The Tide Is High

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"The Tide Is High" is a 1967 song written by John Holt and performed by The Paragons with John Holt as lead singer. Although originally released as an A side in Jamaica on the Treasure Isle label it was relegated to the B-side of the "Only a Smile" single for UK release a few months later.

The song features the violin of "White Rum" Raymond and was popular in Jamaica and became popular amongst West Indians and skinheads in the UK when a deejay version by U-Roy was released in 1971. This song went mainly unnoticed in the rest of the world until it was rediscovered in 1980, 2002 and 2008.

[edit] Tracklist

1. "Only a Smile"
2. "The Tide Is High" — 2:53

[edit] Cover versions

[edit] Blondie

“The Tide Is High”
Single by Blondie from the album Autoamerican
B-side	"Suzy & Jeffrey"
Released	October 1980
Format	7"
Genre	Reggae
Length	3:59
Label	Chrysalis Records
Certification	Gold (US)
Blondie singles chronology
"Atomic" (1980) "The Tide Is High" (1980) "Rapture" (1981)
Music sample
The Tide Is High Problems listening to this file? See media help.

"The Tide Is High" was covered by US New Wave band Blondie in 1980, in a reggae/ska style. It was released as a single, and appeared as the fourth track on the band's fifth album, Autoamerican. The arrangement was beefed up with a horn section and strings. It reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and was popular outside the USA, reaching number one on the UK singles chart, number four in Australia, and number 15 in the former West Germany. It was the last UK number one single for the band until "Maria" in 1999. The B-side of "The Tide is High" was "Suzie and Jeffrey", which appeared as a bonus track on the original 1980 cassette edition of the album Autoamerican (side 1, track 7). It was also included on EMI-Capitol's re-issue of Autoamerican in 2001.
Official remixes of the Blondie version have been issued twice. First by Coldcut in 1988 on the Blondie/Debbie Harry remix compilation Once More into the Bleach and the second time in 1995 by Pete Arden and Vinny Vero on the album Remixed Remade Remodeled - The Remix Project (UK edition: Beautiful - The Remix Album).

In November 1980, the song was played on radio stations across the state of Alabama in anticipation of a football game between University of Alabama, whose nickname is the Crimson Tide, and the University of Notre Dame. Debbie Harry did an interview with a Birmingham radio station and wished the football team good luck in the game. Notre Dame won the game at Birmingham 7-0.

In 1984, Nigerian singer Onyeka Onwenu covered the song for the album In the Morning Light. A year later, parts of this song were taken and used as a sample for Bryan Adams' "Reggae Christmas".

[edit] Tracklist

1. "The Tide Is High" (7" Edit) — 3:54
2. "Suzie & Jeffrey" — 4:09

[edit] Charts

[edit] Billie Piper

In 2000, "The Tide Is High" was covered by singer-turned-actress Billie Piper for her second album, Walk of Life. It was due for release in early 2001. However, with her previous single "Walk of Life" peaking at #25 due to poor promotion, Piper told Innocent Records (her record label), not to bother releasing "The Tide Is High" as a single because she was worn out and didn't want to sing anymore.

[edit] Track Listing

It is unknown what the track listing for the single was, as no part of the single was organised before release was permanently cancelled.

[edit] Charts

After her previous single; Walk of Life peaked at number 25 due to poor promotion, it's likely that The Tide is High would have performed even poorer, unless Billie Piper would have decided to keep singing, re-release Walk of Life with good promotion and then The Tide is High would have possibly performed well like all her other singles - apart from Walk of Life - which all hit the top 5 on the UK singles charts.

[edit] Atomic Kitten

“The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)”
Single by Atomic Kitten from the album Feels So Good, The Lizzie McGuire Movie soundtrack and Atomic Kitten
Released	August 26, 2002
Format	CD
Genre	Pop, Bubblegum pop
Length	3:54
Label	Virgin Records
Certification	Platinum (RIANZ)
Atomic Kitten singles chronology
"It's OK!" (2001) "The Tide Is High" (2002) "The Last Goodbye"/"Be with You" (2002)

"The Tide Is High" was covered again by the British vocal trio Atomic Kitten and again reached number one in the UK in September, 2002. This time, the song was remade with keyboards to make it more pop-oriented. Their version of the song also added a new bridge, hence the subtitle "Get the Feeling". The full song was played during the opening credits of The Lizzie McGuire Movie, and was used for a TV commercial for Japanese beer company, Asahi Breweries. There are two versions of the single.

[edit] Tracklist

1. "The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)" (Radio Mix) — 3:28
2. "The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)" (Groove Brothers 12inch Remix) — 5:27
3. "The Tide Is High (Get the Feeling)" (Lasgo Remix) — 5:40

[edit] Charts

[edit] Kardinal Offishall

“Numba 1 (Tide Is High)”
Single by Kardinal Offishall featuring Keri Hilson from the album Not 4 Sale
Released	September 2008 (Radio) October 14, 2008 (iTunes)
Format	Digital download, CD single, 12" single
Recorded	2008
Genre	Canadian hip hop, Dancehall, Pop rap
Length	3:41
Label	Kon Live/Geffen/Black Jays
Writer(s)	J. Harrow, D. Chin-Quee, J. Holt
Producer	Supa Dups
Kardinal Offishall singles chronology
"Dangerous" (2008) "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)" (2008)
Keri Hilson singles chronology
"Return the Favor" (2008) "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)" (2008) "Turnin' Me On" (2008)

"Numba 1 (Tide Is High)" is the latest version of "The Tide Is High", performed by Kardinal Offishall featuring Keri Hilson. Produced by Supa Dups, the song was released in September 2008 as the second official single from Kardinal's album Not 4 Sale. It was released by iTunes on October 14, 2008.

Aside from the album version, which features Rihanna, there are three other versions of "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)". The second is the original version, featuring Nicole Scherzinger. The third version features Rihanna and Nicole Scherzinger. The fourth version is the official single and features Keri Hilson. There is also a mash-up version which features Rihanna, Nicole Scherzinger and Keri Hilson.

The music video premiered on October 24 at Yahoo! Music.^[17] The video is directed by Gil Green, and Akon makes a cameo appearance.^[18] The song "Nina" is featured at the end of the video.

[edit] Track listing

1. "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)" (featuring Keri Hilson) — 3:41

[edit] Remixes

• "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)" (featuring David Banner and Alfamega)^[19]
• "Numba 1 (Tide Is High)" (featuring Barrington Levy and Busta Rhymes)^[19]

[edit] Charts

¹Rihanna and Nicole Scherzinger versions

[edit] Other covers

• In 1978, the song was covered by Gregory Isaacs.
• In 1980, the song was covered by Top of the Poppers.
• In 1995, the song was covered by Sinitta.
• In 1996, the song was covered by Papa Dee.
• In 1996, a Spanish version, "La numero uno", was covered by Nydia Rojas.
• In 1997, the song was covered by Angelina.^[24]
• In 2001, the song was covered by Seeed.
• In 2003, the song's chorus melody was adapted as a horn line in the "long holiday" part of Suburban Legends' "Bright Spring Morning."
• In 2006, the song was covered by The Selecter.

[edit] Charts

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Classic tracks: Blondie's "The Tide Is High" (article on how the remake was created)