Montego Bay (song)

"Montego Bay"
Single by Bobby Bloom
from the album The Bobby Bloom Album
B-side	"Try a Little Harder"
Released	September 1970
Genre	Pop, soul, calypso
Length	2:53
Label	L&R Records
Songwriter(s)	Jeff Barry, Bobby Bloom, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II
Producer(s)	Jeff Barry
Bobby Bloom singles chronology
"Sign of the V" (1969) "Montego Bay" (1970) "Make Me Happy" (1970)
Music video
Bobby Bloom - Montego Bay • TopPop on YouTube

"Montego Bay" is a song co-written and performed by Bobby Bloom about the city in Jamaica of the same name. The song was a top 10 hit for Bloom in the Fall of 1970 on both sides of the Atlantic. It reached No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, No. 5 on the Canadian RPM 100 Singles Chart, No. 7 on the Australian Go-Set Singles Chart and No. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The song was co-written and produced by Jeff Barry. In the master tape of the song, Bloom breaks into a chorus of "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'" at the end of the recording. The song features a whistler, as well as Jamaican instruments in a calypso style.

Chart history

Weekly charts

Chart (1970)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	9
Australia (Go-Set)	7
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary	15
Canada RPM Top Singles	5
Ireland (IRMA)	14
New Zealand (Listener)	12
South Africa (Springbok)	5
UK	3
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	8
U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary	18
U.S. Cash Box Top 100	6

Freddie Notes & the Rudies cover

Chart (1970)	Peak position
UK	45

Sugar Cane cover

Chart (1978)	Peak position
UK	54

Jon Stevens cover

Chart (1980)	Peak position
New Zealand (RIANZ)	1

Quarrington/Worthy cover

Chart (1980)	Peak position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary	15

Allniters cover

Chart (1983)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)	19

Amazulu cover

Chart (1986–1987)	Peak position
Canada Top Singles (RPM)	6
Ireland (IRMA)	14
South Africa (Springbok)	16
UK	16
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	90

Year-end charts

Chart (1970)	Rank
Australia	84
Canada	77
UK	41
U.S. (Joel Whitburn's Pop Annual)	78

Jon Stevens version

"Montego Bay"
Single by Jon Stevens
from the album Jezebel
B-side	"Sha La La"
Released	January 1980
Genre	Pop rock
Label	CBS
Songwriter(s)	B. Bloom, J. Barry
Producer(s)	Jay Lewis
Jon Stevens singles chronology
"Jezebel" (1979) "Montego Bay" (1980) "Don't Let Love Go" (1980)

In January 1980, New Zealand recording artist Jon Stevens released a version as a single. It peaked at No.1 in New Zealand, allowing Stevens to replace himself at No.1, and stayed there for two weeks.

Track listing

Vinyl, 7-inch, 45 RPM

1. "Montego Bay" 2:50
2. "Sha La La" 4:25

Charts

Weekly chart performance for "Montego Bay"

Chart (1980)	Peak position
New Zealand (RIANZ)	1

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Montego Bay"

Chart (1980)	Position
New Zealand (RIANZ)	43

Other recordings

• (1970) Freddie Notes & The Rudies - (Trojan Records)
• (1971) The Bar-Kays on their album Black Rock
• (1971) James Last on his album Happyning
• (1974) Foster, Pat, & Angie Sylvers on their album Foster Sylvers Featuring Pat & Angie Sylvers
• (1978) Sugar Cane - a minor UK disco hit for the U.S. male/female vocal group. Highest position in UK Singles Chart - No. 54
• (1983) Allniters - a Top 20 hit for an Australian ska band.
• (1986) Amazulu - reached No. 16 in the UK and No. 6 in Canada and was a minor hit in the U.S. in September 1986
• (2005) Les Fradkin - on his CD Under The Covers

See also

• List of number-one singles from the 1980s (New Zealand)
• List of 1970s one-hit wonders in the United States

External links

• NZ On Screen - Montego Bay music video