When singer and bassist Deon Estus passed in 2021, he left behind a rich musical legacy that included playing alongside artists like Marvin Gaye, George Clinton, Wham! and George Michael, along with a solo turn that included the classic single “Heaven Help Me.” Now his signature song originally released in 1989 has gotten a 2023 update courtesy of Jagged Edge on “Heaven Help Us.”
For their rendition, twins Brian Casey and Branden Casey, alongside fellow members Richard Wingo and Kyle Norman, deliver some of the four-part harmony that fans have come to know and love. Produced by the twins under their Them Damn Twins production moniker, JE’s rendition updates the song with more contemporary instrumentation and the addition of a rich vocal bass that adds an extra layer of warmness to the song.
While the release is sure to bring joy to longtime fans of the group, fans of Estus’ original may find themselves longing for the simpler arrangement of the 1989 version. Though known for their powerful vocal prowess, the guys lean a little too heavily on Auto-Tune, lending a digitized quality to an otherwise clean performance. Also, they inexplicably add a rap verse (that is also Auto-Tuned) to the mix that doesn’t particularly enhance the remake. Perhaps these choices were made to update the song to match today’s sound, but here it ends up being a case of less is more as it only distracts from the delicateness of the original and more importantly, from what we all know that Jagged Edge could bring to the table.
As they did with their previous single “Inseparable,” the group revealed “Heaven Help Us” with the release of a music video. Premiering on Valentine’s Day, they literally take it to the streets in the Azzie Scott-directed clip. The fellas pull up to the corner of Heaven and Jagged Edge Ave. to a throng of female fans applauding their arrival. The singers give the ladies a performance right there under the street signs and streetlights.
Jagged Edge’s “Heaven Help Us” is the latest piece of new music from the fellas as we await their eleventh studio album All Original Parts, the follow-up to their 2020 double album A Jagged Love Story. While we keep an eye out for any updates on their next project, watch their “Heaven Help Us” visual below and see if the remake does the original justice.