Roll It Gal

"Roll It Gal"
Single by Alison Hinds
from the album Soca Queen
Released	2005 (Barbados) 3 September 2007 (UK)
Format	CD single digital download 7" single
Recorded	2005 (Slam City Recording Studios, Barbados)
Genre	Calypso R&B
Length	3:58
Label	RCG Black Coral 1720 Entertainment
Writer(s)	Shelton Benjamin Shontelle Layne
Producer(s)	Shelshok

"Roll It Gal" (otherwise known as "Roll It") is a song written by Shontelle Layne and Sheldon Benjamin, containing a sample of Benjamin's "Big Love". The song was originally recorded by soca singer Alison Hinds and was taken from her debut album Soca Queen. The single was released by Hinds in 2005 in Barbados and in the United Kingdom in 2007. A music video was produced for Hinds' version of the song in 2005.^[1] The Hinds version of "Roll It Gal" shot to the top of the charts in Barbados, Trinidad and throughout the Caribbean.^[2]

In 2007 a re-worked cover of the song entitled "Roll It" was released in several European countries. This version was performed by J-Status and featured Shontelle, who assisted in writing both versions of the song, and Rihanna.

Original version

Track listings

UK CD single

1. "Roll It Gal" (original/main mix – radio edit) – 3:35
2. "Roll It Gal" (Rishi Rich mix) – 3:29
3. "Roll It Gal" (Machel Montano mix)
4. "Roll It Gal" (Sunland mix)
5. "Roll It Gal" (video)

UK 7" vinyl

1. "Roll It Gal" (original/main mix – radio edit)
2. "Roll It Gal" (Rishi Rich mix)
3. "Roll It Gal" (Sunland mix)

Download remix EP

1. "Roll It Gal" (album version) – 3:58
2. "Roll It Gal" (featuring Machel Montano) – 5:08
3. "Roll It Gal" (featuring Doug E Fresh) – 4:50
4. "Roll It Gal" (Disco Ball remix) – 5:10
5. "Roll It Gal" (Reggaeton remix) – 3:50
6. "Roll It Gal" (Rishi Rich mix)

Charts

Chart (2007–08)[3]	Peak position
UK Singles Chart	135

J-Status version

"Roll It"
Single by J-Status featuring Rihanna and Shontelle
from the album The Beginning
Released	18 March 2007
Format	CD single digital download
Recorded	2006 (2 Hard Studios, Kingston, Jamaica)
Genre	Reggae R&B
Length	3:58
Label	SRP Recordings
Writer(s)	Benjamin Layne
Producer(s)	Evan Rogers Carl Sturken
J-Status singles chronology "Roll It" (2007) Rihanna singles chronology "Break It Off" (2006) "Roll It" (2007) "Umbrella" (2007) Shontelle singles chronology "Roll It" (2007) "T-Shirt" (2008)

Shontelle and Sheldon Benjamin, the composers of "Roll It Gal" re-wrote and re-produced the song for the band J-Status, changing the lyrics from being about female empowerment to more sexual lyrics, re-titling the song to "Roll It". The J-Status version is taken from their debut album The Beginning, released in several European countries only. The J-Status version is performed with Rihanna and Shontelle herself.

Track listing

CD

1. "Roll It" (featuring Rihanna and Shontelle) (radio version) – 3:32
2. "Roll It" (featuring Rihanna and Shontelle) (main version) – 3:58
3. "Roll It" (instrumental) – 3:23
4. "Roll It" (featuring Rihanna and Shontelle) (Reggaeton Gemstar version) – 4:10
5. "Roll It" (featuring Rihanna and Shontelle) (Sunset Strippers remix) – 7:42
6. "Roll It" (featuring Rihanna and Shontelle) (video)

Charts

Chart (2007–08)[4]	Peak position
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[5]	8
Germany (Official German Charts)[6]	33
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[7]	89

Shontelle version

"Roll"
"Roll" cover
Song by Shontelle from the album Shontelligence
Released	2008
Format	Digital download
Recorded	2008
Genre	Reggae fusion reggae dancehall R&B
Length	3:30
Label	Motown
Writer	Layne
Producer	StarGate
Shontelligence track listing "Cold Cold Summer" (4) "Roll" (5) "Life Is Not an Easy Road" (6)

In 2007, Shontelle finally recorded her own version of "Roll It" and it later appeared on her debut studio album Shontelligence (2008).

Shontelle's version was issued via various download sites on 14 August 2007 but was not promoted as an official single.^[8] It was re-titled "Roll" for the download release but appeared as "Roll It" on her debut album. Shontelle's version of the song contains slightly different lyrics and production, closer to the Alison Hinds' recording rather than the J-Status version.

The song was used in an episode from the fifth season of Grey's Anatomy.

Track listing

Digital download^[9]

1. "Roll" – 3:30

References

1. Alison Hinds - "Roll It Gal" video on YouTube
2. Archived December 15, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
3. Chart Log UK – Chart Coverage and Record Sales 2007 = Alison Hinds- Roll It Gal
4. J-status and Rihanna - Roll It - Music Charts
5. "J-Status feat. Rihanna: Roll It" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
6. "Musicline.de – J-Status Feat.Rihanna Single-Chartverfolgung" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
7. "Swisscharts.com – J-Status feat. Rihanna – Roll It". Swiss Singles Chart.
8. Roll - Single by Shontelle - Single on iTunes
9. Shontelle - Roll MP3 Downloads - 7digital