Barbados (Typically Tropical song)

Last updated
"Barbados"
Single by Typically Tropical
from the album Barbados Sky
B-side "Sandy"
Released23 May 1975 (1975-05-23)
Recorded1975
Studio Morgan Studios, London
Genre
Length3:44
Label Gull
Songwriters
  • Jeffrey Calvert
  • Max West
Producers
  • Jeffrey Calvert
  • Max West
Typically Tropical singles chronology
"Barbados"
(1975)		"Rocket Now"
(1975)

"Barbados" is the debut single by British band Typically Tropical, released in May 1975. [1]

Contents

Inspiration and writing

Jef Calvert was asked by his father, a travelling musician, to join him on a cruise tour of the Caribbean, incuding Barbados. [2]

After returning to the UK, Calvert wrote the song with Geraint Hughes (credited as Max West). [2] They were both audio engineers at Trojan Records and recorded the song in the studio after hours. [2] With Hughes on keys and Calvert on guitar, the song has four chords, the only four chords Calvert knew. [2]

The lead vocals on the song are by Calvert, who sang with a patois twange in his voice, which the two picked up working with the reggae artists who were signed to Trojan.

Reception

"Barbados" entered the UK Singles Chart at number 37 in late June 1975, and five weeks later it hit number one for a week. [1] In total, "Barbados" spent eleven weeks on the chart. [1] The track also reached number one on the Irish Singles Chart, the South African Singles Chart, [3] and number 20 on the Australian Singles Chart (Kent Music Report). [4] The track was later released on an album in 1975 by Gull Records, named Barbados Sky .

Follow-up singles "Rocket Now" and "The Ghost Song" failed to chart, [5] leaving Typically Tropical as a one-hit wonder.

In 1999, a reworked version of the song, renamed "We're Going to Ibiza", also reached the UK number one spot for the Vengaboys. [5]

Charts

Chart (1975)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [6] 20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [7] 17
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [8] 32
Denmark (IFPI)4
Germany (GfK) [9] 8
Ireland (IRMA) [10] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [11] 10
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [12] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ) [13] 5
Norway (VG-lista) [14] 6
South Africa (Springbok Radio) [3] 1
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [15] 11
UK Singles (OCC) [16] 1
US Bubbling Under the Hot 100 ( Billboard ) [17] 108

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 572. ISBN   1-904994-10-5.
  2. 1 2 3 4 geraint hughes (2012-02-17). TYPICALLY TROPICAL ON THE ONE SHOW . Retrieved 2025-10-08– via YouTube.
  3. 1 2 "SA Charts 1969–March 1989" . Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  4. ↑ Steffen Hung. "Forum - One Hit Wonders (General: Music/Charts related)". australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-09.
  5. 1 2 "Biography by Amy Hanson". Allmusic.com. Retrieved 19 June 2009.
  6. ↑ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 316. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  7. ↑ "Typically Tropical – Barbados" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  8. ↑ "Typically Tropical – Barbados" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  9. ↑ "Typically Tropical – Barbados" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts.
  10. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Barbados". Irish Singles Chart.
  11. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Typically Tropical" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  12. ↑ "Typically Tropical – Barbados" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  13. ↑ "Typically Tropical – Barbados". Top 40 Singles.
  14. ↑ "Typically Tropical – Barbados". VG-lista.
  15. ↑ "Typically Tropical – Barbados". Singles Top 100.
  16. ↑ "Typically Tropical: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  17. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1982). Joel Whitburn's Bubbling Under the Hot 100 1959–1981. Record Research. p. 171. ISBN   9780898200478.


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