Montego Bay (song)
"Montego Bay" is a song co-written and performed by Bobby Bloom about the city in Jamaica of the same name. The song was a top ten hit for Bloom in the Fall of 1970 on both sides of the Atlantic. It reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart,[1] No. 5 on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles Chart,[2] No. 7 on the Australian Go-Set Singles Chart and No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was co-written and produced by Jeff Barry. In the master tape of the song, Bloom breaks into a chorus of "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" at the end of the recording. The song features a whistler, as well as Jamaican instruments in a calypso style.
| "Montego Bay" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Bobby Bloom | ||||
| from the album The Bobby Bloom Album | ||||
| B-side | "Try a Little Harder" | |||
| Released | September 1970 | |||
| Genre | Pop, soul, calypso | |||
| Length | 2:53 | |||
| Label | L&R Records | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Jeff Barry, Bobby Bloom | |||
| Producer(s) | Jeff Barry | |||
| Bobby Bloom singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| Bobby Bloom - Montego Bay • TopPop on YouTube | ||||
Chart history
Weekly charts
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Argentina (CAPIF) [3] | 7 |
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[4] | 9 |
| Australia (Go-Set) | 7 |
| Austria (Hitradio Ö3)[5] | 12 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[6] | 12 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[7] | 44 |
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[8] | 15 |
| Canada RPM Top Singles[9] | 5 |
| France (IFOP)[10] | 43 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 14 |
| Israel (IBA)[12] | 5 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] | 2 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] | 17 |
| New Zealand (Listener)[15] | 12 |
| Singapore Rediffusion, Singapore[16] | 1 |
| South Africa (Springbok)[17] | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart[18] | 3 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[19] | 8 |
| US Billboard Easy Listening | 18 |
| US Cash Box Top 100[20] | 6 |
- Freddie Notes & the Rudies cover
| Chart (1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[21] | 45 |
- Sugar Cane cover
| Chart (1978) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[22] | 54 |
- Jon Stevens cover
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| New Zealand (RIANZ)[23] | 1 |
- Quarrington/Worthy cover
| Chart (1980) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[24] | 15 |
- Allniters cover
| Chart (1983) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[25] | 19 |
- Amazulu cover
| Chart (1986–1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Top Singles (RPM)[26] | 6 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 14 |
| South Africa (Springbok)[27] | 16 |
| UK Singles Chart[28] | 16 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[29] | 90 |
Jon Stevens version
| "Montego Bay" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Jon Stevens | ||||
| from the album Jezebel | ||||
| B-side | "Sha La La" | |||
| Released | January 1980 | |||
| Genre | Pop rock | |||
| Label | CBS | |||
| Songwriter(s) | B. Bloom, J. Barry | |||
| Producer(s) | Jay Lewis | |||
| Jon Stevens singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
In January 1980, New Zealand recording artist Jon Stevens released a version as a single. It peaked at No.1 in New Zealand, allowing Stevens to replace himself at No.1,[33] and stayed there for two weeks.[23]
Track listing
Vinyl, 7-inch, 45 RPM
- "Montego Bay" 2:50
- "Sha La La" 4:25
Other recordings
- (1970) Freddie Notes & The Rudies - (Trojan Records)
- (1971) The Bar-Kays on their album Black Rock
- (1978) Sugar Cane - a minor UK disco hit for the U.S. male/female vocal group. Highest position in UK Singles Chart - No. 54
- (1983) Allniters - a Top 20 hit for an Australian ska band.
- (1986) Amazulu - reached No. 16 in the UK and No. 6 in Canada and was a minor hit in the U.S. in September 1986
See also
References
- "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1970-08-29. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
- "Hits of the World" (PDF). Billboard. 12 December 1970. p. 61. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Ö3-HITPARADE - 12.12.1970". austriancharts.at. Retrieved May 30, 2024.
- "Bobby Bloom – Montego Bay" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- "Bobby Bloom – Montego Bay" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1980-05-17. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016-10-03.
- "InfoDisc : Accès direct à ces Artistes > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste" (PHP) (in French). infodisc.fr. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Montego Bay". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
- 4 October 1970
- "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 44, 1970" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- "Bobby Bloom – Montego Bay" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
- Flavour of New Zealand, 14 December 1970
- Billboard, December 19, 1970 - Page 60 Billboard HITS OF THE WORLD, SINGAPORE, This Week 1, Last Week 1
- "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". 16 October 1970. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1970-08-29. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
- Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- Cash Box Top 100 Singles, December 5, 1970
- "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1970-10-10. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
- "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1978-09-03. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
- "Jon Stevens singles". charts.nz. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1980-05-17. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0796." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Mar 28, 1987. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- "SA Charts 1965–March 1989". 1986. Retrieved 18 April 2020.
- "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1986-09-13. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
- Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
- Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970-1992. St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". collectionscanada.gc.ca. 17 July 2013.
- "All the Number One Singles: 1970". The Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
- "Jon Stevens". Sergent.com.au. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
- "Jon Stevens singles". charts.nz/. Retrieved 14 August 2016.
- "Official Top 40 Singles of 1980". Recorded Music NZ. 1980. Retrieved 6 December 2022.