"Red Red Wine" is a song written and originally recorded by
Neil Diamond, that was then covered by Tony Tribe and more
famously by UB40. In the song, the singer finds drinking red
wine is the only way to forget a lost love.
Diamond's version reached number sixty-three on the
Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968. The single version of his
recording includes a backing choir not found in any other
version. It was also remixed for the compilation album,
Classics: The Early Years. That same year, Jimmy James
and The Vagabonds released a cover version for the UK market.
It charted at number thirty-six.
Tony Tribe, a Jamaican rocksteady singer, recorded a
reggae-influenced version in 1969 which reached number
forty-six in the UK Singles Chart. Also in 1969 the song was
covered by swamp rock/pop artist Charles Mann. In 1970, a
remake by Vic Dana became a minor Billboard Hot 100 hit. In
early 1972, country singer Roy Drusky enjoyed a Top 20 hit with
his cover version.
UB40 made their rendition for their cover versions album
Labour of Love. According to the band, they were only
familiar with Tony Tribe's version, and their version featured
a lighter, reggae-style flavor compared to Diamond's somber,
acoustic ballad. This version reached number one in the UK
chart in August 1983, and number thirty-four in the U.S. in
March 1984. This cover 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".
The song received a second life in the US in 1988 when DJ
Bobby Stark started playing it at a dance club in Atlanta
called Scenario. UB40's label, A&M Records, re-released the
song as a single, and it reached number one on the Billboard
Hot 100 that October.
Diamond later performed a UB40-inspired version of the song
on tour. In it, Diamond makes a slight complaint about UB40
misunderstanding the lyrics because of the happy tone to their
version. This version was released on Diamond's
The Greatest Hits (1966-1992).
The Hobos did a cover of this song on their 2004 double
album
Radio Jah Jah. "Red Red Wine" was also performed by
Peter Tetteroo, former singer of Tee Set, a Dutch band, in
1968. The song has also been performed by Cas Haley along with
UB40 on the last episode of the season 2 show
America's Got Talent.
In 2001, singer Elan released a dancehall version on the
Buy Out Riddiminstrumental, best known performed by Sean
Paul, with the song entitled, "Like Glue". This was the first
time the song was performed on a totally different instrumental
tracking. The lyrics were also re-written. In 2007, Sean
Kingston sampled part of this instrumental for his second
single, "Me Love".Me Love is actually sampled from a Led
Zepplin Song Dyer Maker. In 2008, Sizzla also released a
dancehall single ("No Time To Gaze") based on the UB40
version.