"Waiting in Vain"
Single by Bob Marley & the Wailers
from the album Exodus
B-side"Roots"
Released1977
GenreReggae
Length4:15
LabelTuff Gong, Island
Songwriter(s)Bob Marley
Bob Marley & the Wailers singles chronology
"Exodus"
(1977) 		"Waiting in Vain"
(1977) 		"Jamming" / "Punky Reggae Party"
(1977)
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.[1]

Musicians

Charts

Chart (1977–1984) Peak
position
UK Singles Chart[2] 27 (1977)
UK Singles Chart[2] 31 (1984)

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[3] Gold 400,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

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.[4]

Charts

Chart (1993) Peak
position
US R&B chart[4] 54

Annie Lennox version

"Waiting in Vain"
Single by Annie Lennox
from the album Medusa
Released18 September 1995 (1995-09-18)[5]
Length5:41
LabelArista
Songwriter(s)Bob Marley
Producer(s)Stephen Lipson
Annie Lennox singles chronology
"A Whiter Shade of Pale"
(1995) 		"Waiting in Vain"
(1995) 		"Something So Right"
(1995)
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.TitleLength
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[6] 31

References

  1. ^ "Waiting in vain acoustic version". Youtube.
  2. ^ a b David Roberts (ed.): Guinness World Records – British Hit Singles and Albums, 19th ed., 2006, ISBN 1-904994-10-5
  3. ^ "British single certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Waiting in Vain". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  4. ^ a b "Lee Ritenour Chart History". Billboard.
  5. ^ "New Releases: Singles". Music Week. 16 September 1995. p. 49.
  6. ^ UK Singles Chart Official Charts Company (Retrieved 29 March 2008)
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