Rat in Mi Kitchen
1987 single by UB40
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"Rat in Mi Kitchen" is a song written and performed by British reggae and pop group UB40. It features Herb Alpert on trumpet [3] and is the sixth track on their album 1986 Rat in the Kitchen. Released as a single on 5 January 1987, it reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart later the same month, staying on the chart for seven weeks.
| "Rat in Mi Kitchen" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by UB40 | ||||
| from the album Rat in the Kitchen | ||||
| B-side | "Rat in Mi Kitchen" (version)[1] | |||
| Released | 5 January 1987[2] | |||
| Length | 6:58 | |||
| Label | DEP International | |||
| Songwriter | UB40 | |||
| Producer | UB40 | |||
| UB40 singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Official audio | ||||
| "Rat in Mi Kitchen" on YouTube | ||||
Although "Rat in Mi Kitchen" is attributed to the whole group, like many UB40 songs, it was written by Astro. At the time, lead singer Ali Campbell had moved into a new home in Balsall Heath, Birmingham and was troubled by rodents. When asked by Astro if he had any ideas for new songs he replied, "Oh God, I don't care about the album for a minute, I've got a rat in the kitchen!" Astro, who sings lead vocals on the song, wrote the track in response.[4]
The sleeve artwork is by Bob Linney.[5]
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] | 84 |
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[7] | 4 |
| Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[8] | 23 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[9] | 7 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[10] | 7 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[11] | 7 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12] | 45 |
| UK Singles (OCC)[13] | 12 |
Year-end charts
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[17] | Gold | 15,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[18] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
