Caribbean Queen

"Caribbean Queen"
Single by Billy Ocean
from the album Suddenly
B-side Caribbean Queen (Instrumental version)
Released 1984
Genre Post-disco[1]
Length
  • 4:06 (single edit)
  • 7:55 (album version)
Label Jive
Writer(s)
Producer(s) Keith Diamond
Certification see below
Billy Ocean singles chronology
"European Queen"
(1984)		 "Caribbean Queen"
(1984)		 "Loverboy"
(1984)

"Caribbean Queen" is a song by English recording artist Billy Ocean. Co-written and co-produced by Keith Diamond, it climbed to number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and the Black Singles chart in the US[2] and number six in the UK Singles Chart in 1984.[3] The song won Ocean the 1985 Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance, making him the first British artist to win in that category.

The saxophone solo is by Vernon Jeffrey Smith.[4]

History

The song was recorded under different titles for different parts of the world—resulting in versions such as "European Queen" and "African Queen". In the US, the song was released under the title "Caribbean Queen (No More Love on The Run)". It entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 85 on the chart dated 11 August 1984. It hit number one ten weeks later and stayed at the top of the chart for two consecutive weeks. The songs charted for 26 weeks.

In 2004, the song was re-released as a digital single for its 20th anniversary, shooting up to no. 25 on the Billboard digital singles chart and garnering radio play across the US and UK.

In 1985, Melba Moore recorded an "answer song" on her album Read My Lips entitled "King of My Heart".

The song was also featured in the Miami Vice episode "Prodigal Son" from season 2.

An instrumental version of "Caribbean Queen" was used during the starting lineup for CBS' telecast of the 1986 Daytona 500.

Charts and certifications

"Caribbean Queen"

Weekly charts

Chart (1984–85) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 2
Canada (CHUM)[6] 4
Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM)[7] 8
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[8] 1
France (SNEP)[9] 23
Ireland (IRMA)[10] 7
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[11] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[3] 6
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[2] 7
US Billboard Hot 100[2] 1
US Billboard Hot Black Singles[2] 1
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[2] 1
US Cash Box[12] 2

Year-end charts

Chart (1984) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[13] 76
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[14] 30
US Billboard Hot 100[15] 51
US Cash Box[16] 22

"African Queen"

Chart (1984) Peak
position
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[17] 7

"European Queen"

Weekly charts

Chart (1984–85) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[18] 20
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[19] 21
Germany (Official German Charts)[20] 2
Italy (FIMI)[21] 38
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[22] 15
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[23] 21
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[24] 3
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[25] 82

Year-end charts

Chart (1984) Rank
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26] 98
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 100

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Canada (Music Canada)[28] Gold 50,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[29] Silver 250,000^
United States (RIAA)[30] Gold 1,000,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

See also

References

  1. ↑ Promis, Jose F. "Billy Ocean – Greatest Hits [Jive]". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Suddenly – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Archive Chart: 1984-11-17" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  4. ↑ "V. JEFFREY SMITH (TORS-Producer/Sound Engineer)...". The Outlet Radio Show. 15 March 2015. Retrieved 30 November 2015.
  5. ↑ "Billboard – Hits of the World". Billboard. Vol. 96 no. 51. 22 December 1984. p. 66. ISSN 0006-2510.
  6. ↑ CHART NUMBER 1458 – Saturday, December 08, 1984 at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 July 2007). CHUM.
  7. ↑ "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 9576." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  8. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 9566." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  9. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  10. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Caribbean Queen". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen (No More Love On The Run)". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  12. ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending NOVEMBER 10, 1984 at the Wayback Machine (archived 1 October 2012). Cash Box magazine.
  13. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "Top 100 Singles of 1984". RPM. Vol. 41 no. 17. 5 January 1985. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  15. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1984". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  16. ↑ The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1984 at the Wayback Machine (archived 30 September 2012). Cash Box magazine.
  17. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (O)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  18. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Billy Ocean – European Queen (No More Love On The Run)" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  19. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Billy Ocean – European Queen (No More Love On The Run)" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  20. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Billy Ocean – European Queen (No More Love On The Run)". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  21. ↑ "Indice per Interprete: O" (in Italian). Hit Parade Italia. Creative Commons. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  22. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Billy Ocean - European Queen search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  23. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Billy Ocean – European Queen (No More Love On The Run)" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  24. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Billy Ocean – European Queen (No More Love On The Run)". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 20 June 2013.
  25. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1984-06-03" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  26. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  27. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  28. ↑ "Canadian single certifications – Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen". Music Canada.
  29. ↑ "British single certifications – Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen". British Phonographic Industry. Enter Caribbean Queen in the field Keywords. Select Title in the field Search by. Select single in the field By Format. Select Silver in the field By Award. Click Search
  30. ↑ "American single certifications – Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH

External links

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