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The Painted Garden - Red Red Wine (Dancehall/Reggae, Neil Diamond Cover)

4,456 views · Published 1 January 2013 · 1:58 · Indexed 21 September 2026

Channel: CoverVerse · 2013 · Music

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From '' Red, Red Wine / I Like Your World ''
Label: Steady Records – S 123
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: Feb 1969

Tracklist
A Red, Red Wine
Written-By – Neil Diamond
B I Like Your World
Written-By – Ernie Smith

Arranged By – Ken Lazarus


🎵 [SONG INFO]

"Red Red Wine" is the title of a song written and originally recorded by American artist Neil Diamond.
It has been covered by Tony Tribe, Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, and more famously by British reggae group UB40, whose version topped the U.S. and UK singles charts.

Diamond's version reached number sixty-two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1968.
The single version of his recording includes a backing choir not found in any other version. 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 lyrics are sung from the perspective of someone who finds drinking red wine the only way to forget a lost love.

UB40 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 (apparently they didn't realise that the writer - credited simply as "Diamond" - was in fact Neil Diamond), 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 34 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".
In 1988, the song regained popularity in the US, when it re-charted and climbed all the way to no.1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Other cover versions

Jimmy James and The Vagabonds released a cover version the same year as Diamond's 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, peaking at no.74 and reached no.30 on Adult Contemporary.

In early 1972, country singer Roy Drusky enjoyed a Top 20 hit with his cover version, reaching no.17 in US Country and no.16 in Canada Country.

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 Atias released a dancehall version on the Buy Out Riddim instrumental, 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 2008, Sizzla also released a dancehall single ("No Time To Gaze") based on the UB40 version.

In August 2012, Ballyhoo!'s lead singer was requested to perform an acoustic version based on the UB40 version, and posted it on Soundcloud.

In 2000, the song was interpolated in a rap by British-American documentary filmmaker Louis Theroux. The rap was later remixed in 2022 by Duke & Jones in the single, "Jiggle Jiggle".

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