Mato Ft Ethel Lindsay – What You Won’t Do For Love (Stix France) 7″ Repress

Introducing a captivating new single release from Mato, presented by Stix Records, a sub-label of Favorite Recordings. This time, Mato skillfully takes on the renowned hit by Bobby Caldwell, accompanied by label mate Ethel Lindsey, who is set to release their debut album on Favorite Recordings.

Following the recent triumph of his Summer Madness / Maiden Voyage single, swiftly followed by the Jazz-Funk Dub Tribute LP, Mato and Stix Records were eager to continue their exploration of the vast and diverse American groove music repertoire. In September 2022, shortly after the release of the LP, Pascal Rioux (A&R of Favorite Recordings and its sub-labels) proposed the idea of covering Bobby Caldwell’s song, marking the beginning of a new “Mellow Reggae Series” that focuses specifically on the AOR and Blue-Eyed-Soul genres.

Bobby Caldwell’s “What You Won’t Do For Love” is an instant classic that has been known and heard by nearly everyone on the planet, even though the performer himself remains relatively unknown to most. With this exhilarating version, Mato once again astounds us with his unparalleled dub production skills, creating pure magic. And while stepping into Caldwell’s vocal shoes was no easy task, up-and-coming singer and composer Ethel Lindsey proves to be the perfect match for the song. With soulful singing and incredible feeling, Lindsey absolutely shines on this track.

Having embarked on his reggae production career in 2006, Thomas Blanchot (aka Mato) has released music through various projects on EDR Records, Big Singles, and Makasound. Along the way, he has developed a distinct trademark of transforming classic French, Hip-Hop, OST, Classical, and Pop songs into new reggae-dub versions. His 15-year collaboration with Stix Records and label honcho Pascal Rioux has given birth to numerous masterpieces, and it seems that their story is far from over.