Cherry Oh Baby

1971 single by Eric Donaldson

"Cherry Oh Baby"
Single by Eric Donaldson
from the album Eric Donaldson
B-side	"Sir Charmers Special"
Released	1971 (1971)
Studio	Dynamic Sounds, Kingston, Jamaica
Genre	Reggae
Length	3:02
Label	Dynamic
Songwriter(s)	Eric Donaldson
Producer(s)	Bunny Lee Tommy Cowan

"Cherry Oh Baby" is a song written and originally recorded by Jamaican singer Eric Donaldson in 1971. Released on Dynamic Sounds (a subsidiary of Trojan Records), it became the label's biggest seller, with the song winning the 1971 Jamaica Song Festival.^[1]^[2] The recording was produced by Bunny Lee and Tommy Cowan and featured backing by Inner Circle.^[3]

The song was covered by the Rolling Stones for their 1976 album Black and Blue.^[4] However, "Cherry Oh Baby" has become better known after it was covered by UB40 in 1983.

UB40 version

"Cherry Oh Baby"

Single by UB40

from the album Labour of Love

B-side

"Frilla"

Released

27 February 1984 (1984-02-27)^[5]

Genre

Reggae fusion

Length

3:16

Eric Donaldson

UB40
Ray "Pablo" Falconer

UB40 singles chronology

"Many Rivers to Cross"
(1983)

"Cherry Oh Baby"
(1984)

"If It Happens Again"
(1984)

Released in February 1984, "Cherry Oh Baby" was the fourth and final single from UB40's fourth album Labour of Love. It peaked at number twelve on the UK Singles Chart.^[6]

Track listing

7": DEP International / DEP 10

"Cherry Oh Baby" – 3:16
"Frilla" – 5:06

12": DEP International / DEP 10-12

"Cherry Oh Baby" (Dub Mix) – 5:42
"Frilla" – 6:58

Charts

Chart (1984)	Peak position
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)^[7]	22
Ireland (IRMA)^[8]	7
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)^[9]	7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)^[10]	7
UK Singles (OCC)^[6]	12
Zimbabwe (ZIMA)^[11]	20

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)^[12]	Silver	200,000^‡
^‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

^ Koningh, Michael de; Cane-Honeysett, Laurence (19 July 2018). Young, Gifted & Black: The Story of Trojan Records. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-78759-104-2.
^ Hebdige, Dick (2 September 2003). Cut 'n' Mix: Culture, Identity and Caribbean Music. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-134-93103-3.
^ Masouri, John (11 November 2009). Wailing Blues: The Story of Bob Marley's Wailers. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-035-9.
^ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (25 October 2016). The Rolling Stones All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Running Press. ISBN 978-0-316-31773-3.
^ "News". Record Mirror. 18 February 1984. p. 7.
^ ^a ^b "UB40: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
^ "UB40 – Cherry Oh Baby" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Cherry Oh Baby". Irish Singles Chart.
^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – UB40" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
^ "UB40 – Cherry Oh Baby" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
^ * Zimbabwe. Kimberley, C. Zimbabwe: singles chart book. Harare: C. Kimberley, 2000
^ "British single certifications – UB40 – Food for Thought". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 26 August 2024.