THE TOP 50 SONGS that were REVIVED, Today: #4. More > tomorrow.  

Caffè Lattè looks back on: 

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THE TOP 50 SONGS THAT WERE D

 

4 RED, RED WINE

UB40

Neil Diamond penned “Red, Red Wine”, His career was beginning to gain momentum. The Monkees had just reached #1 with his composition “I’m A Believer” and his own “Cherry Cherry” made the US Top 10. He recorded “Red, Red Wine” for his second studio album ‘Just For You’. The single, issued in 1968, stalled at #62 in America. When UB40 decided to cover it, they were unaware of Diamond’s involvement with the song. The group’s remake was a tribute to the reggae interpretation by Tony Tribe in 1969. That version reached #46 in Britain and this was the one UB40 modelled its remake on. The cover was issued in 1983 and spent 3 weeks at the top in Britain. The disc dented the American chart, but five years later, it returned and this time reached #1. This was because a DJ began playing it on US radio.