The Cultural Bouillabaisse of Red Red Wine by UB40

Red Red Wine charted for British reggae band UB40 twice in the ‘80s, once in 1984 and again in 1988.  UB40 brought a “modern beat” to this cover of reggae artist Tony Tribe’s 1969 version of Neil Diamond’s 1967 hit about a guy drowning his sorrows. 

Check out UB40’s video for Red Red Wine.

Here's a version of them performing live with Astro's toasting break. 

Here’s Tony Tribe’s version from 1969.

Here’s Neil Diamond’s version from 1967.

Here’s Shirley Ellis’ Clapping Song from 1965, from which UB40’s Astro interpolated lyrics for his toasting break. 

And here’s the Light Crust Doughboys singing Little Rubber Dolly in 1939

*****

Recommendations:

Cobra Kai is on Netflix, but watch Karate Kid first

The Vow is on HBO, about the cult NXIVM

Check out Cleveland's own reggae band First Light at their 30th anniversary concert

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Chapters

• 0:20 Chit Chat & Recommendations
• 21:33 Rate, review, subscribe!
• 22:28 Introducing the Song
• 54:51 The Verdict
• 57:52 The Mixtape

Transcript

Unknown: 0:05

Welcome to Sick burns, where to Gen X friends of corporate PR pro and a college English professor deliver choice critique on 80 songs. I'm Margaret. And I'm Elizabeth. Let's get into it today. Okay, so I should sound real good. real smooth. Like brandy. Someone with a smooth voice? Yes, that I can't think of right now. Barry White. I can only think of Lando Calrissian. But that's not his actual name. Billy Dee Williams, Billy Dee Williams, who I think people spent about two weeks thinking was chance. What? Yeah, cuz he said something about getting in touch with his feminine side. And I think people thought that meant something more than it did. Well, but he's not he's not trying to delete it. That conversation? Well, yeah, because it's not true. I just think it's Oh, right. I just told you that people mistakenly thought something short time that was incorrect. Like, that's news is the opposite of news. It's fake news. Yeah, very close. At least. Yes. And, no, it's close. It's merely an untruth. Which isn't actually what Fake News is. Fake News is news that tries to pretend it's real, but isn't. And yeah, right. Purposely works to trick you into thinking it's real news. Because it has an agenda. It's part of a conspiracy by the trolls, probably conspiracy by the people who drink the infant blood. I think you know, a lot more about conspiracies. I do. I've no idea what you're talking about. Oh, my God. That's what the queue people believe. Oh, wait, are they the ones drinking the blood? Who drinks the blood? No, they believe that Hillary Clinton, among many others drinks the blood of babies for like power or to like stay young, or I suppose both of those could be plausible for what they believe. I don't know what drinking infant blood gives you, other than a real salty taste. Yeah. So I don't know why. I don't know what they think. But I know that that's kind of like the basis of the vast conspiracy that they see. Got it. They think they see in all these little clues. They think there's like a little bit of a game aspect to it, because I think like somebody posts tantalizing encoded clues on four Kuhn or eight Chan, or whatever they're posting on these days, right? Everybody like jumps on it, and like tries to decode it. And I think that code will say something about like a man wearing a gray jacket, or something. And then inevitably, they see the man wearing the gray jacket. And then that will indicate, you know that there will be new documents revealed at a certain location, maybe there's a piece of paper at that certain location, and it seems like it's more code and that needs to be decoded. Do they have like the Ovaltine rings? To me? Oh, yeah. I don't know enough about it, except that I just generally understand that, like, every clue leads only to more clues. And a lot of the people think that they are working to get to the bottom of it on behalf of the babies. Oh, right. It's for the babies. Got it. Okay, well, we've probably given this more airtime than it needed, but thank you for enlightening me. To be clear, this has nothing to do with Billy Dee Williams. But I do want to say we have given it more airtime than it deserves but a proponent of it just won a primary election in Georgia, so it's on its way to the mainstream. Hmm. Great. Fear will win you an election every time. Jaron ignorance Absolutely. How are you doing? Listen, I'm good and I have some things to tell you about. Oh, and I have things to tell you about. Oh, I can't wait. I was merely going to tell you that I watched last night A any featured this biography show called I want my MTV. Okay. Oh, which we Chrissy who suggested the last Chris, we love you, Chris. You're really into us and we're digging it. He gave us a little heads up that this was running on a&e and I watched I've probably watched half of it so far. I'm pleased to say we got a lot of the details right in our last episode, maybe two episodes ago money for nothing about the birth of MTV and it's so interesting to in fact, that slogan is based on a maypole commercial but the fun detail that I didn't know was some executive went over to Like, flew over to England and approached Pete Townsend, from the who, who's also in one of the commercials, waited in a lobby for several hours without an appointment to try and pounce on him when he came out of a meeting or something. And he was like, Hey, I, oh, excuse me. I'm getting this. I'm getting an incorrect. He did do this to Pete Townsend. But the first person they did it to was Mick Jagger. And the guy had known him or whatever. And Mick Jagger was like so. So you want me to be in your commercial? And he was like, well, it's not a commercial. It's a promo and he's like, but to sell MTV. It's a commercial. And he's like, I guess and Mick Jagger was like, Oh, are you going to pay me? And he didn't his pocket we pulled out $1 bill and Mick Jagger thought it was so funny. It was like All right, I'll do it fast. Few Pence, a few pence. me some hippie no commercial. It he have a little Oliver style cap. He did. KEITH RICHARDS was their plan, the Artful Dodger, and they were like, Oh, I will come. And then they pickpocketed the guy. It was very entertaining and fun to listen to them talk about this stuff. And it gets real meaty, because they talked about how it was like fully white bands at the beginning. And Rick James got Roos really calling them out on the fact that they weren't playing any black acts. And they were like, Hey, man, we played. We played somebody grant, we played an Eddie grant video. together now. We played Yes, electric Avenue. And we played musical youth. You know, these two, like, rugby and bands. And so we're recovered, but we're a rock station. See? We play rock. And Rick James was like, hello. Like, that's, that's bullshit answer. So nothing really changed until Mark Goodman, who's one of the original VJs was interviewing David Bowie. And David Bowie at the end was like, hey, I've got a question for you. How come you're not playing any black bands on your channel? And it was like a world rock floormat thing kind of fell apart because I man David Bowie. Wait, because it took a white person to point out that they weren't. Exactly Rick James nobody listened to but David Bowie. They were like their defense was that Rick James had submitted the super freak video, which is basically he's a pimp. Right? Like that's the point of that video. Yeah. Didn't Rick James maybe have some pedophilia problems? Oh, I don't know. It doesn't undercut his point. Oh, no. Sure. They might have been like, I don't know about this. Yeah. Any grant we can do but Rick James. Yeah. Rick. James is buried in Buffalo, New York. They show a clip and this I want my MTV and they've got it's nightline. Ted Koppel is interviewing Rick James. And they show a map of America. And they're like zoom in on Buffalo and there's Rick. Great like a buffalo, huh? Is he must be from there. Yeah, he must be I don't know his biography. But I will tell you that that cemetery used to have an albino deer living in it that we actually spotted one time and it recently died. Oh, that sounds very much like a PETRONAS or something. It looks like it looked like a patatas. Yes, and that Harry's mother's PETRONAS. I'm fully talking about things I don't know about but Wasn't it a stag? Or was it his dad? Harry's his himself was a stag. I recall it To be honest, I have about a quarter of the last book to finish with my son. And I feel like I remember that something related will be revealed. Okay. Oh, sorry. Spoilers. Yeah, only distantly related to Rick James. Harry Potter from Rick James. It was just the cemetery. So well. Okay. Well, that's all very interesting and cool to know. It. Watch it if you get a chance. I will. The thing I have to tell you is I actually should have taken the opportunity to say it earlier because when we were talking about q anon and conspiracies, this is about a cult and so I was watching the HBO show about Nexium Um, I don't know anything about that. It's not the second time I've heard that term today. Really? Yeah. And I I only know Nexium because it's like an acid reducer. Hell, yeah. With a difference falling. Is it like a bunch of people who are super into that anti acid, and like, called, we will not have acid reflux? Exactly. There's super against acid reflux. No, well, well, first of all, it's spelled differently. I spelled an all caps like as if it's a Roman thing. An x is V. Nexium was someone, the person who talked to you today were they talking about the cult or the acid reflux drug? The cult? Why were they talking about it? Oh, it was a podcast. It was our friends at that age. Well, the podcast, I was listening to their Peggy Sue Got Married episode, which I was psyched about because I suggested it and they made some reference to Nexium and I was like, mental note. look that up. I do not know this call. Yeah, well, okay, so there's an HBO show. That's only three episodes released so far. And there's also a podcast, Canadian podcast called, I think it's called the uncover that has one season that's about Nexium. And okay, so they were are basically a multi level marketing business that promised one huge branch of it was called the executive Success Program, ESP. And it promised a lot of being able to solve a wide array of problems in life, poverty, and depression and effectiveness, you know, and it had a guy at the head of it, who apparently people wanted to have sex with and listen to. It's definitely worth just checking it out. And I won't say any more, but Oh, except to say that one of the reasons why it was in the news was last year he was arrested, but it involves some like minor celebrities besides Him. The other person that got arrested and who was like big in it is an actor named Allison Mack. And she's from the show Smallville, I do know about this. Yes. It was based in Albany, I thought, yes. I had no idea that that's how you pronounced this. Yes. Yeah. Okay, got it. I read about the side. We're branding women and supposedly they were sex slaves. Yes. They branded them with her initials. And his It was like a combo. Oh, God. Yes, yes. And she's, I believe she's out of jail, maybe out on bail. And he's in and I'm not 100% clear on what the evidence is for the sex trafficking and so forth. But there's plenty of evidence for this guy being a creepy weirdo. But even though I'm not sure that's like, technically illegal, unfortunately. But anyway, it's sort of interesting and worth checking out a comedian that I like a lot named Jen Kirkman tweeted last week. So this old tweet that that Allison woman had tweeted at her like, I don't know, six years ago, or something that was like, Hey, I really like your style. And I like your writing. And I think we have a lot in common. I would love to talk to you about some like opportunities, or some that was recruiting. Abby was like, Whoa, I really dodged a bullet on this one. Yeah, she maybe she did. Although I'm not totally clear. Once again, you should check it out. And I'm not going to do any spoilers for the listeners. But I am just going to say it seems very easy to start a cult, like very easy, like all you have to do is like everyone feels bad about themselves already. So you just have to make them feel specifically bad. And then tell them that you have the answers for how to make themselves feel better. And cook up some terminology that you then say is like tapping into some ancient lifeforce or whatever, and develop some rituals, you know, have some like talismanic objects of some sort, right? And levels of achievement within it. And you're good to go. Man, you can. And I think calls are normal, our normal parts of human existence you do I have decided that yes, that's creepy as hell yeah. So I have an ad specific thing to tell you also, my family and I recently watched the original Karate Kid movie, and it is so effing good. I think it has no flaws in it at all. And I would invite the listeners just let us know if they do know of a flaw. However, it got recently taken off of Netflix, and so I fear that they will not be able to see it and ascertain this claim. It is a beautiful and perfect and adorable movie. And I will also tell you that we watched it because of a new series called Cobra Kai, which picks up and now times ish, maybe like a few years ago, between danila Russo and Johnny Lawrence as like 50 year olds, and or 45 year olds or 48 year olds, because basically losing that tournament has ruined Johnny Lawrence's life, and he's like obsessed with it. And danila Russo has become like a successful car dealership owner whose ads talk about how he kicks the competition and shows pictures of him doing karate kicks of God and then they have to like reckon with each other. And I've only seen a few episodes, but it's so good. And I'm gonna just have to say a little bit cheesy but in a very, very charming way. And maybe self conscious about it. And so like Example. In one scene when Johnny and Danny are confronting each other, Danny goes, I'm not here to rehash the past with you. And that is obviously what the entire show is. So they have little kind of funny moments like that. Also some little like role reversal is because Johnny is training someone to be a karate person and stuff. A Karate Kid. Yeah, it's just so fun, and I loved it. Oh, I can't wait to watch it. Are you sure that your nostalgia for that movie isn't coloring your assessment of being flawless? I have a completely objective evaluation. And the fact that Ralph Maggio was officially my first celebrity crush when I was 11 has nothing at all to do with my assessment. I love that we had teen heartthrob whose name was Ralph, I think, yeah, well, the power of that kid's chemistry on the screen can't be understated because you overcame the name Ralph. I read an interview with him about the show. I guess I didn't really I didn't even know the show was going to happen but he seems like just such a pleasant even keeled unassuming dude. Which I also like, because it's very much like Daniel we're so unassuming, etc. Yeah. He's not hot or sexy. That's like a maybe I don't know if that's a tragedy for him. But you know, as for me, who stays hot and sexy when they're fed pet? Okay. Yep. George Clooney? Sure. Rob Lowe, Robert Redford, his outsiders. compatriots, compatriot, Paul Newman, Denzel Washington. You know, you're really going for it here. Ah, I can't argue with you on any of these. it yourself. It seems fit. Oh, he's probably more than that. And yeah, good. You're coming up with a real good list. Although, in fairness, like I don't know what interest elbow looked like when he was 17 or 20. Maybe to be ruined. His handsomeness? That's an excellent point. Because maybe it doesn't just translate from to, you know, from teenager hood. You're right. That's a great point. Right. You know, the nice thing about Daniel Russo as the character now is that perhaps he feels more accessible to you in a way that he didn't in 1985? That could be Yeah, I could. Yeah, I could probably I could probably date that. Yeah, and I might choose not to. That's right. I'm gonna have to put that on the list of watch. It will be a delight. Yeah, it really is. Do they say sweep the leg at all in it? They haven't yet. I I cannot fathom that. They won't say that at some point. Because they revisit scene so they replay scenes from The Karate Kid. Oh, to like show like what's going through the flashbacks. Yeah, totally use the real original movie as a flashback. Totally. It's awesome. Yeah, that's what made us want to watch the movie because I couldn't take seeing the flashbacks without the context of the movie. They reference the movie like constantly it's totally for like insider fans like Danny will mention. Oh yeah, I got chased down a hill on my bike once by some kids, you know, or some like real specific scene from it. What is it called? Like a den? A karate den, dirty gym, a dojo, the dojo. Yeah. That Johnny Lawrence opens its logo is strike first strike hard. No mercy, which is what they all had to chant in. The original one. That was the Cobra Kai. I mean, isn't this the same dojo? He is. So Johnny's reopening it in this show, after being real hard, you know, be real down on his luck and then he decides that crowd is going to help them and I from IMDb, I can see that the original sensei is going to show up at some point. And so as Danny's Mom always loved her, she's one of my favorite movie moms so good. And I will say that the mother son relationship and karate kid was is part of its perfection. It's so adorable. Yeah. Well, Alicia to be in it. Sadly, no, that is one of the big drawbacks of it. So we can't see if our hair is still pleasantly bushy, curly, naturally curly, because she spent so much time on the beach bonfires and whatnot. Mm hmm. Wearing like white cotton sweaters, so cute. Oversized sweaters and short shorts. Adorable, adorable. Who didn't want to look like that I for sure did. Big time. I think I wore bandanas around my head like little heads. Even though he's uncomfortable and impractical, it doesn't say up at all. Like it will have your back for shit. It falls down, either over your eyes or off the back of your head is so stupid, but it looks and you can't tip your head back because it'll slide it off. And that creates that just extra thing back there. But yeah, whatever. She looked good for the 30 minutes she had to do the scene with it on her shower. First, was that a third date at the amusement park or whatever, where they were playing go karts. And that just looked like to me like, this is what it's going to be like to be a teenager. Why don't my dates have coolest classic cars? What year did Karate Kid come out? Do you know? 1984? You know what else happened in 1984? Wait, don't tell me. The Olympics. Sure. That famous Apple TV Superbowl ad? Yes, yes. Oh, you're really pulling a couple good ones out. Many invocations of the George Orwell novel 1984 so many in vocations. The song red red wine came out by Ub 40. That's what we're going to talk about today. Why no? Well, I'm excited for you to tell me about it. Cuz I have never understood one single lyric of the song. This song is a bouillabaisse. There's so much happening in this song. Tell me about it after this break. Hey, do you love pizza? Or have you heard of pizza? Or maybe tacos are more your thing? Either way? Have we got the podcast for you? It's called sick burns and 80s podcast. And in it, a couple of Ohio produced Gen X types, roll up their sleeves and get up to their elbows and nostalgia. And also in true Gen X fashion, questioning that nostalgia and making fun of it. Wait, you say you're already listening to that podcast? Well, what are you waiting for? Go ahead and follow us. Like us. Subscribe to us, show us some love. Give us some stars. We're on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, you name it. Then you can go eat some pizza, or maybe some tacos. So this song red red wine by the British band Ub 14 came out in 1984. A targeted twice in the 80s. It came out in 1984. And then again in 1988. It was number one on the UK Singles Chart, and earlier and 80 in 83. And then it hit the United States in 84. Didn't chart that high in 1984 in the US, but in 1988. Ub 40 performed the song at Nelson Mandela's 70th birthday concert. Oh, and that led to like a resurgence. And then junaidi at a radio station in Phoenix, Arizona started replaying the full version of the song which has a long rap break in the middle. And that is the version that most people know. Because that really, really song hit number one in the US in October of 1988. That's definitely the era I am more associated in my life that I associated with being in high school though. Yeah, I also feel like this is like the third or fourth song that we've talked about that had a like, resurgence or or Jonas song. Yeah, heard it twice. And it was one of the few songs but it was in the top 10 I think that's the difference. Uh huh. This song has been covered by a lot of people. I wonder if you're aware that it was written by Neil Diamond. I actually was that's one thing I did know about it. I don't know anything about Ub 40 or the and I don't know the lyrics. But yeah, that is cool. Music trivia. Neil Diamond's version is pretty sad. It's like a sad kind of love song about a guy drowning his sorrows by drinking trying to forget lost love. That's what songs about red red wine, you know, you're helping me take my mind off the gal I love. And last. So that was 1967. It hit number 62. When diamond did it when Neil Diamond did it. And then in 1969, this Jamaican born singer named Tony tribe recorded a reggae version of the song. And that went to 46 on the UK Singles Chart, and that's the version that you'll be 40 covered. So that's the version that we all know was based on this reggae version that this guy Tony tribe had put out and that version was released by this label called Trojan Records, which is a British record label that published lots of reggae and ska and Rocksteady music and And they also were the record company for your faves. The maytals which later were toots and the maytals. Yeah, the funny a little funny tidbit is that you'd be 40 we're only familiar with Tony tribes version, they didn't realize that the writer and original singer was Neil Diamond. And one of them said, even when we saw the writing credit, it said n diamond and they thought it was this Jamaican artist called negress diamond. Oh, that's really funny. They didn't think it was the guy who wrote the monkey's I'm a believer. Did he did Neil Diamond write that? Yes. Oh, that's such a great song. Yes. So in my head, I was like putting I'm a believer next to red red wine. just admiring Neil Diamond. Another call back to that documentary about the band that we've both seen and loving. Can't stop talking about called once we're brothers yesterday in that movie that they were like, and Neil Diamond was also invited to their farewell concert and they were like, what fuck is Neil Diamond here? The one with like, Neil Young and yeah, Joni. Date all these like people with Martin Scorsese hops. Yeah. And Neil Diamond was invited. Yeah. And he sang a song. I know. They were like, Why the fuck is Neil Diamond here? Because record companies, man. That's why. Yeah. And listen, if Shawn and I can go to Woodstock, Neil Diamond could go to the last wall. So it's right. You know what I heard a little something about Neil, or Neil Diamond leave on Helm was in the news, because there was an obituary of the woman who claimed she had killed john Belushi by administering the fatal dose of cocaine and heroin. And it turns out that she was a groupie and a backup singer and was had been the girlfriend of Gordon Lightfoot. And supposedly he wrote some parts of sundown about her. And the point of the obituary was a little bit how like groupies always get like trashed and left in the dust and all the people who treat them like shit are adored including like Keith Richards for example she hung out with and anyway leave on home was one of her boyfriend's also, I just feel like this is a gift that keeps on giving. Really is because so much is tied to the band, you really can't have a conversation about rock and roll without them coming up somehow, even though really, this is a conversation about Neil Diamond, but let me tell you, let me take it back to our our guys in Ub 40. They let me tell you about the band. They're from Birmingham, England, which is a working class town and they are from an inner city neighborhood called ball Sol Heath was probably bowls or something like that in South Birmingham and the band formed in 1978 when the guitarist Allie Campbell and friends began rehearsing a bunch of reggae songs that they knew like popular reggae songs, and they were joined by some other friends, including Ali's brother, Robin Campbell, and their brother Duncan was involved as well, not in the early days, there was eight of them and the first version of Ub 40. So a big a big band. They had come from a musical family. Their dad had been a Scottish folk singer. His name is Ian Campbell. So they knew from music, and they got their band name because a Ub 40 is the name of the unemployment form in the UK. It's called unemployment benefit form 40 ha, and they were unemployed. So they thought that that was apropos. They're super diverse dudes, ethnic makeup of the band's original lineup has guys who are English, Welsh, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish and Yemeni. And that diversity, I think, plays a huge part in this story. So the area where they were born and raised is a real melting pot. And Allie Campbell, I would say he's the frontman of the band. And if you watch the video for red red wine, he's the main character on the video. He talks about growing up with a bunch of friends who were called wind rush kits. Have you ever heard that term before? No, I hadn't either. It it talks about a wave of immigration post World War Two immigration from African Caribbean countries to England. I love stories like this. There's so many big geopolitical things happening. They create this song we're talking about today. A British troops ship called the wind rush brought up like several hundred migrants to the UK in 1948. They had stopped in Jamaica on its way home from Australia. So it's big ship full of British troops coming from Australia to the UK after world war two bringing troops home. And a local paper in Jamaica advertised that there was like cheap passage to the UK because they knew this boat was stopping they're on their way. They were flooded with people who bought tickets. No, this is sort of like recognized as the beginning of modern multicultural Britain. So they had like hundreds of these immigrants basically to figure out how to settle in Britain. A lot of them wound up in Birmingham. So, Allie fascinating, isn't it? Allie Campbell's growing up with a lot of this diversity around it definitely influenced their musical tastes, because he grew up with also a lot of Indian kids. And so he's got a real love of Indian music and of Jamaican reggae, which is brought by these Windrush kids. And, in fact, for a long time, Jamaicans were like half of the immigrants to the UK. Mm hmm. So make sense. You'd be 40 starts as a reggae band. And this is where I'm going to tell you about what reggae is, because you want to hear that from middle aged white lady. Yeah, I'm ready. I feel like you may know a lot of it already. Yeah, I mean, I feel like I already know what reggae is. Do you know where the word you know where the the term comes from? Okay. No, it comes from a song by toots and the maytals. Oh, boy called do the reggae from the 60s, I guess. Yeah. 1968. Yeah. Wow, the first pop song to use the word reggae and effectively named the genre. And it introduced it to a global audience. That is I just want to call out to a past episode, because that was around the same time to that heavy metal became named. And that's so interesting that like the late 60s were like, Okay, we got to categorize this shit. We got to come up with names. Yeah, people mingling. We can't have it. Let's write it guys. That's all I can't all be rock. It's not rock rock is for white guys. Yeah, isn't it toots Hibbert? Who is the toots of toots. And the maytals said, there's a word I'm going to quote him here. There's a word we use in Jamaica called stray. It means a raggedy looking girl or woman or it could be a guy. This one morning me and two of my friends were playing and I said, Okay, man, let's do the reggae was just something that came out of my mouth. So we all just start singing, do the reggae, reggae and created a beat. So come it's just sort of a version of the word straight gay. And that was like a slang term. Yes, sir. That's federating. Oh, I mean, it's a word. I don't know that it's slang. I guess it's slang. Yeah. Oh, I misunderstood. And the music itself. reggae is a musical style that's influenced by this traditional music called mento. As well as American jazz and r&b. The mento is from the 40s in the 50s. It's a style of Jamaican folk music that pulls together African rhythms and European elements. Because all the stuff is happening in Jamaica, reggae is instantly recognizable because it's got that like counterpoint between the bass and the drum. That's the part I thought you're gonna explain. And bass and drums are like the thing and reggae that they love the whole show. The Caribbean music in the United Kingdom then really kind of exploded in the 60s. And thanks to the Windrush children. Yes, thanks to those Windrush kids because they would have been 20 at that time. Exactly. It's like the immigrants their children are listening now you know, the the music that they brought from home, yeah, goes into all these different sharp sub genres and fusions, and tons of reggae artists and began their careers in the UK including up 40 toots and the maytals all these guys, so they're growing up as teenagers. And they're going to these things that they call blues parties, which is essentially like a reggae party and it features a sound system. I'm like, Okay, yeah, sound system, you know, a bunch of speakers or whatever. Nope, that's not what this means. American pop culture sound system is like a big group of disc jockeys, engineers and MCs that play reggae or scour Rocksteady. It's like a really big part of Jamaican culture and history. Because they would plan these big sound systems like load this stuff on the back of the truck, huge speakers, a generator turntables, they'd set up these street parties in Jamaica serve food and charge admission. And that was like a major economic driver in Jamaica, which had which was in the 40s and 50s. Economically unstable. So it was like a big revenue generator and also huge source of entertainment and culture. For the people who live in Jamaica. It sounds like a pop up party, basically very much a pop up party like a street fest or whatever. Yeah, so the kids in Birmingham are going to these blues parties. They're called, but their sound systems essentially. And they're getting super influenced by all of these things. So that's why they're recording all These reggae songs so they actually record red red wine to be part of an album of covers. It was think their second album, in the version that we all know there's this big rap break by one of the UB 40 members whose name is Astro. His real name is Terrence Wilson ke does trumpet and vocals for the band and he had been hanging out with this sound system guy in Birmingham named Duke alloy. And that's how he kind of like honed his craft of rapping. They cut it out for the radio release in 84. But an 88 Ks version gets put back in and what he is actually doing, we all call rapping and it's sort of a form of rapping, but it's actually called toasting. Oh, I think I remember I've remember hearing about toasting and some other context informer. What do you remember that song in pharma? Did it edited, edited? illegally? Boom, boom down. Yeah. He's a Canadian, white Canadian guy. It snows. Yeah, but I feel like I've heard of toasting as a. Anyway, please continue. So yeah, toasting or chatting, or DJing is another term for it doesn't mean to like sign records. It means to like, talk or chant, usually in monotone over a rhythm or a beat. This oral tradition influenced emceeing and us hip hop music. This is like part of where that comes from. Is this Afro Caribbean, toasting. Also, there's a thing called Singh Jang, which is a combination of singing and toasting. It's Oh, there's so many genres to this. And it comes from African traditions like have you ever heard of gredos? Yes, ri OTS. Yep, they're West African storytellers. That jet over a drumbeat. So it all comes from this you find it a lot like us in Jamaican music, like ska and reggae and dancehall and dub or soco, which is Solon Calypso, mashed up from Trinidad and Tobago, Tobago, or beyond music, which is Dominican. Wow, this is a real education. I do feel like all I'm thinking about is fun party. So say the fun party is the point of it, man. That's Yeah, like that's what this is for. It's for Yeah. Passion and community and fun and like having a drink and just getting together and dancing and enjoying. Yeah. How about some fried plantains with some hot sauce and some beer? I'm totally in except for the podcast. Okay, because that will make me needs Nexium. How about poll just to bring it all back around? Yeah, not the cold. The anti heartburn. You could just have lime juice instead of hot sauce. Sure. Yes. Lime juice. I'm in. Yeah, sounds great. So that's Astro doing the toasting break and red red wine. Got it. And he's speaking in a language called Jamaican patois, which is a English based Creole, basically, with some West African influences. And it developed in the 17th century, when slaves from Western Central Africa were exposed to learn to native ized, the vernacular and dialectical forms of English spoken by the slave holders. Interesting. I mean, that's one word for it. But the British and the Scots are traveling through that area, they're dropping off their English as they're passing through on their trade, that then becomes baked into this patois language, which then comes back to England. It's such a weird cycle. But the way that it's pronounced is what makes that toasting break so unique. And in particular, I think, because the words that would normally have one syllable in English have to in patois. So, one of the words in the rap break is boat, but it's pronounced not boat, but mo Ott Ha. So the, it's not just an accent, that word is a word and Jamaican patois, and it has two syllables. Or they add words or they add letters to word. So it's all it's just been shaped and formed differently because of the different influences on this particular group of islands. So the word on in English, they have a word called Pon, p o n. And that means doesn't mean on it means to do so we might be hearing the word Pon or on but actually they're using a different word altogether, and it means something different. And to replay the Rihanna song, Yes, exactly. or pass the Duchy upon the left hand side. Holy moly. Mm hmm. So The lyrics are delightful in the total. Okay, he says, I will listen to a clip of it let's let's listen to a clip of it real quick. Red Red Wine remember feasel fine yukimi right rockin all of the time. Red Red wine. Murphy sold on appeal a million dollar winner Justin. Anytime fuzzing, only fuzzing you're kind of like a blessing from the right from the start right from the start. So he says red red wine. Yeah, I mean, there's a lot of stuff in here. I'm just gonna like say it in English, but he's saying it and patois. You give me a whole heap observing a whole heap of zing make me do my own thing, which is so fun. You do. Some people do get a whole heap buzzing from read read one. And he says at the end, read read one and eight. It is style. So 80s style. Uh huh. Red Red wine in a modern beet style. Yeah. And then the next part. He and this is the thing that made me want to cover this song because he's talking about something about monkey pukka. pukka POTUS, we did the lion. The monkey Good job. Oh yes, I'm having something in a little robot. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? I do. I don't know the part you're referring to a high end something in my brain went Hang on. That's a line from a different song. I looked it up and indeed is a little bit a little sample of a song by a woman named Shirley Ellis which is called the clapping song. It's a novelty song from 1965 I'm going to play you a little bit of it. Okay. Back on the streets. They all it is so catchy. The song? Yeah, it is such a pick me up. It is a delight. I'm going to put it on the Spotify playlist. So surely Ellis the clapping song. And he pulls a little line from that and talks about the monkey and yeah, the monkey took tobacco on the streetcar line. The line broke. The monkey got choked and they all went to heaven in a little rowboat. I feel like that song The surely Ella song might have lent the lyrics to like what do they call it? school yard? Yeah, I think games and games Exactly. Yeah. Okay. Yeah, I only remember the one that was the ingredients of the Big Mac which came from a like a double dutch commercial. Yeah, girl. I remember Cinderella dressed in yellow when upstairs do meet up. Her girdle busted how many people were disgusted one. Yeah, I know. Good stuff. All right, this shit. I know. Well, I can tell you who wrote the clapping song. Those ridiculous lyrics are based on a song called little rubber Dolly by a group called the light crust. doughboys in 1939. also kind of creepy. I have to say. My mommy. Thank you. They were a Texas swing band formed in the name of public relations to sell flower Oh my god, you've really practice I feel like we opened with this conversation about q anon and have really embraced that as a way of life like just going down the rabbit holes of like what influences what and the origins of xy and z? Yeah. Listen If anybody in this story is in q1 on it, yeah, the guy who founded the light cresco boys, his name was Pappy. Oh, Daniel. Oh, geez. The light crust. Oh, boy. Okay, see, because they're selling flour right in the title of their, their band, like crust flour. They were happy. Oh, Daniel was the president of the Burris mill and elevator company. He wanted to link radio and advertising to promote the company's light crust flower. And the band were out of work. And they pitched the idea to Pappy and he traveled around with that band. And he used it as a springboard for his political aspirations. Mm hmm. All the good stuff. And that reminds me so much of the plot of Oh, brother where art though? Oh, right. Yeah, totally. Which I feel like, haven't seen for a while, but it's sort of kind of like that. And really, what it says to me is, at the heart of it all, at the very most fundamental basic level, everything good comes from someone trying to sell shit. That might be true name a good thing and let's try to think of somebody trying to sell shit that it's based on. Well, somebody's trying to sell shit and also maybe trying to get laid. Yep, those are the two big motivators. Yeah, potentially. So that's fair enough that I couldn't understand that part of the song but I couldn't understand the non patch while which I assume was in English, just with an accent. The part that Allie Campbell sings Yes. Which would be also got apart. He's got it. Yeah. And that's the part that Neil Diamond wrote. Right? Why? Go to like me for still need also. Read read Why? It's up to you. All I can do. memories. Whoa, go. memories will go. I'd have sworn that with time. thoughts of you leave my head. I was wrong. Now. I find just one thing makes me forget. Red Red wine. Stay to me. Don't let me be alone. It's tearing apart. My blue heart. Well, so I never knew that. What a lyricist that Neil Diamond was. Am I right? I totally and I love this. This imagery of like, red wine. Blue heart. Yeah, right. And oh my gosh, really lovely. Yes. Don't let me be alone. You know, it's like making him feel happy and forgetting his sadness. Yeah, Mm hmm. So yeah. Neil Young can or Neil Young? really write a song. I mean, Neil Young can too. He drowned his sorrows in heroin. Not in red wine. Is it? Sure? Yeah. He wanted heroin. I mean, he. I don't know if he did, but he's saying the needle and the damage done. I guess I forgot about friends. Young heroin. I usually think of him as a wholesome guy. But I don't know. What do I do here? When do yeah, I guess? Yeah. After he got clean, started thinking about the moon and stop thinking about heroin. Yeah. So yeah, it's a very sad song. And the video is also sad. The young man is has a crush on a girl and he goes to the local pub, and he wants to ask her out. He's sitting at the pub with his mates. And she walks in with a different guy. And so he orders up a big old glass of red wine. I'm a little like, nobody gets that at a pub. Yeah, I know right here. Why is he getting one but whatever. It's part of the song and then he gives a hammered, and he's like, got a really rough home life. It's like the British version of staying alive. Remember how bad his home life was like the mom and dad are fighting there's a million other brothers and sisters around. The mom is like ironing and the dad is ordering people to change the channel on TV and so he escapes and he goes to the pub and he just wants to have a date with girlie likes, she doesn't want to either. Just gets dropped down, fall down drunk. anyone's up this is Stan alive. No, don't just read read Ryan. Okay? video. Okay, but I mean, didn't Danny what was the dude's name and stayin alive? He had that home life. Remember when he's like don't touch the hair. wash the hair. You know, I work on my hair long time he hit it hits my head. I see. And I think they're all like, sort of working class, violent household type of situations. Yeah, the young man goes straight looking for love at the local bar or a disco as the case may be. That sounds so 70s to me, you know, so varies. What's up with that? Oh, is it different, though, than what the young men now do? When they say? Well, for the I think there's not a local bar pub. I mean, I think there's like a Chili's, you know, so maybe there's local bars and pubs in college towns, because they don't hang out at malls anymore. They went to the disco that they went to the mall. Yeah. And I tell you because I have a teenage son. Yes. hang out in their room online with their friends. They are a Sherry Turkle. Puts it alone together. Yeah, I've heard of that phenomenon. like teenagers getting there. They don't really get their driver's licenses anymore and stuff like that. Yep. They they get on Discord. And they play video games together. Sometimes they watch movies together. They played, you know, chess or whatever together. Yeah, really no need to the generation of today is perfectly positioned for a pandemic. Because Yeah, they have no real need to see anybody in person. Yeah, well, good timing. And if they want to dance, they just do it in their room and turn on their webcam. Yeah, totally. Getting drunk from red wine sounds very unpleasant to me. I feel that I've done it. And it has very ill effects on the sleep and on the mind. The next day, I would give this young man the advice of switching to something clear, and for sure. Filled for sure, too. I love red one. It is my fav, but it's so much sugar. And that's what gives you that ache. In part, Holy moly. Yeah, I can't do it anymore. And it makes me I always wake up like the moment that it leaves my system and then I can't fall back asleep. I think that are some sugar thing related to that. I don't know that's probably perimenopause. But it feels like it's red wine. And it's got all those tannins and it gives a lot of people headaches. It is delicious, though. So especially when paired with something that really isn't cheese it sadly, the band does not speak to each other. They had a big Rift and a big falling out. The band split up and they're still split up. In fact, the brothers don't speak. So. Allie Campbell and then his brothers Robin and Duncan, do not speak to each other. Allie Campbell Astro and this guy Mickey virtue still perform as you'd be 40 Huh, but they don't hang out with the other guys who also do their own performances. Allie Campbell said no, just picture like you've got a good relationship with your sibling. I've got a good relationship with my sibling. Imagine saying this about your sibling. Because his brother Duncan replaced him it to sing the songs in the version of the band that duncanson he said, quote, I sat back for five years and watch my brother Duncan murdering my songs. Good lord. Wow, boys, your mother's probably so sad. I know. And they've said they'll get back together when Hell Freezes Over. Did away away. She's had a similar brotherly spat, didn't they? They did. Yes. Yeah. in my estimation, it really all comes down to sibling rivalry. And if we've learned anything from the Cuomo brothers, it's that mama love is most right. I didn't know about did she loved Andrew more than Chris. Always fighting about who they're always fighting about it on national television. Andrew will be on Chris's show and say Leah but my mom loves me more. And then they kind of joke about it. And then you're like, feel like maybe they're not joking anymore. Like we maybe crossed a line and they're actually beginning to get angry at each other about actually who she loves more. Yikes. Boy. Doug Llewelyn jobs to the plaintiffs and the defendants about judge Walker's decision right after these messages. What do you think about the vert? What's your verdict? I have a little theory that booze is, you know, not a good thing. I mean, I don't get me wrong, I enjoy a good drink. And I don't feel moralistic about it in any way. But it's a depressive drug, you know, and it's a legal thing that does worse versions of things that a lot of illegal things do. You know, it's really, really, really, really bad for you, I think, emotionally and physically. And so, ever since that theory occurred to me, I have been alert to all the ways that it's so like normalized, you know, yeah. And this of course, song would be part of that, whoever I also just accept that that's part of life. So I'm gonna say that Neil Diamond's lyrics hold up and the patois intermission also like, totally holed up except I do have long term concerns about the normalization of drink. Yeah, and it just occurred to me too that our last episode funky cold Medina also about booze so we're Oh, yes. Yeah, with our on a theme here it to me, there's just so much story and history wrapped up in one song. That so interesting. Yeah. feels kind of like required listening and hoping and like a different interpretation of a song can almost completely change it. In fact, Neil Diamond says he prefers you be 14th version. That's the version he performs in concert now. Oh, wow. That's his favorite. So he likes it better than his. So I if To me, it feels a little like required listening. There's such a, like a bit of sadness and melancholy and that history, and all the things we just talked about, and in the movement of people around the world, and the way that they influence each other's cultures for good or for bad, and that maybe sort of fits with the theme of heartbreak in the song, but I will I would say that I agree with you. They're the lyrics to the song while they may romanticize red wine. I think it's clear when you listen to it. This young man is doing nothing to help his mental state by dying. That's clear right like you buddy stop, put the bottle down and go for a jog or something that is the best way your kids start to feel better. You're making worse by drowning. I yeah, I think Lord knows the the history of like songs about vices and especially like yourself as your own worst enemy Are you know, oh shit, so it is a long history. Yes, rich ditch to to shovel for sure. Yes. I want to ask you about mixtape time. What would you put on this mixtape? What is that? I was gonna say cracklin Rosie. But what is the Neil Diamond song that is about the traveling salvation show. brother loves traveling salvation show. Oh my god. I don't know that's what is that song? I don't know that song. It's so fun. So and it's a Neil Diamond song and everyone knows cracklin Rosie and everyone knows we've Caroline but I think that brother loves traveling salvation show is a good one. And that would go well with the other one that I would include or one of the other ones which is that Nate Ratliff or Ratliff sob song because that's also about drinking and how you can't like avoid it. Don't know that one either. I was out a few years ago, I can't think of what the rest of the band was called. Oh, the night sweats and then their big hit from this album was called sob and it's about how he's got delirium tremens. Basically, it needs a drink, but it's like a great song. It's a really great song God worth looking at the YouTube video of them singing it on maybe late night or some show like that. Okay, I'll check that out. Cocaine by Eric Clapton. Ooh, yep, just along the vise theme. That's what I was thinking. I mean, maybe I'd put other reggae songs on it. I like reggae songs. I like reggae. You know, and so some reggae would be obvious, but I would include it. It would be all vise ones. And then I also thought case of you by Joni Mitchell cuz it's a vise. Why not? You know? It's like a play on advice about wine. Yeah, right. Yeah, that's a good one. I went a totally different way probably because I did so much. I really got lost in the research for this stuff. I was thinking that soul to soul would be a good one to add here. I feel like they're definitely genetically related to you before the in terms of reggae. Ruth, I forgot about that. So that's back to life. And it's a big club song. And then there was a song that I loved from 1989. I don't know if it was a big hit in the US but it was a big hit in the UK by a band called beats international that was called dub be good to me. And dub is like a sub genre of reggae, which is basically a bunch of remixes. That band spawned Fatboy Slim. He was in that he did a lot of remixes. He was a big deal in the 90s. I would definitely Yeah, I would definitely put on past the Duchy by musical youth because they're also British Jamaican, just for their adorable use of the word pawn. Because Yeah, gosh, the kid that sings that song, I should watch the video again. He strikes me as being like eight. I don't know what the deal is with that song or like that group. How did they get what a duchy is? Well, that I know is that it's but that song is a is a remake of a song, which is about marijuana, but they changed it to duchy to make it about food. Because it's like a Dutch oven. Oh, okay. You can't pass a dash off and it's too hot. I mean, you've got some like mitts on or something you can. I think that's probably an example of what is it called? We've talked about it before, but bold linearization or just where you strip out all the offensive meanings to make it more palatable. So probably, really about marijuana. But they say, Robin, because an eight year old is singing it. Yeah, they had to tell their mom that may be too sure. It's about a Dutch oven. You know, Dutch oven, you know that you just pass around a circle. You know, when everyone takes a bait had us do? Yeah, buddies around the campfire bouillabaisse if you're gonna do 80s music on this playlist, that is like Caribbean based. I'm just wondering if you would include Billy ocean Caribbean queen. Oh, that's a great one. Yes. Love Billy ocean, especially over Get out of my dreams and into my car. Oh, yeah. No, let's pass that one right up and go to Caribbean queen. Such a good one. Yeah, I was also thinking Culture Club, because they pull in a lot of like, do you really want to hurt me has a lot of reggae and Caribbean influence, or at least that's how they're presented, or were presented in their early early days. Good idea. I wonder if they're from Birmingham, also, I mean, they're from around London somewhere. Okay, but you nevertheless can't help but think of British Caribbean emigration influencing Boy George, absolutely. I have to believe that that influenced them. We're just this you know, street culture of going to these parties and things and, and hearing DJs spending, all these different kinds of, you know, ska and reggae and dub and all of these things. wouldn't put this on here. But it did make me think of that song. dreadlock holiday by 10 cc, which I think is kind of offensive. I don't know as he performs it. You do know, I know it. I read that they they wrote that song after they went to Barbados, they went for a holiday. And then they wrote dreadlock holiday, which the lyrics are I don't like reggae. I love it. Uh huh. Which is frequently played by steel God and snow. Yeah, getting off of cruise ships. Right. Speaking of reggae, oh my god. We didn't talk about first of light the Cleveland band. No, you remember. Did you go to those shows? I did. Yes. I went to one that downtown amphitheatre, the open air is a big deal. They were a real big deal. And that guy was he was very handsome. I mean, maybe he's the reason why people in Cleveland, Ohio, liked reggae music. But that first light was like a little bit of a cult. In a way. Yeah, they had a big following. Yes. I wonder where they are now. Well, here's an article from 2017 that says they're going to reunite their anniversary. Oh my god. I wish a magazine. I mean, it was three years ago. Oh, right. Oh, because they've got a Facebook page in case you want to check it out. I'm totally gonna. So that's the that's the story of red red wine. I guess yeah. Won't be having any tonight. I'm gonna have clean clear water. Yeah, for me, and if I was gonna drink it would be a bloody mary cuz we're having breakfast for dinner. Oh, before de I'll tell you recently, my mind has been opened and expanded to the idea of savory oatmeal. What do you put on your oatmeal to make it savory? Well, I put some olive oil and salt and pepper and mix it a little bit. Parmesan cheese and then I put a couple fried eggs on top and some salt and some hot sauce on top of them. That sounds great. It's basically the same thing as Pharaoh. It's just a studio to like rain or grits or anything. Yeah. Why did we decide that only brown sugar can go on them? It's because we're just thinking too narrowly as Nexium would tell us do what I say and say what I do. Yeah, brand my initials on your ass. Yeah, I shouldn't make fun. Nothing. That's someone's trauma I'm joking about Yeah. And it's not the ass. It's the groin. Oh, really? Oh, God. This is why I don't this is why I go down reggae rabbit holes and not not the cue group and the Nexium group. I don't want to know about these things. I'm gonna stick to reading about sound systems and watching MTV documentaries. Sounds fun. Fair enough. Because my days are dark enough without introducing the rest of this. Yeah, well, this was fun. It was good to talk to you. Good to talk to you. And I'm gonna go eat up that oatmeal. Gay. Bye, bye. Well, we did it. We burned another song and we hope you enjoyed it and danced around the fire. If you want to suggest a song or join our conversation. Find us on Instagram. We're at Sick burns pot on twitter at at sick 80s or on Facebook as sick burns. And we'd love to get an email from you. Send it to us at burning the eighties@gmail.com and if you haven't yet gotten the message that we're desperate to interact with you but in a totally cool and standoffish way. Maybe this will do it. We also have a website and you should definitely use it. Visit Sick burns podcast.com to leave a comment or a voicemail. Ciao for now.