I Can See Clearly Now

"I Can See Clearly Now"
Single by Johnny Nash
from the album I Can See Clearly Now
B-side "How Good It Is"
Released June 23, 1972
Format 7" single
Recorded 1971
Genre Reggae, soul, funk
Length 2:45
Label Epic
Songwriter(s) Johnny Nash
Producer(s) Johnny Nash
Johnny Nash singles chronology
"Stir It Up"
(1972)		 "I Can See Clearly Now"
(1972)		 "There Are More Questions Than Answers"
(1972)

"Stir It Up"
(1972)		 "I Can See Clearly Now"
(1972)		 "There Are More Questions Than Answers"
(1972)

"I Can See Clearly Now" is a song originally recorded by Johnny Nash. It was a single from the album of the same name and achieved success in the United States and the United Kingdom when it was released in 1972, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was covered by many artists throughout the years, including a 1993 hit version by Jimmy Cliff, who re-recorded the song for the motion picture soundtrack of Cool Runnings, where it reached the top 20 at No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Writing and recording

After Nash wrote and composed the original version, he recorded it in London with members of the Fabulous Five Inc.,[1] and produced it himself. Its arrangements and style are both heavily laced with reggae influences. Nash had collaborated with Bob Marley in the past,[2] and his approach drew strongly from Marley's reggae style.

Track listings

7" single
  1. "I Can See Clearly Now" – 2:44
  2. "How Good It Is" – 2:38
7" single
  1. "I Can See Clearly Now" – 2:44
  2. "Cupid" – 3:30

Chart performance

After making modest chart advances for a month, the RIAA-certified gold single unexpectedly took only two weeks to vault from No. 20 to No. 5 to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 4, 1972, remaining atop this chart for four weeks, and also spent the same four weeks atop the adult contemporary chart.[3]

Certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
United States (RIAA)[14] Gold 1,000,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

Jimmy Cliff version

Reggae singer Jimmy Cliff recorded a cover of the song for the 1993 movie Cool Runnings.[15] It was released as a single in 1993, reaching No. 18 on the Billboard Hot 100. It was Cliff's first single to make the Hot 100 in 25 years, and is his highest-charting single in the United States. The song reached number one in France, Iceland and New Zealand. The music video for this version was directed by Academy Award nominated film director, Scott Hamilton Kennedy.[16]

"I Can See Clearly Now"
Single by Jimmy Cliff
from the album Cool Runnings soundtrack
B-side "Sweet Jamaica" by Tony Rebel
Released 1993
Format CD single
Recorded 1993
Genre Pop-reggae
Length 3:16
Label Chaos
Songwriter(s) Johnny Nash
Producer(s) Paul Henton

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart (1993–1994) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[17] 17
Canada (RPM)[18] 16
France (SNEP)[19] 1
Germany (Official German Charts)[20] 52
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[21] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[22] 39
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[23] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[24] 23
US Billboard Hot 100[25] 18
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[26] 9
US Adult Contemporary Recurrents (Billboard)[8] 2
US Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles (Billboard)[27] 11
US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[28] 98
US Mainstream Top 40 (Billboard)[29] 7

Year-end charts

Chart (1994) Position
France (SNEP)[30] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[31] 14
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[32] 66

Sales and certifications

Region CertificationCertified units/Sales
France (SNEP)[33] Silver 285,000[34]

Other covers

The song also appears in various other films, such as Grosse Pointe Blank, The Break-up, Thelma & Louise, Antz, Deep Blue Sea, Envy, Hitch, Igor, Shrek 2's "Far Far Away Idol," "Viktor Vogel – Commercial Man," and Jennifer's Body, as well in a 2009 advertisement for Lipton in the Middle East and Russia. It is also briefly sung by Cheech in the movie Up in Smoke.

It has also been covered by these artists:

In November 2002, the song was featured prominently in "The Freak," an episode of the NBC police drama television series Boomtown.

In November 2016, a cover version of the song by the Hothouse Flowers was featured in the premiere episode of British Motoring show, The Grand Tour, causing the song to reach the number 1 position on the iTunes's Top 40 UK Rock Song chart in late 2016.

References

  1. ↑ Stephen Nye. ""The Fabulous Five"". Trojan Records. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  2. ↑ Campbell, Howard (February 3, 2012). "Bob Marley: the American connection". The Jamaica Observer. Retrieved August 30, 2018.
  3. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (1996). The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits, 6th Edition (Billboard Publications).
  4. 1 2 Steffen Hung. "Forum - 1970 (ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts)". Australian-charts.com. Archived from the original on 2016-06-02. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  5. ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie Archived 2009-06-03 at WebCite (Retrieved August 9, 2008)
  6. ↑ "flavour of new zealand - search listener". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  7. ↑ UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved August 1, 2008)
  8. 1 2 3 Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved August 9, 2008)
  9. ↑ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1972-11-25. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  10. ↑ UK Singles Chart (1989 release) Chartstats.com (Retrieved August 1, 2008)
  11. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 16, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2013.
  12. ↑ "Top 100 1972 - UK Music Charts". Uk-charts.top-source.info. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  13. ↑ "Top 100 Hits of 1972/Top 100 Songs of 1972". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved 2016-10-07.
  14. ↑ "American single certifications – Johnny Nash – I Can See Clearly Now". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
  15. ↑ King, Alex P. (2004). Hit-parade – 20 ans de tubes (in French). Paris: Pascal. p. 341. ISBN 2-35019-009-9.
  16. ↑ "Kennedy, Scott Hamilton - Environmental Film Festival". Environmental Film Festival. Retrieved 2018-07-30.
  17. ↑ "Australian-charts.com – Jimmy Cliff – I Can See Clearly Now". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  18. ↑ "Canadian RPM - Top Singles - Volume 58, No. 24, December 25, 1993". RPM. 1993. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  19. ↑ "Lescharts.com – Jimmy Cliff – I Can See Clearly Now" (in French). Les classement single.
  20. ↑ "Musicline.de – Jimmy Cliff Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  21. ↑ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (14.04.1994 - 20.04.1994)" (PDF). Dagblaðið Vísir - Tónlist. Retrieved 2018-03-13.
  22. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – Jimmy Cliff" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
  23. ↑ "Charts.nz – Jimmy Cliff – I Can See Clearly Now". Top 40 Singles.
  24. ↑ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  25. ↑ "Jimmy Cliff Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  26. ↑ "Jimmy Cliff Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard.
  27. ↑ Billboard Allmusic.com (Retrieved August 9, 2008)
  28. ↑ "Jimmy Cliff Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard.
  29. ↑ "Jimmy Cliff Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  30. ↑ 1994 French Singles Chart Disqueenfrance.com Archived 2011-08-20 at the Wayback Machine. (Retrieved January 30, 2009)
  31. ↑ "End of Year Charts 1994". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 3, 2017.
  32. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 - 1994". Archived from the original on 2009-03-01. Retrieved 2010-08-27.
  33. ↑ "French single certifications – Jimmy Cliff – I Can See" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  34. ↑ "Les Singles en Argent :" (in French). Infodisc.fr. Retrieved 17 August 2013.
  35. ↑ Eder, Bruce. "Imagination". allmusic. Macrovision Corporation. Retrieved 2008-01-22. I Can See Clearly Now - Nash
  36. ↑ "Home". Retrieved 2008-01-22. Released: 1990 [...] composed by [...] 7. Johnny Nash
  37. ↑ "So Strong overview". Allmusic.com.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.