Song#: 2401
Date: 07/27/1985
Debut: 89
Peak: 28
Weeks: 14
Genre: Reggae
Pop Bits: This UK reggae band was highly successful at home but it took a cover tune to finally get them on the chart in the US. The song "Red, Red Wine" from their fourth album Labour of Love cracked the Pop Top 40 (#34) early in '84. It seemed like that would set them up well for their next album, Geoffrey Morgan, but with the band returning to original material, hardly anyone in the US was interested and the album fizzled despite solid critical reception. Their next effort was more like a stop-gap project between proper albums. Baggariddim featured dub mixes of songs from their previous two albums along with an EP of three unreleased tracks. This single, featuring The Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde, was one of the EP tracks and it was pushed out as a single. It was an immediate hit in the UK becoming their second chart topper. For the US market, it was decided that the album's EP would be spun off on its own with three extra tracks. Titled Little Baggariddim, it would be issued in the US instead of the full UK album/EP. As in the UK, this track would be released as a single. It would be their first to get inside the Pop Top 30. It also made it to #40 at Rock. The EP sold better than Geoffrey Morgan and it set them up once again for a bigger break through, which still wouldn't happen for another three years.
ReduxReview: With the exception of a few hits, reggae is a genre that's never truly been mainstream in the States. But apparently, if you take and old song and put it to a reggae beat, that's what American's like! UB40 made a career of it here since all of their US Pop chart entries were remakes, including this one. It's so weird as six of their UK Top 10 hits were original tunes, yet hardly anyone in the US was interested in them. On one hand, I feel the band got slighted here with their originals getting ignored, but then they perpetuated the cover tune thing by making five albums of them! I can only guess that those were paying the bills for their other albums. Regardless, I've never been a fan of the band. I just didn't connect with them and I didn't care for their covers. I'd probably say that this one was the best of the bunch mainly because I liked the original and Chrissie Hynde is a great addition to just about anything.
ReduxRating: 6/10
Trivia: This is a remake of a song originally recorded by Sonny & Cher in 1965. Written by Sonny Bono, the song would appear on the duo's first album Look at Us. Their single would hit #1 for three weeks and go gold. It would be the duo's biggest hit and it would become a signature song that they would sing to close each episode of their popular 70s TV variety show. Sonny & Cher had been divorced for nearly 20 years when TV host David Letterman asked the former couple to be guests on his late night talk show. They appeared on the show expecting just to be interviewed, but then Letterman pulled a fast one and pushed them into singing this song. They relented and the pair sang the song together for the last time. Four years later, Bono died in a skiing accident. Bono had entered politics in the 80s and was Mayor of Palm Spring, California, for four years. He then was elected to the House of Representatives in 1995. He held that seat until his death in 1998. With his position in the House, it made Bono the only person in Congress to ever have a #1 hit.
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