Just when you think you’ve heard every version of Black Magic Woman – from Fleetwood Mac’s bluesy original to Santana’s Latin rock magic – you suddenly stumble upon this Mandarin gem: Fang Yu, a Malaysian-Chinese singer and brief star of the Southeast Asian Mando-pop scene, recorded the song in 1971 for his EP 重溫舊夢 (Chóngwēn jiùmèng – “Reliving an Old Dream”).

Backed by the band The Travellers, Fang Yu turned the global hit into a psychedelia-tinged pop version: familiar guitar lines paired with exotic Mandarin vocals give the song an entirely new shade.

The EP was released on the small Singaporean label Sina Records, alongside cover versions of the Bee Gees (I.O.I.O.) and Danyel Gérard’s Butterfly. While it found some success in Asia, it remained completely under the radar in the West – today it’s a sought-after collector’s item.

And that’s exactly what CoverLove is all about: Fleetwood Mac meets Mandopop, Santana meets Singapore, and in the end you’re holding a 7-inch in your hands that proves just how boundless vinyl can be.

Black Magic Woman in Mandarin – simply wonderful.