Oh Carolina
Encyclopedia
"Oh Carolina" is a song
made famous by Shaggy
, and released as the lead single from his debut album, Pure Pleasure
. Written
by John Folkes, produced
by Prince Buster
and performed by The Folkes Brothers
in 1960, "Oh Carolina" was a landmark single
in the development of reggae
music, especially as a result of its incorporation of African-influenced Niyabinghi-style drumming and chanting. The song was also recorded in 1973 by Count Ossie
(who also provided drumming for the original 1960 record) on his seminal roots reggae album Grounation. It was more recently revived in 1993 by Shaggy and produced by Sting International
, becoming an international hit
. It was the first of Shaggy's four UK
number one singles spending two weeks at the top in March 1993. The song fared less well in the U.S.
, peaking at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart
. 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. Following the success of the song, John Folkes was involved in a legal dispute with Prince Buster over the authorship. It was eventually settled in 1994 with Folkes being ruled as the copyright
holder.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
made famous by Shaggy
Shaggy (musician)
Orville Richard Burrell , better known by his stage name Shaggy, is a Jamaican-American reggae singer and rapper. He is perhaps best known for his 1995 single "Boombastic" and 2000 single "It Wasn't Me"...
, and released as the lead single from his debut album, Pure Pleasure
Pure Pleasure
Pure Pleasure is the debut album released by Jamaican rapper Shaggy. The album was released on August 24, 1993. The album spawned four singles: "Oh Carolina", which was a dancehall remake of a ska hit by the Folkes Brothers, reached number one on the UK Singles Chart; "Nice and Lovely", which...
. Written
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
by John Folkes, produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
by Prince Buster
Prince Buster
Cecil Bustamente Campbell, O.D. , better known as Prince Buster, and also known by his Muslim name Muhammed Yusef Ali, is a musician from Kingston, Jamaica. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in the history of ska and rocksteady music...
and performed by The Folkes Brothers
Folkes Brothers
The Folkes Brothers were a Jamaican mento group, composed of John, Mico, and Junior Folkes. Their 1960 single "Oh Carolina" was the first hit record produced by Prince Buster, and is regarded as a landmark in the history of ska and reggae music....
in 1960, "Oh Carolina" was a landmark single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in the development of reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
music, especially as a result of its incorporation of African-influenced Niyabinghi-style drumming and chanting. The song was also recorded in 1973 by Count Ossie
Count Ossie
Count Ossie, born Oswald Williams was a Jamaican drummer and band leader.-Biography:As a young boy Ossie grew up in a rasta community where he learned techniques of vocal chanting and hand drumming under the tutelage of Brother Job...
(who also provided drumming for the original 1960 record) on his seminal roots reggae album Grounation. It was more recently revived in 1993 by Shaggy and produced by Sting International
Shaun Pizzonia
Shaun Pizzonia a.k.a. Sting International or DJ Sting International is a DJ / record producer known for his production work with reggae artist Shaggy, including the #1 hits Angel, It Wasn't Me, Strength Of A Woman, Boombastic, Oh Carolina and more...
, becoming an international hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
. It was the first of Shaggy's four UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
number one singles spending two weeks at the top in March 1993. The song fared less well in the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, peaking at number 59 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
. The song received major crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
airplay on American alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
radio, and as a result the song peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart. Following the success of the song, John Folkes was involved in a legal dispute with Prince Buster over the authorship. It was eventually settled in 1994 with Folkes being ruled as the copyright
Copyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
holder.
Tracklisting
CD Single- "Oh Carolina" (Radio Version) – 3:12
- "Oh Carolina" (Raas Bumba Claat Version) – 3:50
- "Oh Carolina" (Uptown 10001 Version) – 3:18
- "Bow Wow Wow" – 3:41
Peak positions
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian ARIA Singles Chart | 5 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 2 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
6 |
| French SNEP Singles Chart | 33 |
| German Singles Chart | 3 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
1 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart | 2 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart | 4 |
| Swedish Singles Chart | 3 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 3 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
59 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Rap Singles | 43 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks | 14 |
End of year charts
| End of year chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australian Singles Chart | 34 |
| Austrian Singles Chart | 14 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 48 |
| Swiss Singles Chart | 29 |
Certifications
| Country | Certification | Date | Sales certified |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany | Gold | 1993 | 150,000 |
| UK | Gold | April 1, 1993 | 400,000 |