| Double Barrel | |
| Cover: | Double Barrel.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Dave and Ansil Collins |
| Album: | Double Barrel |
| B-Side: | "Double Barrel (Version 2)" (Techniques), "Double Barrel (Instrumental)" (Big Tree) |
| Released: | August 1970 (UK),[1] May 1971 (US)[2] |
| Genre: | Reggae, ska |
| Label: | Techniques, Big Tree |
| Producer: | Winston Riley |
| Next Title: | Monkey Spanner |
| Next Year: | 1971 |
"Double Barrel" is a 1970 reggae single by Dave and Ansell Collins (though credited in both the UK and the U.S. to 'Dave and Ansil Collins'). It was the second reggae tune to top the UK charts, two years after Desmond Dekker's number 1 breakthrough hit "Israelites".[3] The record reached number 1 on the UK Singles Chart for the first two weeks in May 1971, selling 300,000 copies, after only 33 radio plays.[4] In the U.S., "Double Barrel" peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 the week of 7 August 1971[5] [6] and number 4 on WLS on 28 June 1971,[7] two years to the week after "Israelites" made a nearly identical climb to peak at the same position on the same chart.[8] The record also reached number 1 in Mexico on October 23, 1971 and number 8 in Australia.
Written and produced by Winston Riley, former vocalist of The Techniques,[9] the single featured the vocals of Dave Barker, who had been recording in Jamaica for around five years, principally for Clement "Coxsone" Dodd and Lee Perry. This song marked the first appearance on record by Sly Dunbar, later of Sly & Robbie fame, on drums. He was just 18 at the time. A significant portion of the tune bears a strong resemblance to Ramsey Lewis' 1967 song "Party Time" (on Chess).[10] From the very beginning of the cold intro, the lyrics are punctuated throughout by the unusual claim "I am the magnificent W-O-O-O" (and variants thereof), but the title never appears.
| Chart (1970–71) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (Kent Music Report)[11] | 8 |
| Mexico (Radio Mil)[12] | 1 |
It was sampled in 2012 GOOD Music song "The One".[14]