UB40’s reggae cover of Red Red Wine certified 3x platinum
British reggae band UB40 earned a triple platinum certification in the United Kingdom (UK) last week, when the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified its 1983 cover of Red Red Wine for sales and streaming exceeding 1.8 million units.
Red Red Wine was recorded in August 1983 but it wasn’t until the following year that the song topped the UK Singles chart and rose to #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in America.
Virgin Records re-released the song in 1988 and it took the number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100.
Red Red Wine can be found on UB40’s Labour of Love album.
There’s a Jamaican connection to Red Red Wine. Jamaican singer Tony Tribe recorded a reggae version in 1969, which was produced by Dandy Livingstone. With the help of the UK based Trojan Records, Tony Tribe’s version of Red Red Wine peaked at #46 on the UK Singles chart, giving Trojan its first chart hit.
However, a year prior in 1968, Neil Diamond, recorded the original version of Red Red Wine, which is included on his 1968 album Just For You.
Neil Diamond’s original version topped out at #62 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The UB40 version was previously certified gold in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Netherlands and Spain, while in New Zealand it was certified seven times platinum.
