| Artist | the Chi-Lites |
|---|---|
| Album | Chi-Lites |
| Released | 1973 |
| Genre | Soul |
| Length | 3:35 |
| Label | Brunswick |
| Writer |
|
| Producer | Eugene Record |
| Prev year | 1973 |
| Next year | 1974 |
"Homely Girl" is a song by American vocal group the Chi-Lites. Released in 1973, it reached number five on the UK Singles Chart, number three on the US Hot Soul Singles chart, and number 54 on the US Billboard Hot 100. A cover by UB40 also became a hit between 1989 and 1991 in several countries.
Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (RPM)[2] | 98 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[3] | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[4] | 54 |
| US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)[5] | 3 |
UB40 version
| Cover | Homely_girl.jpg |
|---|---|
| Artist | UB40 |
| Album | Labour of Love II |
| B-side | "Gator" (instrumental) |
| Released | November 6, 1989[1] |
| Length | 3:22 |
| Label | Virgin |
| Writer | Eugene Record · Stan McKenny |
| Producer | UB40 |
| Prev year | 1989 |
| Next year | 1989 |
A cover version by UB40, from their ninth studio album, Labour of Love II (1989), was released as a single on November 6, 1989, in the United Kingdom. This cover reached the top 10 in the UK, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. In France, the song was used in a television advertisement for the Lee Cooper jeans.[6] David Giles of Music Week deemed "Homely Girl" as "UB40's best for a while", adding: "It's a mark of a truly great band to be able to perform a cover version so convincingly that you end up thinking they've written it themselves".[7]
Track listings
7-inch single
- "Homely Girl" – 3:22
- "Gator" (instrumental) – 4:01
12-inch single
- "Homely Girl" (extended mix) – 7:29
- "Gator" (instrumental) – 4:01
- "Homely Girl" – 3:22
CD single
- "Homely Girl" – 3:22
- "Gator" (instrumental) – 4:01
- "Homely Girl" (extended mix) – 7:29
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1989–1991) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[8] | 52 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[9] | 19 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[10] | 30 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1989) | Position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[11] | 90 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[12] | 73 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[13] | 94 |
| Chart (1990) | Position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[14] | 99 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[15] | 58 |
Other versions
In 1974, Jackie Robinson, lead singer of the Pioneers, released a cover version in the UK on Trojan Records' subsidiary label Harry J.[citation needed] It was this reggae version that inspired UB40, whose "Labour of Love" albums are cover versions of reggae tracks of the 1960s and 1970s.
References
- ^ "New Singles". Music Week. November 4, 1989. p. 45. Retrieved June 30, 2021.
- ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles - June 4, 1974"
- ^ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved September 6, 2022.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 164.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: 1942-2004. Record Research. p. 117.
- ^ King, Alex P. (2004). Hit-parade — 20 ans de tubes (in French). Paris: Pascal. p. 347. ISBN 2-35019-009-9.
- ^ Giles, David (18 November 1989). "Singles". Music Week. p. 43 in the PDF. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- ^ p. 288.
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles". Music & Media. Vol. 6, no. 50. December 16, 1989. p. V. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ^ Pennanen, Timo (2021). "UB40". Sisältää hitin - 2. laitos Levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla 1.1.1960–30.6.2021. Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 268. Retrieved June 22, 2022.
- ^ "Top 100–Jaaroverzicht van 1989" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1989" (in Dutch). MegaCharts. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ "Year End Singles". Record Mirror. January 27, 1990. p. 44.
- ^ "Jaaroverzichten 1990" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Retrieved July 13, 2020.
- ^ "Single top 100 over 1990" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved April 12, 2010.