Local Twist of "More than Words"
(original) - Volume 25, Issue No. 8 • October 1, 2001
by Alicia Michioka
You have probably heard the classic song "More than Words" on radio about 10 times a day since it became a No. 1 hit in mid-June. Have you wondered why it doesn't sound like Extreme?
Because this No. 1 hit is performed in an R&B rendition by local singer Justin and British musician Bitty
Mclean.
Justin Young - a Hawai`i Music Award winner and a two-time Hokuhanohano nominee, released the song on his fifth album, The Dreaming Kind, this summer.
Sitting with him in the sunset at Kapono's in the Aloha Tower Marketplace, this young Kailua man comes across more like a shy kid than an established musician. "I'm an introvert," he said with a serious look in his face. "I don't like to be in the spotlight." Well, on stage, the 23-year-old, dressed in traditional aloha shirt and wide jeans, seems more comfortable than ever. Justin is known by several former hits including "The Valentine Song" on the top of the charts in early 2000. He is also recognized for his own version of the classic Van Morrison song, "Crazy Love." "Covers work well here in Hawai`i," Justin said. But he also said he wants to do more than just produce local music. "Don't get me wrong," he said. "I love Hawaiian music."
In his latest album, which he has been working hard on the past year, Justin mixes local music with R&B to good effect. Justin credits his producer (Neos Production) for bringing him together with the former back-up singer for UB40, Bitty McLean. McLean is well-known in Hawai`i for his two solo hits, "Forever Be Mine" and "Nothing Can Change This Love."
Neos Production decided to bring Mclean's music back to the island by inviting him to record a new album with local talent Justin. This became The Dreaming Kind, a collection of 12 songs, nine produced by Justin and two co-written with Mclean. Back on stage at the Aloha Tower bar, Justin and his partner Ka`iwi sing a few more covers for the small crowd. He puts his sunglasses back on, using them to keep back his shoulder-length hair. His serious look, big sideburns, and a ring in his left nostril make him look kind of tough, but when his soft voice streams out from the speakers, the overall experience is pleasant. "I'm an island boy who wants to come back one day," he says. "Here is where my life and family are."
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