How a 1967 Jamaican rocksteady track became a global pop music chameleon
In short: Originally a soulful rocksteady song by The Paragons, The Tide Is High has been reinvented across decades. From Blondie’s new wave reggae-pop hit in 1980 to Atomic Kitten’s chart-topping 2002 cover and Kardinal Offishall’s 2008 dancehall-infused hip-hop update, the song remains a rare, enduring bridge between genres and generations.
The song began in 1967 as a rocksteady track by the Jamaican vocal trio The Paragons, produced by Duke Reid. Featuring the violin work of Raymond, known as White Rum, the original recording captured a specific island sound that gained further traction in 1971 through a deejay version by U-Roy. It was not until 1980 that the song achieved massive international recognition, when the American band Blondie released a new wave cover. Their version, which incorporated horns and strings, reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 and the UK singles chart, solidifying its status as a pop standard.
The song's versatility allowed for a radical transformation in 2002 by the British girl group Atomic Kitten. Their version, subtitled Get the Feeling, added a new bridge and leaned into a polished, commercial sound. While it became the group's third and final UK number one single and sold over 1.5 million copies worldwide, it also drew sharp criticism; David Cheal of The Daily Telegraph famously labeled it one of the top five awful cover versions, arguing it lacked the soulfulness of its predecessors. The music video, notable for featuring a pregnant Natasha Hamilton, utilized green screen technology to create its distinct visual style.
By 2008, the song underwent another evolution when Canadian rapper Kardinal Offishall released Numba 1 (Tide Is High). Produced by Supa Dups, this iteration was a percussive, dancehall-infused hip-hop update that featured various guest vocalists depending on the region, including Keri Hilson, Rihanna, and Nicole Scherzinger. The song's ability to shift from the rocksteady roots of the 1960s to the digital-era hip-hop of the 2000s highlights its unique structural resilience. Whether through Blondie’s reggae-inflected pop or Atomic Kitten’s chart-topping production, the track has proven to be a remarkably adaptable piece of musical history.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: The Tide Is High
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