"Oh Carolina" is a 1958 song by the Folkes Brothers, produced by Prince Buster and released in 1960, after which it became an early ska hit. It was covered by many various artists, including Shaggy in 1993.

Folkes Brothers version

"Oh Carolina"
Single by Folkes Brothers
B-side"I Met a Man"
Released1960
Recorded1960
StudioRJR (Kingston)
GenreSka
LabelBuster Wild Bells
Songwriter(s)John Folkes
Producer(s)Prince Buster

The original version of the song was recorded by Jamaican vocal trio the Folkes Brothers (John, Mico, and Junior Folkes) and was produced by Prince Buster at RJR studios in Kingston.[1] The song was written by John Folkes in 1958 about his girlfriend (who was actually named Noelena).[2] The group had met Buster while auditioning at Duke Reid's liquor store and Buster decided that he wanted to record the song.[3] According to the brothers, Buster paid them £60 for the recording. Buster claims he paid £100.[2]

Buster travelled to the Wareika Hills to find a Niyabinghi group to play on a recording session, and brought Count Ossie and his group of drummers (Count Ossie's Afro-Combo) back to the studio, where they played on "Oh Carolina".[1] "Oh Carolina" was a landmark single in the development of Jamaican modern music (ska, rocksteady and reggae) specially for the incorporation of African-influenced Niyabinghi-style drumming and chanting, and for the exposure it gave to the Rastas, who at the time were marginalised in Jamaican society.[2][4] The track's piano riff was performed by Owen Gray.[3] The single was licensed to Blue Beat Records for release in the UK in 1961.[2]

The two tracks on the single (The B-side was "I Met a Man") were the only songs recorded by The Folkes Brothers as a trio.[3] Mico and Junior Folkes re-recorded the song without John for the 2011 album Don't Leave Me Darling, the first release credited to the Folkes Brothers since the early 1960s.[2] "Oh Carolina" was later reissued on the Prince Buster label. The song was also recorded in 1973 by Count Ossie, on his album Grounation, and in 1975 by Junior Byles.

Track listing

Original release

A: "Oh Carolina"
B: "I Met a Man"

Prince Buster label reissue

A: "Oh Carolina"
B: "Chubby" – Prince Buster and the All Stars

Other releases

"Oh Carolina" was also issued as the B-side to Prince Buster's "Madness" on a 1961 single on the Fab label, and was included on a 1978 12-inch single of "Big Five".

Shaggy version

"Oh Carolina"
Single by Shaggy
from the album Pure Pleasure and Sliver: Music from the Motion Picture
B-side
Released25 January 1993 (1993-01-25)[5]
GenreReggae[6]
Length3:11
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Shaun Pizzonia
Shaggy singles chronology
"Oh Carolina"
(1993)		 "Nice and Lovely"
(1993)

"Oh Carolina" was covered by Jamaican musician Shaggy and released in January 1993 as the lead single from his debut album, Pure Pleasure (1993). Produced by Shaun Pizzonia, it became an international hit following its use in the 1993 film Sliver, starring Sharon Stone.[6] In the United Kingdom, it became the first of Shaggy's four chart-topping singles, spending two weeks at the summit of the UK Singles Chart in March 1993. The song fared less well in the United States, peaking at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song received major crossover airplay on American alternative rock radio, and as a result, the song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. The song's success returned reggae music to mainstream popularity in the UK.[6] The accompanying music video for "Oh Carolina" received heavy rotation on MTV Europe.[7]

Critical reception

AllMusic editor Alex Henderson described the song as an "infectious interpretation".[8] Larry Flick from Billboard felt that "gruff toasting and chanting are balanced by a clanging shuffle-beat." He added that it is "poised for instant pop radio success".[9] Chuck Eddy from Entertainment Weekly called it "joyous", noting the "lusty humor".[10] Tom Ewing of Freaky Trigger stated that Shaggy's take on the song "acknowledges its debt to the past right away – sampling the intro from the Folkes Brothers' 1960 original. Not just a nod of respect, it's a canny move, as the crackling, wheezing shanty-town piano sounded like nothing else on 1993 radio, giving "Oh Carolina" instant cut-through."[11] Dave Sholin from the Gavin Report viewed it as "an exciting original creation which can't help but bring excitement to radio."[12] James Masterton wrote in his weekly UK chart commentary, "If there is a dance craze at the moment it certainly has to be this 'dancehall' style of ragga".[13] James Hamilton from Music Week's RM Dance Update described it as a "gruff ragga revamp" and "catchy".[14]

Seamus Quinn from NME wrote, "Ragga Sleaze to please that could have only come from the States. Musically it's almost rockabilly ragga with Motown snippets and weird boogie time themes. If this wasn't bizarre enough, the lyrical content gets this week's Roger Mellie award for sheer rudeness. Not one for the Student Unions of this world, I fear, but this is genuine out-of-order humour with a compelling hook. Just nod yer head and grin."[15] Al Weisel from Rolling Stone remarked that featuring "the hard-hitting rhythms and relentless vocals of dance hall, "Oh Carolina" also harked back to the joyousness and soul that characterized the pre-Rastafarian Jamaican music of the '60s: a sense of fun that's been lost to some extent amid the sexism and violence glorified in a lot of dance hall."[16] Charles Aaron from Spin wrote, "His voice a flu-season growl, 24-year-old Shaggy comes off like a bewildered Studio One relic who wandered into a dancehall booby trap of pings, dings, and rattles. J. Raff Allen produces like a Spike Jones fan."[17] Christina Pazzanese from Vibe constated that "with its familiar, brassy Peter Gunn riff and goofy singalong lyrics, it's an instant favourite with even the most unwavering of dancehall-haters and seems destined to be the music's next breakthrough American smash."[18]

Track listings

Charts

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[53] Gold 35,000^
Germany (BVMI)[65] Gold 250,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ)[66] Gold 5,000*
United Kingdom (BPI)[67] Gold 400,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Dispute over authorship

Following the success of Shaggy's version, John Folkes was involved in a legal dispute with Prince Buster over the authorship. As was common with Jamaican releases of the era, the song was credited on the label to the producer, in this case "C. Campbell" aka Prince Buster, and Buster claimed that he had written the song about a former girlfriend.[2] Folkes' claim was upheld in the UK High Court in 1994.[2]

Other cover versions

The Jamaican ska and reggae trombonist Rico Rodriguez recorded an instrumental version entitled "Carolina" as a B-side to his 1980 single, "Sea Cruise".[68]

In 1993, Vic Sotto, Francis Magalona, Richie D'Horsie and Michael V. covered a Tagalog parody version of the same song from the movie Ano Ba Yan? 2.[69]

Jamaican artist Yellowman created a popular cover version on his 1994 album Prayer

In February 1995, South Korean pop-group Roo'ra released a Korean version, with the title "날개 잃은 천사" ("Nalgae irun chunsa"; "Angels that lost their wings").[70]

The Romanian-Romani band Taraf de Haïdouks included a cover titled "Carolina" featuring Kočani Orkestar on their album Band Of Gypsies.[71]

References

  1. 1 2 Thompson, Dave (2002) Reggae & Caribbean Music, Backbeat Books, ISBN 0-87930-655-6, p. 197, 328
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Alleyne, Mike (2012) The Encyclopedia of Reggae, Sterling, ISBN 978-1-4027-8583-2, p. 84
  3. 1 2 3 Barrow, Steve & Dalton, Peter (2004) The Rough Guide to Reggae, Rough Guides, ISBN 1-84353-329-4, p. 23
  4. ↑ Jason Toynbee, Bob Marley, Polity Press, 2007, pp. 121-22.
  5. ↑ "New Releases: Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 23 January 1993. p. 21. Retrieved 21 June 2021. Misprinted as the issue date, 23 January. The albums section uses the correct date.
  6. 1 2 3 Kutner, Jon; Leigh, Spencer (2005). 1,000 UK Number One Hits (E-book) (2013 ed.). London, England: Omnibus Press. pp. 996–997. ISBN 978-0-85712-360-2.
  7. ↑ "Station Reports > MTV Europe/London" (PDF). Music & Media. 8 May 1993. p. 21. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  8. ↑ Henderson, Alex. "Shaggy - Pure Pleasure". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 March 2020.
  9. ↑ Flick, Larry (3 July 1993). "Single Reviews: New & Noteworthy" (PDF). Billboard. p. 66. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  10. ↑ Eddy, Chuck (4 August 1995). "Boombastic". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
  11. ↑ Ewing, Tom (30 January 2012). "Shaggy – "Oh Carolina"". Freaky Trigger. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  12. ↑ Sholin, Dave (16 July 1993). "Gavin Picks: Singles" (PDF). Gavin Report. p. 62. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  13. ↑ Masterton, James (7 February 1993). "Week Ending February 13th 1993". Chart Watch UK. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
  14. ↑ Hamilton, James (23 January 1993). "Djdirectory" (PDF). Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). p. 6. Retrieved 24 March 2021.
  15. ↑ Quinn, Seamus (12 December 1992). "Groove Check". NME. p. 15. Retrieved 29 March 2023.
  16. ↑ Weisel, Al (7 September 1995). "Recordings". Rolling Stone.
  17. ↑ Aaron, Charles (November 1993). "Singles". Spin. p. 138. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  18. ↑ Pazzanese, Christina (1 October 1993). "Shaggy - Pure Pleasure". Vibe. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  19. ↑ Oh Carolina (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Shaggy. Greensleeves Records. 1993. GRE 361.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  20. ↑ Oh Carolina (UK cassette single sleeve). Shaggy. Greensleeves Records. 1993. GREC 361.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  21. ↑ Oh Carolina (European CD single liner notes). Shaggy. Virgin Records. 1993. 7243 8 91961 2 2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  22. ↑ Oh Carolina (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Shaggy. Greensleeves Records. 1993. GRED 361.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  23. ↑ Oh Carolina (UK CD single liner notes). Shaggy. Greensleeves Records. 1993. GRECD361.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  24. ↑ Oh Carolina (US CD single liner notes). Shaggy. Virgin Records. 1993. V2 91902 2 9.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  25. ↑ Oh Carolina (Australian CD single liner notes). Shaggy. EMI Music Australia. 1993. 891902-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  26. ↑ Oh Carolina (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). Shaggy. Virgin Records. 1993. Y-12673.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  27. ↑ Oh Carolina (US cassette single sleeve). Shaggy. Virgin Records. 1993. 4KM-12672.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  28. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  29. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  30. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  31. ↑ "Hits of the World: Canada". Billboard. Vol. 105, no. 37. 11 September 1993. p. 56.
  32. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 2200." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  33. ↑ "Top RPM Dance/Urban: Issue 2180." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  34. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 26. 26 June 1993. p. 28. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  35. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 18. 1 May 1993. p. 23. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  36. ↑ "European Dance Radio Top 25" (PDF). Music & Media. 24 April 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 3 November 2021.
  37. ↑ Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  38. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  39. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  40. ↑ "Top 10 Sales in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 18. 1 May 1993. p. 24. Retrieved 31 January 2020.
  41. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Oh Carolina". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  42. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 15, 1993" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  43. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  44. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  45. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina". VG-lista. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  46. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  47. ↑ "Shaggy – Oh Carolina". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  48. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  49. ↑ "Top 60 Dance Singles" (PDF). Music Week. 13 February 1993. p. 18. Retrieved 8 April 2021.
  50. ↑ "Shaggy Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  51. ↑ "Shaggy Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  52. ↑ "Shaggy Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  53. 1 2 "1993 ARIA Singles Chart". ARIA. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  54. ↑ "Jahreshitparade Singles 1993" (in German). Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  55. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1993" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  56. ↑ "The RPM Top 50 Dance Tracks of 1993". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  57. ↑ "1993 Year-End Sales Charts: Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 10, no. 51/52. 18 December 1993. p. 15. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
  58. ↑ "Top 100 Singles–Jahrescharts 1993" (in German). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  59. ↑ "Single top 100 over 1993" (PDF). Top40.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 15 April 2010.
  60. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1993" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  61. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1993". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  62. ↑ "Schweizer Jahreshitparade 1993" (in German). Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  63. ↑ "Top 100 Singles 1993". Music Week. 15 January 1994. p. 24.
  64. ↑ Lwin, Nanda. "Top 100 singles of the 1990s". Jam!. Archived from the original on 29 August 2000. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
  65. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Shaggy; 'Oh Carolina')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  66. ↑ "New Zealand single certifications – Shaggy – Oh Carolina". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
  67. ↑ "British single certifications – Shaggy – Oh Carolina". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  68. ↑ "RICO RODRIGUEZ - SEA CRUISE - CAROLINA". YouTube. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  69. ↑ "CAROLINA - Vic Sotto, Richie D' Horsie, Francis M. & Michael V." YouTube. Archived from the original on 19 December 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
  70. ↑ 룰라 ("Roo'ra") (in Korean)
  71. ↑ "Band Of Gypsies, by Taraf de Haïdouks". Taraf de Haïdouks. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
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