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.
Musicians
- 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
| Chart (1977–1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 27 (1977) |
| UK Singles Chart | 31 (1984) |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Gold | 400,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
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Lee Ritenour version
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.
Charts
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US R&B chart | 54 |
Annie Lennox version
| "Waiting in Vain" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Annie Lennox | ||||
| from the album Medusa | ||||
| Released | 18 September 1995 | |||
| Length | 5:41 | |||
| Label | Arista | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Bob Marley | |||
| Producer(s) | Stephen Lipson | |||
| Annie Lennox singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Waiting in Vain" on YouTube | ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Waiting in Vain" on YouTube | ||||
"Waiting in Vain" was recorded by Annie Lennox for her 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. Lennox's version was used in the 2001 film Serendipity, the 2002 film Changing Lanes, the 2003 film In the Cut, and the final episode of Peter Kay's Car Share in 2018.
Track listing
| 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
| Chart (1995) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 31 |