"Always There" is a 1975 song by Ronnie Laws and William Jeffery from Laws' album Pressure Sensitive. After producer Wayne Henderson of The Crusaders enlisted lyricist Paul B Allen III to create a vocal version of the tune, officially making Allen a co-writer, it was re-recorded in 1976 by R&B group Side Effect for their third album, What You Need. It was a minor hit, reaching the top 5 on the US Dance chart; however it was a larger hit for Incognito & Jocelyn Brown in 1991, whose version reached no. 5 in the UK.
Incognito and Jocelyn Brown version
On 17 June 1991, the song was covered and released by British acid jazz band Incognito and American R&B and dance singer Jocelyn Brown, whose version was the biggest version in the UK. This was Incognito's breakthrough hit; however, Brown had been well-known and popular since the late 70s. The song was released as the second single from their second album, Inside Life. It peaked at number 2 in the Netherlands and number 6 in the UK. Additionally it peaked within the Top 10 in Belgium and Switzerland, and within the Top 20 in Germany and Sweden. On the Eurochart Hot 100, "Always There" reached number 21 in July 1991. In the US, the track peaked at number 31 on the BillboardDance Club Songs chart.
Critical reception
editor David Jeffries said that "the club side of the band is represented best by the disco flashback "Always There" with Jocelyn Brown. Billboard wrote that they "delivers a domestic version of an R&B houser that has already jammed hard here in clubs". They noted that the track "kicks a tough enough bass line" and complimented the performance from Brown "to push it over the top". They also added that portions of the song's hook have also been prominently featured on "Such a Good Feeling" by English electronic music trio Brothers In Rhythm. Music & Media commented that "with the numerous dance acts of today, only the really good singers can take a song above average level. Thanks to guest vocalist/shouter Jocelyn Brown, that's exactly what happens here." Lindsay Baker from Spin described the song as a "stirring rendition" in her review.
