Montego Bay (song)
{{Short description|1970 single by Bobby Bloom}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Montego Bay
| cover = Montego_Bay_-_Bobby_Bloom.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| type = single
| artist = Bobby Bloom
| album = The Bobby Bloom Album
| B-side = Try a Little Harder
| released = September 1970
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Bubblegum pop{{AllMusic |class=album|id=mw0004321518|title= Various Artists - Pour a Little Sugar on It: The Chewy Chewy Sounds of American Bubblegum 1966-1971 (2024) Review|last= Sendra|first= Tim|access-date= December 12, 2024}}
| length = 2:53
| label = L&R Records
| writer = Jeff Barry, Bobby Bloom
| producer = Jeff Barry
| prev_title = Sign of the V
| prev_year = 1969
| next_title = Make Me Happy
| next_year = 1970
| misc = {{External music video|{{YouTube|9Lx326TN_8I|Bobby Bloom - Montego Bay • TopPop}}}}
}}
"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,{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/montego-bay/ |title=Official Charts Company |website=Officialcharts.com |date=1970-08-29 |access-date=2020-04-18}} No. 5 on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles Chart,{{cite web|url=http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/rpm/028020-119.01-e.php?brws_s=1&file_num=nlc008388.3723&type=1&interval=24&PHPSESSID=msnvgu5v4a643al8ugim1ea684 |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |access-date=2016-10-03}} 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.
Chart history
=Weekly charts=
;Freddie Notes & the Rudies cover
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1970)
!Peak |
|---|
| UK Singles Chart{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/montego/ |title=Official Charts Company |website=Officialcharts.com |date=1970-10-10 |access-date=2020-04-18}}
| style="text-align:center;"|45 |
;Sugar Cane cover
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1978)
!Peak |
|---|
| UK Singles Chart{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/montego/ |title=Official Charts Company |website=Officialcharts.com |date=1978-09-03 |access-date=2020-04-18}}
| style="text-align:center;"|54 |
;Jon Stevens cover
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1980)
!Peak |
|---|
| New Zealand (RIANZ){{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/search.asp?search=Jon+Stevens&cat=s|title=Jon Stevens singles|website=charts.nz|access-date=14 August 2016}}
| style="text-align:center;"|1 |
;Quarrington/Worthy cover
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1980)
!Peak |
|---|
| Canada RPM Adult Contemporary{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/image.aspx?Image=nlc008388.0156&URLjpg=http%3a%2f%2fwww.collectionscanada.gc.ca%2fobj%2f028020%2ff4%2fnlc008388.0156.gif&Ecopy=nlc008388.0156|title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=1980-05-17 |access-date=2020-04-18}}
| style="text-align:center;"|15 |
;Allniters cover
;Amazulu cover
| class="wikitable" |
| Chart (1986–1987)
!Peak |
|---|
| {{singlechart|Canadatopsingles|6|song=Montego Bay|chartid=0796|publish-date=Mar 28, 1987|accessdate=August 10, 2022}} |
| {{singlechart|Ireland2|14|song=Montego Bay|accessdate=April 18, 2020}} |
| South Africa (Springbok){{cite web|title=SA Charts 1965–March 1989|url=http://www.rock.co.za/files/springbok_top_20_(A).html |date=1986|access-date=18 April 2020}}
|align="center"|16 |
| UK Singles Chart{{cite web|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/search/singles/montego/ |title=Official Charts Company |website=Officialcharts.com |date=1986-09-13 |access-date=2020-04-14}}
| style="text-align:center;"|16 |
| US Billboard Hot 100Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - {{ISBN|0-89820-089-X}}
| style="text-align:center;"|90 |
=Year-end charts=
Jon Stevens version
{{Infobox song
| name = Montego Bay
| cover = Montego_Bay_by_Jon_Stevens.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Jon Stevens
| album = Jezebel
| B-side = Sha La La
| released = January 1980
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = Pop rock
| length =
| label = CBS
| writer = B. Bloom, J. Barry
| producer = Jay Lewis
| prev_title = Jezebel
| prev_year = 1979
| next_title = Don't Let Love Go
| next_year = 1980
}}
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,{{cite web|url=http://www.sergent.com.au/music/jonstevens.html|title=Jon Stevens|publisher=Sergent.com.au|access-date=9 August 2016}} and stayed there for two weeks.
=Track listing=
Vinyl, 7-inch, 45 RPM
- "Montego Bay" 2:50
- "Sha La La" 4:25
=Charts=
| class="wikitable"
|+Weekly chart performance for "Montego Bay" |
| Chart (1980)
! Peak |
|---|
| New Zealand (RIANZ){{cite web|url=https://charts.nz/search.asp?search=Jon+Stevens&cat=s|title=Jon Stevens singles|publisher=charts.nz/|accessdate=14 August 2016}}
| style="text-align:center;"| 1 |
=Year-end charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+Year-end chart performance for "Montego Bay" ! scope="col"| Chart (1980) ! scope="col"| Position |
| New Zealand (RIANZ){{cite web|url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-singles/1980-12-31|title=Official Top 40 Singles of 1980|website=Recorded Music NZ|date=1980|access-date=6 December 2022}}
| style="text-align:center;"|43 |
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
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.nzonscreen.com/title/montego-bay-1980 NZ On Screen - Montego Bay music video]
{{Jon Stevens}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Sugar Cane (musical group) songs
Category:Number-one singles in New Zealand
Category:Songs written by Bobby Bloom