Released 1978 Length 3:17 Writer(s) Andy Fraser | Genre Soft rock Label Island | |
"Man Smart, Woman Smarter"
(1976) "Every Kinda People"
(1978) | ||
"Every Kinda People" is a 1978 song originally performed by Robert Palmer on his Double Fun album. It was Palmer's first hit song in the U.S., reaching the Top 20. The song was written by Andy Fraser.
Palmer released a re-mixed version of this song on his 1992 compilation album Addictions: Volume II, as the lead single from that album, ultimately becoming a radio hit peaking at Number 8 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary charts. Most noteworthy is the near-absence of its bass-heavy guitar hook, replaced by an acoustic guitar figure, giving it an 'unplugged' feel as was the fashion at the time by well-established artists remaking past hits as acoustic numbers.
With its blend of Caribbean steel pan, violins and moving lyrics, "Every Kinda People" has become one of Palmer's best-loved songs, covered multiple times by other artists (including The Mint Juleps (1987), Randy Crawford (1989), Chaka Demus and Pliers (1996), Amy Grant(1996), Jo O'Meara(2002), Joe Cocker (2004), and Ana Popovic (2013)) and cited by music fans and spiritual groups for its positive message of peace and multiculturalism.