Waiting in Vain
| "Waiting in Vain" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Bob Marley & the Wailers | ||||
| from the album Exodus | ||||
| B-side | "Roots" | |||
| Released | 1977 | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Length | 4:15 | |||
| Label | Tuff Gong, Island | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley | |||
| Bob Marley & the Wailers singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Waiting in Vain" on YouTube | ||||
"Waiting in Vain" is a song written by reggae musician Bob Marley and recorded by Bob Marley and the Wailers, for their 1977 album Exodus. Released as a single, it reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart.
The single was one of only a few of Marley's Island singles to feature a non-album B-side, this being the song "Roots", an outtake from the Rastaman Vibration sessions. This later appeared on the compilation Rebel Music and on Exodus (Deluxe Edition). The 1981 reissue of Waiting in Vain featured a megamix called Marley Mix Up Medley instead.
A rare 19-minute long acoustic version is available on YouTube.[1]
Musicians
[edit]- Bob Marley: lead and backing vocals, guitars
- Junior Marvin: electric guitars
- Aston Barrett: basses
- Carlton Barrett: drums
- Tyrone Downie: synthesizer, electric piano, organ and backing vocals
- Alvin "Seeco" Patterson: percussions
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1977–1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[2] | 27 (1977) |
| UK Singles (OCC)[2] | 31 (1984) |
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[3] | 2× Platinum | 60,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[4] | Gold | 400,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Lee Ritenour version
[edit]In 1993, American Jazz guitarist Lee Ritenour recorded his version of the song featuring British reggae artist Maxi Priest. It was also included on his 21st album Wes Bound. The single peaked at number 54 in the US R&B chart.[5]
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US R&B chart[5] | 54 |
Annie Lennox version
[edit]| "Waiting in Vain" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) | ||||
| Single by Annie Lennox | ||||
| from the album Medusa | ||||
| Released | 18 September 1995[6] | |||
| Studio | The Aquarium (London)[7] | |||
| Length | 5:41 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley | |||
| Producer(s) | Stephen Lipson | |||
| Annie Lennox singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Waiting in Vain" on YouTube | ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Waiting in Vain" on YouTube | ||||
"Waiting in Vain" was recorded by Scottish Annie Lennox for her second studio album Medusa in 1995, 18 years after Marley recorded it. It was released as the album's third single in 1995 and reached number thirty-one on the UK Singles Chart.
Background and release
[edit]Lennox recorded the song at The Aquarium Studios in London.[7] The song was noted for its production style, particularly in its ability to deliberately not "recreate the ultra-relaxed vibe" of Marley's version. Instead, Lennox's version was described as "smooth and lovely during the verses, with a simple electronic rhythm, keyboards and beautiful lines of acoustic guitar".[8]
Produced by Stephen Lipson, "Waiting in Vain" was released as the third official single from Lennox's second solo studio album Diva, which consisted entirely of cover versions. It followed the first two singles from Diva – ""No More 'I Love You's'"" and "A Whiter Shade of Pale", both of which achieved commercial success. Whilst it reached the top forty in the United Kingdom, it failed to match the commercial success of the previous two singles.
In popular culture
[edit]Lennox's version was used in the 2001 film Serendipity, the 2002 film Changing Lanes and the 2003 film In the Cut. Additionally, the song was featured in the final episode of the Peter Kay BBC comedy series Car Share as a track on the fictional radio station, Forever FM.[9]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Waiting in Vain" (Single Mix) | 4:07 |
| 2. | "No More 'I Love You's'" (Junior Vasquez Mix) | 7:32 |
| 3. | "Waiting in Vain" (Strong Body Mix) | 5:27 |
| 4. | "Medusa" (Interview excerpts) | 5:01 |
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[10] | 31 |
| Australian Singles Chart[11] | 117 |
References
[edit]- ^ "Waiting in vain acoustic version". Youtube.
- ^ a b David Roberts (ed.): Guinness World Records – British Hit Singles and Albums, 19th ed., 2006, ISBN 1-904994-10-5
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Bob Marley And The Wailers – Waiting in Vain". Radioscope. Retrieved 6 April 2025. Type Waiting in Vain in the "Search:" field.
- ^ "British single certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Waiting in Vain". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- ^ a b "Lee Ritenour Chart History". Billboard.
- ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 16 September 1995. p. 49.
- ^ a b Medusa (liner notes). Annie Lennox. RCA Records. 1995. 74321257172.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Gerard, Chris (10 February 2015). "Annie Lennox's "Medusa," 20 Years Later". Metro Weekly. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- ^ "Peter Kay's Car Share: All the music played on Forever FM". Smooth. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
- ^ UK Singles Chart Official Charts Company (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
- ^ "ARIA Chart Peaks". Wayback Machine. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
