Double Barrel (song)

Last updated
"Double Barrel"
Double Barrel.jpg
Single by Dave and Ansil Collins
from the album Double Barrel
B-side "Double Barrel (Version 2)" (Techniques), "Double Barrel (Instrumental)" (Big Tree)
ReleasedAugust 1970 (UK), [1] May 1971 (US) [2]
Genre
Length2:44
Label Techniques, Big Tree = [4]
Producer Winston Riley [4]
Dave and Ansil Collins singles chronology
"Double Barrel"
(1970)		"Monkey Spanner"
(1971)
Music video
Dave & Ansel Collins - Double Barrel (Official Audio) on YouTube

"Double Barrel" is a 1970 reggae single by Dave and Ansell Collins (though credited in both the UK and the US to 'Dave and Ansil Collins').

Contents

The song was written and produced by Winston Riley, [4] former vocalist of The Techniques. [5] It was a sequel to the single "Shocks of a Mighty" in which Ansell Collins played the Hammond organ while Dave Barker vocalised grunts and exclamations with a boxing theme.

The vocals were then developed for the Double Barrel song which was recorded in one take. Barker was encouraged to think big and James Bond was suggested as an model by Riley's brother Buster. 007 was the inspiration for the catchphrase "I am the magnificent double-U, oh, oh, oh". [6]

This song was the first appearance on record by Sly Dunbar, later of Sly & Robbie, on drums. He was just 18 at the time.

A significant portion of the tune bears a strong resemblance to Ramsey Lewis' 1967 song "Party Time" (on Chess). [7]

Charts

It was the second reggae tune to top the UK singles chart, two years after Desmond Dekker's number 1 breakthrough hit "Israelites". [8] The record reached number 1 in the UK [5] for the first two weeks in March 1971, selling 300,000 copies, after only 33 radio plays. [9] The record also reached number 1 in Mexico on October 23, 1971 [10] and number 8 in Australia. [11]

In the US, "Double Barrel" peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of 7 August 1971 [12] [13] and number 4 on WLS on 28 June 1971, [14] two years to the week after "Israelites" made a nearly identical climb to peak at the same position on the same chart. [15]

Chart (1970–71)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report) [11] 8
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [16] 4
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [17] 42
Canada Top Singles ( RPM ) [18] 41
Germany (GfK) [19] 28
Ireland (IRMA) [20] 10
Mexico (Radio Mil) [10] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [21] 1
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [22] 1
UK Singles (OCC) [23] 1
US Billboard Hot 100 [24] 22

Cover versions

Samples

It was sampled in 2012 GOOD Music song "The One". [26]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Double Barrel / Double Barrel (Version 2) - Dave And Ansil Collins". 45cat. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  2. ↑ "Double Barrel / Double Barrel (Instrumental) - Dave And Ansil Collins". 45cat. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  3. 1 2 Bradley, Larry (November 4, 2014). "The 1970s: Dave and Ansell Collins - "Double Barrel". The Alternative Jukebox. Cassell. p. 42. ISBN   978-1-84403-789-6.
  4. 1 2 3 "Dave And Ansil Collins – Double Barrel". Discogs. 1970. Retrieved 2014-01-10.
  5. 1 2 Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN   0-87930-655-6, p.317
  6. ↑ Mastropolo, Frank (2024-09-15), "The Stories Behind the Music of the 1970s", 200 Greatest 70s Rock Songs, vol. 2, Edgar Street Books, pp. 64–65, ISBN   979-8-9867156-2-9 {{citation}}: CS1 maint: work parameter with ISBN (link)
  7. ↑ "Compare Dave and Ansil Collins' 'Double Barrel' with Ramsey Lewis's 'Party Time'". who sampled: Exploring the DNA of music. Retrieved 2020-02-29.
  8. ↑ Davis, Sharon (2012). Every Chart Topper Tells a Story: The Seventies. Random House. p. 1949. ISBN   9781780574103.
  9. ↑ Bradley, Lloyd (August 30, 2001). Bass Culture: When Reggae Was King. Penguin Books Limited. ISBN   9780141928173 – via Google Books.
  10. 1 2 Billboard Staff (October 23, 1971). "[Hits of the World]" (archived print version). Billboard Magazine: 60. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  11. 1 2 Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 69. ISBN   0-646-11917-6.
  12. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits: Eighth Edition. Record Research. p. 138.
  13. ↑ Billboard Hot 100, Week of August 7, 1971 – Billboard.com. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  14. ↑ "WLS 890 Hit Parade". 1971-06-28. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
  15. ↑ "WLS 890 Hit Parade". 1969-06-30. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
  16. ↑ "Dave & Ansil Collins – Double Barrel" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  17. ↑ "Dave & Ansil Collins – Double Barrel" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  18. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 5351". RPM . Library and Archives Canada.
  19. ↑ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. To see the peak chart position, click 'TITEL VON', followed by the artist's name.
  20. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Double Barrel". Irish Singles Chart.
  21. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Dave & Ansil Collins" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  22. ↑ "Dave & Ansil Collins – Double Barrel" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  23. ↑ "Dave & Ansil Colins Songs and Albums | Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  24. ↑ "Dave & Ansil Collins Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard .
  25. ↑ Simpson, Kim. "Early '70s 'Break-In' Records on the Charts". Early '70s Radio. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
  26. ↑ Cruel Summer (PDF digital booklet). GOOD Music. Def Jam Recordings. 2012.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
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