Stir It Up

"Stir It Up" is a song composed by Bob Marley in 1967 and first recorded by his group The Wailers that year and issued as a single. The song 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"
Single by Johnny Nash
from the album I Can See Clearly Now
B-side	"Cream Puff"
Released	15 January 1973[1]
Recorded	1972
Genre	Rocksteady (proto-reggae)
Length	5:34
Label	Epic
Songwriter(s)	Bob Marley
Johnny Nash singles chronology
"Cupid" (1969) "Stir It Up" (1973) "I Can See Clearly Now" (1972)

"Stir It Up"
Single by Bob Marley & The Wailers
from the album Catch a Fire
Released	1973
Recorded	1972
Genre	Rocksteady reggae
Label	Wail'n Soul'm
Songwriter(s)	Bob Marley
Producer(s)	Bob Marley and the Wailers
Bob Marley & The Wailers singles chronology
"Dog Teeth" (1972) "Stir It Up" (1973) "Concrete Jungle" (1973)

The Wailers performed the song on The Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973 during their first trip to the UK.[2]

"Stir It Up" was Marley's first successful song outside Jamaica. Another song written by Bob Marley, "I Shot The Sheriff", was made a hit by Eric Clapton on the album 461 Ocean Boulevard, July 1974. Marley's first "own" international hit, "No Woman No Cry", was released on the Bob Marley and the Wailers album Live!, December 1975.

Chart history (Johnny Nash cover)

Weekly charts Chart (1972–73) Peak position Australia KMR 48 Canada RPM Top Singles 7 Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[3] 4 Ireland (IRMA)[4] 13 UK (OCC) 13 US Billboard Hot 100[5] 12 US Billboard Adult Contemporary[6] 6 US Cash Box Top 100 11

Year-end charts Chart (1973) Rank Canada [7] 118 US Billboard Hot 100[8] 91 US Cash Box [9] 81

The Black Sorrows' version

"Stir It Up"
Single by The Black Sorrows
from the album The Chosen Ones - Greatest Hits
Released	September 1, 1993
Genre	Blues rock
Length	3:34
Label	CBS
Songwriter(s)	Bob Marley
Producer(s)	Joe Camilleri
The Black Sorrows singles chronology
"Sweet Inspiration" (1993) "Stir It Up" (1993) "Snake Skin Shoes" (1994)

In September 1993, Australian band The Black Sorrows released a version of the song. It became a hit, peaking at number 20 in New Zealand, the band's highest charting single in that territory. 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.

Track listing

CD single (Columbia 660 105-2)

1. "Stir It Up" – 3:34
2. "Ain't Love the Strangest Thing" (acoustic) – 4:10
3. "Come On, Come On" (acoustic) – 2:50

Charts

Chart (1993–94)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[10]	58
Germany (Official German Charts)[11]	53
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[12]	20

References

1. http://www.45cat.com/record/510949
2. The Old Grey Whistle Test (DVD). Warner Home Video. 2003.
3. RPM Adult Contemporary, May 5, 1973
4. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Stir It Up". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved November 15, 2017.
5. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955-1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
6. Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 171.
7. Canada, Library and Archives (July 13, 2017). "Image : RPM Weekly".
8. Musicoutfitters.com
9. "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 29, 1973". Archived from the original on July 15, 2014. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
10. Ryan, Gavin (2011). Australia's Music Charts 1988-2010. Mt. Martha, VIC, Australia: Moonlight Publishing.
11. "Offiziellecharts.de – The Black Sorrows – Stir It Up". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved August 5, 2016.
12. "Charts.nz – The Black Sorrows – Stir It Up". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 5, 2016.