"I Can Understand It" is a soul classic written and originally recorded by rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues

Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...

 musician Bobby Womack

Bobby Womack

Robert Dwayne "Bobby" Womack is an American singer-songwriter and musician. An active recording artist since the early 1960s where he started his career as the lead singer of his family musical group The Valentinos and as Sam Cooke's backing guitarist, Womack's career has spanned more than 40...

 and turned into a top ten R&B hit by funk

Funk

Funk is a music genre that originated in the mid-late 1960s when African American musicians blended soul music, jazz and R&B into a rhythmic, danceable new form of music. Funk de-emphasizes melody and harmony and brings a strong rhythmic groove of electric bass and drums to the foreground...

 group New Birth

New Birth (band)

New Birth is an American funk and R&B group, originally conceived in Detroit, Michigan by former Motown songwriter/producer and veteran musician Vernon Bullock, and co-founded in Louisville, Kentucky by Vernon, with former Motown songwriter/producer Harvey Fuqua, and music industry veterans, Tony...

 in 1973. Womack originally recorded the song for his top ten album, Understanding, which was released in late 1972. His brothers, The Valentinos

The Valentinos

The Valentinos , was a Cleveland, Ohio-based family R&B group, mainly famous for launching the careers of brothers Bobby Womack and Cecil Womack, the former brother finding bigger fame as a solo artist and the latter finding success as a member of the husband and wife team of Womack & Womack with...

 , also recorded the song. Their version was released as a single, and became a chart hit. New Birth recorded a James Brown

James Brown

James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...

-esque style recording of the song with lead singer Leslie Wilson

Leslie Wilson

Leslie Wilson may refer to:*Leslie Wilson *Leslie Orme Wilson, soldier and politician...

, who sounds like Womack, was vocally influenced by Sam Cooke

Sam Cooke

Samuel Cook, , better known under the stage name Sam Cooke, was an American gospel, R&B, soul, and pop singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur. He is considered to be one of the pioneers and founders of soul music. He is commonly known as the King of Soul for his distinctive vocal abilities and...

. Their fast-paced version is the better-known version of the two though Womack's original, which had a more blues leaning, has garnered praise. In 1975 Columbia records released a third version of this classic track. The least known of the three, this version by Kokomo, a British-soul group, includes delicately mixed congas with a tempo similar to New Birth's and is perhaps, musically, the funkiest of the three. Lead singer Tony O'Malley's vocal style is reminiscent of Dr John's. The background harmonies and ad-libs make this an outstanding track.