Posts : 161 Join date : 2011-06-05 Age : 62 Location : Hollywood, CA
Subject: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Sat May 25, 2013 4:14 am
I saw this on Cracked and thought it was interesting.
If you've ever been to a wedding, prom, bar, or Jamaican winery, you've heard UB40's "Red Red Wine." UB40 is a mostly white British reggae band featuring a redheaded lead singer. Your gut reaction upon seeing them is probably a mix of laughter and outrage. But look again, because this band has had over 50 songs chart in the U.K., sold over 70 million albums, and kept touring after 30 years together. They're like the Rolling Stones of reggae music, if the Rolling Stones were bankrupt.
The point is, when Americans finally found out about UB40 and "Red Red Wine" in 1988, we went apeshit. Watch this song and try not to be happy.
The song is so iconic that dummies the world over assume it was once performed by Bob Marley, which not only never happened but is a huge compliment to its original author, a Jewish boy from Brooklyn. If reggae were the Milky Way, the original writer of "Red Red Wine" would be the remnants of the Big Bang, that's how far away from the reggae genre he is.
Neil goddamn Diamond. Not only did Diamond write the song that eventually became a reggae hallmark, but his original version made it all the way to No. 62 on the Billboard chart in 1968. And believe it or not, his version of the song is as somber as a baby's funeral. Without the jaunty beat and fun rap lyric, you have to actually pay attention to the fact that this is a song about a man drinking himself to death. It's the Leaving Las Vegas of pop songs. Try to get 10 seconds into the song without killing yourself.
But here's the best part: Diamond released his sad sack version in 1968. Two other bands covered it before UB40 got their mitts on it in the '80s. But that version became so well known that once it went reggae, it never went back. Eventually Diamond started performing the reggae version himself, with his own rap breakdown, to the horror of EVERYONE.
Admittedly, I never listened to the 1968 Neil Diamond version. So I did and yes, it's kind of depressing without the catchy reggae background. Have a listen for yourself.
Frank Rizzo
Posts : 1456 Join date : 2011-02-02 Age : 39
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Sat May 25, 2013 4:45 am
Normally Cracked has some real cool "Huh, I *did* not know that..." nuggets of information, but pretty much every music fan from the 60's-80's and their mothers knew Red, Red, Wine wasn't an original song...
Skibz
Posts : 242 Join date : 2012-05-10 Age : 35 Location : Orange County, CA
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Sat May 25, 2013 6:37 am
Seconded; I knew that, but then again, I have a soft spot for Neil Diamond.
The only thing that surprises me is how aghast the article seems to be at the prospect of white reggae singers, considering the British reggae scene has always been equal parts white and black. In fact, in the UK, Judge Dread (a white guy) had more charting hits than any other reggae musician in the 1970s, Bob Marley included.
Angie Matera
Posts : 564 Join date : 2011-01-23 Age : 34 Location : Puerto rico
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Sat May 25, 2013 7:53 am
i love how alot of people dont realize its acover. i honestly like the remake better as im a fan of reggae and not of Neil diamond. King diamond Yes neil diamondnot so much
Skibz
Posts : 242 Join date : 2012-05-10 Age : 35 Location : Orange County, CA
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Sun May 26, 2013 12:14 pm
Angie Matera wrote:
King diamond Yes neil diamondnot so much
I would pay good money to hear a split LP of the two of them covering each other's songs.
wildhoney66
Posts : 1253 Join date : 2011-05-19 Age : 45
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Mon May 27, 2013 3:40 am
i don't even normally like reggage but the remake i don't hate it. and i grew up with Neil Diamond's music. my mom is a big fan. not big enough that she owns any albums other than "The Jazz Singer' and that's about it. but his music i love.
it's i think a hit or miss with some people. i dunno his recent stuff. just his 60's and some of the 70's stuff mainly.
Skibz
Posts : 242 Join date : 2012-05-10 Age : 35 Location : Orange County, CA
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Wed May 29, 2013 5:45 pm
Frank Rizzo wrote:
Normally Cracked has some real cool "Huh, I *did* not know that..." nuggets of information, but pretty much every music fan from the 60's-80's and their mothers knew Red, Red, Wine wasn't an original song...
Not only that, but I just stumbled across the article in question and Cracked's choice for the #1 spot of "6 Famous Songs Written By the Last Person You'd Expect" was Bono and The Edge writing "GoldenEye". I'd argue that it's really not that much of a musical stretch if the more pressing issue wasn't that Bono and The Edge are credited in the opening credits.
ChaosTheory
Posts : 580 Join date : 2012-04-16 Age : 43 Location : USA
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Wed May 29, 2013 10:43 pm
It's an interesting story, but I honestly thought most of the entries in that article were common knowledge.
Now, James Lipton writing the them for THUNDERCATS, that's mind-blowing.
kraufen
Posts : 33 Join date : 2013-06-21
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Sat Jun 22, 2013 4:09 am
I really hate red red wine
Frank Rizzo
Posts : 1456 Join date : 2011-02-02 Age : 39
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Sat Jun 22, 2013 5:39 am
Now white white wine on the other hand....
Subterfuge
Posts : 136 Join date : 2012-09-22
Subject: Re: Interesting story about Red Red Wine. Sat Jun 22, 2013 6:19 pm
I prefer port myselfÂ
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