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"Red Red Wine" is a song written, performed and originally recorded by American singer Neil Diamond in 1967, included on Neil's second studio album, Just for You. The lyrics are sung from the perspective of someone who finds drinking red wine the only way to forget his woes.
When Neil left the Bang Records label in 1968, Bang continued to release Neil Diamond singles, often adding newly recorded instruments and background vocals to album tracks from the two Neil Diamond albums that Bang had issued. For the "Red Red Wine" single, Bang added a background choir without Neil's involvement or permission. Diamond's version reached number sixty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968. The original album version was released on Diamond's The Greatest Hits (1966–92) but the 1968 single version has never been issued on a vinyl album or CD.
The song was covered by several artists shortly after Diamond's recording was released. Tony Tribe covered the song in 1969 in a reggae-influenced style. Fourteen years later, UB40 recorded it in 1983 in a lighter reggae style; a version which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Diamond later performed a UB40-inspired version of the song on tour.
UB40 recorded their rendition for their album of cover versions, Labour of Love. According to the band, they were only familiar with Tony Tribe's version (they apparently didn't realise that the writer, credited simply as "Diamond", was in fact Neil Diamond), and their version featured a lighter, reggae-style flavour compared to Diamond's sombre, acoustic ballad. The UB40 version adds a toasted verse by UB40 member Astro, opening: "Red Red Wine, you make me feel so fine/You keep me rocking all of the time" — which was edited from the single that reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 1983, and number 34 in the United States in March 1984.
In 1988, the song was re-released as a single in the U.S., this time including the toast from Astro as he performed it at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert a few months prior to its release. The single climbed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In September 2014 the Official Charts Company announced that sales in the UK had reached 1 million.
Songwriter Neil Diamond has stated that it is one of his favourite covers of his songs. Diamond frequently performs the song live using the UB40 reggae arrangement as opposed to the original version.
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"Red Red Wine" is a song written, performed and originally recorded by American singer Neil Diamond in 1967, included on Neil's second studio album, Just for You. The lyrics are sung from the perspective of someone who finds drinking red wine the only way to forget his woes.
When Neil left the Bang Records label in 1968, Bang continued to release Neil Diamond singles, often adding newly recorded instruments and background vocals to album tracks from the two Neil Diamond albums that Bang had issued. For the "Red Red Wine" single, Bang added a background choir without Neil's involvement or permission. Diamond's version reached number sixty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968. The original album version was released on Diamond's The Greatest Hits (1966–92) but the 1968 single version has never been issued on a vinyl album or CD.
The song was covered by several artists shortly after Diamond's recording was released. Tony Tribe covered the song in 1969 in a reggae-influenced style. Fourteen years later, UB40 recorded it in 1983 in a lighter reggae style; a version which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. Diamond later performed a UB40-inspired version of the song on tour.
UB40 recorded their rendition for their album of cover versions, Labour of Love. According to the band, they were only familiar with Tony Tribe's version (they apparently didn't realise that the writer, credited simply as "Diamond", was in fact Neil Diamond), and their version featured a lighter, reggae-style flavour compared to Diamond's sombre, acoustic ballad. The UB40 version adds a toasted verse by UB40 member Astro, opening: "Red Red Wine, you make me feel so fine/You keep me rocking all of the time" — which was edited from the single that reached number one in the UK Singles Chart in August 1983, and number 34 in the United States in March 1984.
In 1988, the song was re-released as a single in the U.S., this time including the toast from Astro as he performed it at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Concert a few months prior to its release. The single climbed to number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In September 2014 the Official Charts Company announced that sales in the UK had reached 1 million.
Songwriter Neil Diamond has stated that it is one of his favourite covers of his songs. Diamond frequently performs the song live using the UB40 reggae arrangement as opposed to the original version.
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Reggae 
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Reggae 
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