction to Frank Ocean and I was just amazed at the writing and soulfulness coming from his voice,” Staples said. “And I loved Blonde when that record came out. That first line in ‘Godspeed’ of ‘I will always love you’ just crushes me every time I hear it… or sing it. It’s just such a beautiful song and he sounds amazing on it so I was a little nervous if we could pull it off. I was honored to sing his words.”

This weekend in Canada, Staples will sing at jazz festivals in Ottawa, Toronto, and Montréal before crossing back over the border for shows in Knoxville, Tennessee, and Brevard, North Carolina. After a number of American concerts in July, she’ll pause just long enough to celebrate her 86th birthday. Then she’s bound for dates in Norway, the Netherlands, and Sweden in August, with even more stops scheduled throughout the U.S. through early October.

Yes, she’ll take you there… but only if you can keep up. Check out the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame member’s cover of Frank Ocean’s “Godspeed” released by ANTI- Records below.


Photo Credit: Myriam Santos

BGS 5+5: Hein Cooper

Artist: Hein Cooper
Hometown: Mollymook, NSW
Latest Album: True to You
Personal nicknames (or rejected band names): Shane Hooper 😂

Which artist has influenced you the most … and how?

Bon Iver. Something about the first time I heard “Skinny Love” it hit me so deeply, and I think the rawness was something new at the time, which made it special. It was something I could do on a guitar, and that’s all I had at the time…so I went deep and made it my own. From there, I got into a bunch of different stuff.

What was the first moment that you knew you wanted to be a musician?

When we were in high school, my friend bought a guitar, and I did the same thing and was straight up hooked!

What other art forms — literature, film, dance, painting, etc. — inform your music?

Books!!! I read Hemingway, Hesse, Fitzgerald, all the old stuff as much as possible. It helps me play with words; it’s how we communicate and fascinates me!

What rituals do you have, either in the studio or before a show?

I stay in Spanish castles, and I find it rejuvenates me 😂

Which elements of nature do you spend the most time with, and how do those impact your work?

The ocean! I live in a beautiful part of Australia, and it’s right on the edge of the forest and the ocean. It grounds me and makes me produce music I can stand behind.

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0kZDtz2Bpmec9iWOxHcXsg?si=svczLit5QIGyV66WucfTRg


Photo Credit: @jessgleeson