Homely Girl
1973 single by the Chi-Lites
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"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.
| "Homely Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by the Chi-Lites | ||||
| from the album Chi-Lites | ||||
| Released | 1973 | |||
| Genre | Soul | |||
| Length | 3:35 | |||
| Label | Brunswick | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | Eugene Record | |||
| The Chi-Lites singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Charts
| Chart (1973) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (RPM)[1] | 98 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[2] | 5 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 54 |
| US Best Selling Soul Singles (Billboard)[4] | 3 |
UB40 version
| "Homely Girl" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by UB40 | ||||
| from the album Labour of Love II | ||||
| B-side | "Gator" (instrumental) | |||
| Released | November 6, 1989[5] | |||
| Length | 3:22 | |||
| Label | Virgin | |||
| Songwriters |
| |||
| Producer | UB40 | |||
| UB40 singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
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 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] | 11 |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[10] | 19 |
| Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[11] | 30 |
| France (SNEP)[12] | 4 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[13] | 10 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[14] | 2 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[15] | 2 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[16] | 4 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[17] | 6 |
Year-end charts
Certifications
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.