Who wrote “Red, Red Wine”?

Nov 16, 2023

“Red, Red Wine” is a song that has been covered by many artists over the years, but it was originally written and performed by Neil Diamond in 1967. The song is a slow, melancholy ballad about the singer’s use of red wine to drown his sorrows.

Diamond’s version of the song was a modest commercial success, reaching number 62 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. However, it was UB40’s reggae cover of the song in 1983 that catapulted the song to stardom. UB40’s version reached number one in the UK and the US, and it remains one of the band’s most popular songs to this day.

Diamond has said that he is happy that UB40 covered his song, and that he thinks their version is “great.” He has also performed the song with UB40 on several occasions.

Fun Fact: In A Beautiful Noise: The Neil Diamond Musical, “Red Red Wine” is performed by Aaron James McKenzie. To learn more, click here.