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Kingston Town (song)#UB40 version

{{short description|1970 single by Lord Creator}}

{{distinguish|text="Jamaica Farewell" by Lord Burgess, made famous by Harry Belafonte}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2019}}

{{Infobox song

| name = Kingston Town

| cover =

| alt =

| border =

| type = single

| artist = Lord Creator

| album =

| B-side = "Holly Holly" (by The Fabulous Flames)

| released = 1970

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Reggae

| length =

| label = Clandisc

| writer = Kentrick Patrick

| producer = Clancy Eccles

| prev_title =

| prev_year =

| next_title =

| next_year =

}}

"Kingston Town" is a 1970Campbell, Howard (2012) "[http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/entertainment/Lord-Creator-marks-JA-s-Independence-celebration_12144760 Lord Creator marks JA's Independence celebration]", Jamaica Observer, 3 August 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2012 song by Lord Creator about Kingston, Jamaica, released as a single on producer Clancy Eccles' Clandisc label. It was also recorded in 1989 by reggae group UB40 and was released as the second single from their album Labour of Love II, reaching number four on the UK Singles Chart and number one in France and the Netherlands.

In June 2007, the copyright holders of the song, Sparta Florida Music Group, started legal action against Paris Hilton and Warner Chappell Music for plagiarism due to alleged similarities between "Kingston Town" and Hilton's song "Stars Are Blind". It was wrongly stated that UB40 was the suing party, which the band later confirmed as being incorrect on their website.{{cite web|url=http://www.ub40.co.uk/news/20070607a.php|title=UB40 Press statement|access-date=15 November 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081120135635/http://www.ub40.co.uk/news/20070607a.php|archive-date=20 November 2008}}

{{clear|right}}

UB40 version

{{Infobox song

| name = Kingston Town

| cover = Kingston_town.jpg

| alt =

| border = yes

| type = single

| artist = UB40

| album = Labour of Love II

| B-side = Lickwood

| released = {{Start date|1990|3|19|df=yes}}

| recorded =

| studio =

| venue =

| genre = Reggae

| length = 3:52

| label = DEP International, Virgin

| writer = Kentrick Patrick

| producer = UB40

| prev_title = Homely Girl

| prev_year = 1989

| next_title = Wear You to the Ball

| next_year = 1990

}}

English reggae band UB40 covered "Kingston Town" in 1989 and released it as a single in early 1990. It became the group's sixth top-five hit on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number four for three weeks in April 1990. Throughout the rest of 1990, the song charted in a number of countries, topping the Dutch Top 40 for two weeks in May and the French Singles Chart for three weeks in October and November.

In Australia, the song did not reach the top 100 on the ARIA Singles Chart during its original release. In 1991, after a re-release of "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" reached number three, "Kingston Town" was re-issued and peaked at number 17 on the ARIA Singles Chart. In the United States, the song was serviced to rhythmic contemporary radio on 17 October 1995,{{cite magazine|title=Selected New Releases|magazine=Radio & Records|issue=1116|page=40|date=13 October 1995}} in tandem with The Best of UB40 – Volume Two, but it failed to chart.

=Critical reception=

David Giles of Music Week described "Kingston Town" as a "pleasant but perfunctory cover" less commercial than UB40's previous two singles, and deemed it was likely not to be a hit.{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-Week/1990/MW-1990-03-31.pdf |first=David |last=Giles |title=Singles |magazine=Music Week |date=31 March 1990 |page=23 |access-date=5 September 2023}}

=Track listings=

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7-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=Kingston Town|others=UB40|year=1990|type=UK 7-inch single sleeve|publisher=DEP International, Virgin Records|id=DEP 35, 113 085-100}}

:A. "Kingston Town"

:B. "Lickwood"

12-inch single{{cite AV media notes|title=Kingston Town|others=UB40|year=1990|type=UK 12-inch single sleeve|publisher=DEP International, Virgin Records|id=DEP 3512, 613 085-213}}

:A1. "Kingston Town" (extended mix)

:B1. "Lickwood"

:B2. "Kingston Town" (7-inch version)

CD single{{cite AV media notes|title=Kingston Town|others=UB40|year=1990|type=UK CD single liner notes|publisher=DEP International, Virgin Records|id=DEPXT 35, 663 085-211}}

  1. "Kingston Town" (7-inch version)
  2. "Lickwood"
  3. "Kingston Town" (extended mix)

{{col-2}}

US CD and cassette single{{cite AV media notes|title=Kingston Town|others=UB40|year=1990|type=US CD single liner notes|publisher=DEP International, Virgin Records|id=V25F-38526, 7243 8 38526 2 8}}{{cite AV media notes|title=Kingston Town|others=UB40|year=1990|type=US cassette single sleeve|publisher=DEP International, Virgin Records|id=4KM-38526}}

  1. "Kingston Town" – 3:46
  2. "Superstition" – 5:18

Australian CD single (1991){{cite AV media notes|title=Kingston Town|others=UB40|year=1991|type=Australian CD single liner notes|publisher=Virgin Records|id=VOZCD126}}

  1. "Kingston Town" – 3:49
  2. "Breakfast in Bed" – 3:15
  3. "If It Happens Again" – 3:42
  4. "Sing Our Own Song" – 4:05

{{col-end}}

=Charts=

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==Weekly charts==

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1990)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Austria|5|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Flanders|4|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true|access-date=5 November 2019}}
scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1990/MM-1990-11-03.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|magazine=Music & Media|volume=7|issue=44|page=IV|date=3 November 1990|access-date=10 June 2020}}

|6

{{single chart|France|1|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Ireland2|8|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true|access-date=5 November 2019}}
scope="row"|Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg){{cite web |url= http://www.umdmusic.com/default.asp?Lang=English&Chart=F&ChDay=&ChMonth=&ChYear=&ChBand=UB+40&ChSong= |title=Radio Luxembourg Singles |publisher=umdmusic.com|access-date=27 April 2025}}

|align="center"|5

{{single chart|Dutch40|1|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Dutch100|2|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|New Zealand|17|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Sweden|14|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|Switzerland|8|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true}}
{{single chart|UK|4|date=19900414|rowheader=true|access-date=29 March 2018}}
{{single chart|West Germany|5|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|songid=2161|rowheader=true}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1991–1992)

!Peak
position

{{single chart|Australia|17|artist=UB40|song=Kingston Town|rowheader=true}}

{{col-2}}

==Year-end charts==

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

!Chart (1990)

!Position

scope="row"|Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40){{cite web|url=https://austriancharts.at/year.asp?cat=s&id=1990|title=Jahreshitparade Singles 1990|language=de|access-date=5 November 2019}}

|11

scope="row"|Belgium (Ultratop){{cite web|url=https://www.ultratop.be/nl/annual.asp?year=1990|title=Jaaroverzichten 1990|publisher=Ultratop|language=nl|access-date=5 November 2019}}

|22

scope="row"|Europe (Eurochart Hot 100){{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/UK/Music-and-Media/90s/1990/MM-1990-12-22.pdf|title=Eurochart Hot 100 of 1990|magazine=Music & Media|via=World Radio History|volume=7|issue=51|date=22 December 1990|page=60|oclc=29800226|access-date=15 January 2020}}

|6

scope="row"|Germany (Media Control){{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/charts/single-jahr/for-date-1990|title=Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1990|publisher=GfK Entertainment|language=de|access-date=5 November 2019}}

|8

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=Top40|language=nl|access-date=12 April 2010}}

|12

scope="row"|Netherlands (Single Top 100){{cite web|url=https://dutchcharts.nl/jaaroverzichten.asp?year=1990&cat=s|title=Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990|publisher=MegaCharts|language=nl|access-date=5 November 2019}}

|11

scope="row"|Sweden (Topplistan){{cite web|url=http://www.grammotex.se/topp90singlar.htm|title=Årstopplistan 1990, Singlar|publisher=Grammotex|language=sv|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010216102929/http://www.grammotex.se/topp90singlar.htm|archive-date=16 February 2001|access-date=7 April 2025}}

|62

scope="row"|UK Singles (OCC){{cite magazine|title=1990 Top 100 Singles|magazine=Music Week|location=London, England|page=41|date=2 March 1991}}

|35

{{col-end}}

=Certifications and sales=

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Australia|type=single|artist=UB40|title=Kingston Town|award=Gold|certyear=1991|certref={{cite book|last=Ryan|first=Gavin|title=Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010|year=2011|publisher=Moonlight Publishing|location=Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia|edition=pdf|page=288}}}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=France|type=single|artist=UB 40|title=Kingston Town|award=Gold|certyear=1990|source=infodisc}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|type=single|artist=UB 40|title=Kingston Town|award=Gold|relyear=1990|certyear=1990|access-date=5 November 2019}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=UB40|title=Kingston Town|award=Platinum|relyear=2004|certyear=2023|id=3641-264-1|access-date=17 March 2023}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true}}

References

{{reflist}}

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite web|url=http://www.ub40.co.uk/singleskingston.php|title=UB40 Official Website discography entry|access-date=15 November 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081019042527/http://www.ub40.co.uk/singleskingston.php|archive-date=19 October 2008}}

{{refend}}

{{UB40}}

{{authority control}}

Category:1970 songs

Category:1990 singles

Category:1991 singles

Category:UB40 songs

Category:SNEP Top Singles number-one singles

Category:Dutch Top 40 number-one singles

Category:Songs about cities

Category:Kingston, Jamaica

Category:Songs about Jamaica

Category:Virgin Records singles