Homely Girl
{{Short description|1973 single by the Chi-Lites}}
{{For|the 1992 book|Homely Girl: A Life}}{{For|the 1935 Hungarian film|The Homely Girl}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2022}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Homely Girl
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = the Chi-Lites
| album = Chi-Lites
| B-side =
| released = 1973
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Soul
| length = 3:35
| label = Brunswick
| writer =
- Eugene Record
- Stan McKenny
| producer = Eugene Record
| prev_title = I Found Sunshine
| prev_year = 1973
| next_title = There Will Never Be Peace
| next_year = 1974
}}
"Homely Girl" is a song by American vocal group the Chi-Lites. Released in 1973, it reached number five on the UK Singles Chart, number three on the US Hot Soul Singles chart, and number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100. A cover by UB40 also became a hit between 1989 and 1991 in several countries.
Charts
| class="wikitable sortable"
!Chart (1973) !Peak |
| scope="row"|Canada (RPM){{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/028020/f2/nlc008388.5000b.pdf| title=RPM Top 100 Singles - June 4, 1974}}
|align="center"|98 |
| UK Singles (OCC){{cite web|title=officialcharts.com|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/14408/chi-lites/|website=officialcharts.com|accessdate=September 6, 2022}}
|align="center"|5 |
| align="left"|US Billboard Hot 100{{cite book |title= Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012 |last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2013 |publisher=Record Research |page=164}}
|align="center"|54 |
| align="left"|US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard){{cite book |title= Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004|last=Whitburn |first=Joel |authorlink=Joel Whitburn |year=2004 |publisher=Record Research |page=117}}
|align="center"|3 |
UB40 version
{{Infobox song
| name = Homely Girl
| cover = Homely_girl.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = UB40
| album = Labour of Love II
| B-side = "Gator" (instrumental)
| released = {{start date|1989|11|6}}{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-11-04.pdf|title=New Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=45|date=November 4, 1989|access-date=June 30, 2021}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre =
| length = 3:22
| label = Virgin
| writer = {{hlist|Eugene Record|Stan McKenny}}
| producer = UB40
| prev_title = I Would Do for You
| prev_year = 1989
| next_title = Kingston Town
| next_year = 1989
}}
A cover version by UB40, from their ninth studio album, Labour of Love II (1989), was released as a single on November 6, 1989, in the United Kingdom. This cover reached the top 10 in the UK, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. In France, the song was used in a television advertisement for the Lee Cooper jeans.{{cite book|first=Alex P.|last=King|title=Hit-parade — 20 ans de tubes|publisher=Pascal|year=2004|place=Paris|page=347|language=fr|isbn=2-35019-009-9}} David Giles of Music Week deemed "Homely Girl" as "UB40's best for a while", adding: "It's a mark of a truly great band to be able to perform a cover version so convincingly that you end up thinking they've written it themselves".{{cite magazine|first=David |last=Giles |title= Singles |magazine= Music Week |date=18 November 1989 |page=43 in the PDF |accessdate=27 December 2020 |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1989/MW-1989-11-18.pdf}}
=Track listings=
7-inch single
- "Homely Girl" – 3:22
- "Gator" (instrumental) – 4:01
12-inch single
- "Homely Girl" (extended mix) – 7:29
- "Gator" (instrumental) – 4:01
- "Homely Girl" – 3:22
CD single
- "Homely Girl" – 3:22
- "Gator" (instrumental) – 4:01
- "Homely Girl" (extended mix) – 7:29
=Charts=
{{col-begin|width=74%}}
{{col-2}}
==Weekly charts==
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1989–1991) !Peak |
| scope="row"|Australia (ARIA){{cite Ryan|page=288}}
|52 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Flanders|11|artist=UB40|song=Homely Girl|rowheader=true|access-date=July 13, 2020}} |
| scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/80s/1989/M&M-1989-12-16.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=6|issue=50|page=V|date=December 16, 1989|access-date=July 13, 2020}}
|19 |
| scope="row"|Finland (Suomen virallinen lista){{cite book |url=https://musiikkiarkisto.fi/oa/_tiedostot/julkaisut/sisaltaa-hitin.pdf|first=Timo |last=Pennanen |year=2021 |title=Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021 |section=UB40|page=268|publisher=Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava |location=Helsinki|access-date=June 22, 2022}}
|align="center"|30 |
| {{single chart|France|4|artist=UB40|song=Homely Girl|rowheader=true|access-date=July 13, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Ireland2|10|song=Homely Girl|rowheader=true|access-date=July 13, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch40|2|year=1990|week=1|rowheader=true|access-date=July 13, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch100|2|artist=UB40|song=Homely Girl|rowheader=true|access-date=July 13, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|4|artist=UB40|song=Homely Girl|rowheader=true|access-date=July 13, 2020}} |
| {{single chart|UK|6|date=19891202|rowheader=true|access-date=July 13, 2020}} |
{{col-2}}
==Year-end charts==
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1989) !Position |
| scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=https://www.top40.nl/bijzondere-lijsten/top-100-jaaroverzichten/1989|title=Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1989|publisher=Dutch Top 40|language=nl|access-date=April 4, 2021}}
|90 |
|---|
| scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1989&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1989|publisher=MegaCharts|language=nl|access-date=April 5, 2021}}
|73 |
| scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine|title=Year End Singles|magazine=Record Mirror|page=44|date=January 27, 1990}}
|94 |
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!Chart (1990) !Position |
| scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1990|title=Jaaroverzichten 1990|publisher=Ultratop|language=nl|access-date=July 13, 2020}}
|99 |
|---|
| scope="row"|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40){{cite web|url=http://www.top40.nl/pdf/Top%20100/top%20100%20-%201990.pdf|title=Single top 100 over 1990|publisher=Dutch Top 40|language=nl|accessdate=April 12, 2010}}
|58 |
{{col-end}}
=Certifications=
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=single|artist=UB 40|title=Homely Girl|award=Silver|relyear=1990|certyear=1991|certmonth=4|source=infodisc|access-date=July 13, 2020}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=UB40|title=Homely Girl|award=Silver|relyear=2004|certyear=2023|id=18981-264-1|access-date=May 12, 2023}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|noshipments=true|streaming=true}}
Other versions
In 1974, Jackie Robinson, lead singer of The Pioneers, released a cover version in the UK on Trojan Records' subsidiary label Harry J (catalogue number HJ6674).{{cite web |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/1066465-Jackie-Robinson-Homely-Girl |title=Jackie Robinson (2) – Homely Girl |website=Discogs |access-date=July 6, 2022 }} It was this reggae version that inspired UB40, whose "Labour of Love" albums are cover versions of reggae tracks of the 1960s and 1970s.