"Stir It Up" is a song composed by Bob Marley in 1967 and first recorded by the group Bob Marley and the Wailers that year and issued as a single. It was later covered by American singer Johnny Nash on his 1972 album I Can See Clearly Now. The following year, Marley and the Wailers re-recorded the song for their album Catch a Fire.
"Stir It Up" | |
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Single by Bob Marley & The Wailers | |
B-side | "This Train" |
Released | |
Recorded | 1967 |
Genre | Rocksteady |
Label | Trojan |
Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley |
Producer(s) | The Wailers |
"Stir It Up" | ||||
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Single by Johnny Nash | ||||
from the album I Can See Clearly Now | ||||
B-side | "Cream Puff" | |||
Released | UK: March 1972, US:15 January 1973[3] | |||
Recorded | 1971 | |||
Genre | Rocksteady (proto-reggae) | |||
Length | 3:02 | |||
Label | Epic | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley | |||
Johnny Nash singles chronology | ||||
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The band performed "Stir It Up" on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973 during their first trip to the UK, singing live over a Chris Blackwell overdubbed backing track.[4]
"Stir It Up" was the first Marley-written song to be successful outside Jamaica. Another tune written by Bob Marley, "I Shot The Sheriff", was covered by Eric Clapton on the album 461 Ocean Boulevard, July 1974. Marley's first international hit recorded by him, "No Woman, No Cry", was released on the Bob Marley and the Wailers album Live!, December 1975.
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI)[5] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
Weekly charts edit
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Year-end charts edit
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"Stir It Up" | ||||
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Single by The Black Sorrows | ||||
from the album The Chosen Ones - Greatest Hits | ||||
Released | September 1, 1993 | |||
Length | 3:34 | |||
Label | CBS | |||
Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley | |||
Producer(s) | Joe Camilleri | |||
The Black Sorrows singles chronology | ||||
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In September 1993, Australian band The Black Sorrows released a version of the song. It became a hit, peaking at number 58 in Australia, number 20 in New Zealand (where it is the band's highest charting single), and number nine in Iceland. At the ARIA Music Awards of 1994, Joe Camilleri was nominated for Producer of the Year for his work on this song, losing out to Tony Cohen.
CD single (Columbia 660 105-2)
Chart (1993–1994) | Peak position |
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Australia (ARIA)[13] | 58 |
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[14] | 9 |
Germany (Official German Charts)[15] | 53 |
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] | 20 |
"Stir It Up" | ||||
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Single by Haddaway | ||||
from the album The Album | ||||
Released | 1994 | |||
Length | 4:16 | |||
Label | ||||
Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley | |||
Producer(s) |
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Haddaway singles chronology | ||||
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In 1994, Trinidadian-German Eurodance artist Haddaway released his version of "Stir It Up" as the second single from his debut album, The Album (1993). It was only released in the US.
Troy J. Augusto from Cash Box wrote, "Hot new Arista singer (where have we heard that one before?) Haddaway looks to recover from the disappointment of last single, "Life", with this solid cover of one of Bob Marley's most beloved songs. The cut's producers add a contemporary, almost techno-pop feel to the song (Marley's surely bumpin' in his grave!), but the tune's solid arrangement and Haddaway's likable voice translate to a crossover hit waiting to happen. Hit radio will stir it up soon."[17]