What is this 80s reggae song?

[ScotHill]

There's like a high haunting vocal line at the end of the chorus, lyrics might be "I don't want to stay' or "I don't understand" or something like that, followed by a slow brass arpeggio with two quick notes a semitone apart, like C E G Ab G.

It's UB40ish, not traditional Carribbean reggae, medium slow, male vocal, pretty sure it was an 80s chart song as I just heard it in a supermarket. It's not Ghost Town by The Specials, more polished sound than that.

Alan Whicker rendition - https://voca.ro/17rXg5cBZKBw First three quarters is the vocal, then brass line, then goes back into a normal reggae best.

It's driving me up the wall.

[ScotHill]

Spot on thanks, I'd never have found that as I skipped through a bunch of UB40 songs already and missed it!

[ScotHill]

DanoS4 said:

I've just spat my tea out

UB40 eh? I did a lot of their production, programming and key-playing up to about 2000.
So you could say I know their music quite well, and from a "molecular" level.

Yet I couldn't decipher the tune from your uploaded rendition

I can't decide which is more awkward - the "tuneless" request, or my p1ss-poor analytical skills

All in jest before the "butt-hurt Karens" come out.


Glad you got it sorted though - nothing worse than a feckin mind-worm to obsess over

Dan

Sounds fine to me - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1enQO8gJlNy3IMrDX1... - must be your ears, no wonder UB40 gave you the boot.

Yes, I had You Give Me Some Kind Of Magic by Dollar as an earworm for a while, the reggae one was infinitely more enjoyable!

[ScotHill]

Legacywr said:

'shameless cover versions'

[CillaBlack has entered the chat]

[ScotHill]

Gradually went back in time with this song, here it is chronologically, and regardless of who's singing it she's a forward lassie, and if the lassie is Shirley Bassey I hope he's got a safe word:

[ScotHill]

Of the above, the Lorna Bennet version sounds best to me, and seems to be the version that UB40 ripped-offcovered.