UB40
Encyclopedia
UB40 are a British reggae
/pop
band formed in 1978 in Birmingham
. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart
, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.
Their hit single
s include their debut "Food for Thought
" and two U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number ones with "Red Red Wine
" and "Can't Help Falling in Love". Both of these also topped the UK Singles Chart
, as did the band's version of "I Got You Babe
".
. The name "UB40" was selected in reference to the document issued to people claiming unemployment benefit from the UK government
's Department of Health and Social Security
(DHSS) at the time of the band's formation. The designation UB40 stood for Unemployment Benefit, Form 40.
Brian Travers saved up and bought his first saxophone whilst working as an electrical apprentice for NG Bailey, leaving after a few years to become a founding member of UB40 alongside Jimmy Brown, Earl Falconer and Ali Campbell.
Before some of them could play their instruments
, Ali Campbell
and Brian Travers travelled around Birmingham promoting the band, putting up UB40 posters.
Their sound was created and honed through many long jam sessions at various locations in Birmingham.
Their first gig took place on 9 February 1979 at The Hare & Hounds Pub in Kings Heath
, Birmingham for a friend's birthday party. This was commemorated in October 2011 by the unveiling of a plaque at the venue, indicating the band receiving the Performing Rights Society's Music Heritage Award.
UB40 caught their first break when Chrissie Hynde
saw them at a pub and gave them an opportunity as a support act to her band, The Pretenders
. UB40's first single, "King"/"Food for Thought
" was released on Graduate Records, a local independent label run by David Virr. It reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart
.
Their first album was titled Signing Off
, as the band were signing off from, or ending, their claim for unemployment benefit. It was recorded in a bedsit
in Birmingham and was produced by Bob Lamb. Norman Hassan said of the recording: "if you stripped my track down, you could hear the birds in the background." This is because his tracks were recorded outside in the garden. Signing Off
was released on 29 August 1980, and entered the UK Albums Chart
on 2 October 1980. It reached as high as No. 2 in the UK and spent 71 weeks in total on the chart. Signing Off
is now a Platinum album.
After great success in the UK, UB40's popularity in the United States was established when they released Labour of Love
, an album of cover songs, in 1983. The album reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart
and No. 8 on the Billboard 200
in the US. The album featured the song "Red Red Wine
", a cover version
of a Neil Diamond
song (in an arrangement similar to that of Tony Tribe's version); it stayed on the charts for over a hundred weeks. Three years later UB40 performed at the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986.
Their most successful worldwide single release is their reggae/pop version of "(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You
", which was the main title to the 1993 Sharon Stone
movie Sliver
and was a number one hit across Europe and in the US.
concert at the Cradle of Humankind
, near Johannesburg
. They performed one of the longest sets for the event at approximately 54 minutes.
In 2002, the Virgin Records
compilation album Young Gifted & Black featured sleeve notes by Robin Campbell from UB40.
On 21 August 2007, they performed with Cas Haley
on the America's Got Talent season finale.
On 24 January 2008 it was announced that Ali Campbell would be leaving the group after 30 years. It was originally stated that this was in order for Campbell to concentrate on solo projects, but Campbell later said he was leaving due to management and business disputes. The remaining seven members released a statement saying: "Ali made a very simple decision, he chose to pursue and put his solo career over and above continuing to work with UB40 after February 2008, it’s as simple as that".
It was reported by some Birmingham newspapers on 13 March 2008, that Maxi Priest
would be the new lead singer of UB40 and had recorded a cover of Bob Marley
’s "I Shot the Sheriff
" with the band, based on information from an unnamed "source close to the band." Priest had joined UB40 on their arena tour in 2007, culminating in sell-out shows at the NEC Birmingham in December. Another local newspaper reporting that Maxi Priest would be the new UB40 frontman, also included a statement from band spokesman Gerard Franklyn which contradicted this claim: "Maxi is collaborating with the band to record material but there is no decision been made to replace Ali Campbell with one definitive singer. The reports are half correct he will be appearing with them for this new recording." In April 2008, the BBC reported that Campbell was to be replaced in the band by his brother Duncan, with reggae singer Maxi Priest also bolstering the line-up on tour.
The band released their next album, TwentyFourSeven
, UB40's last with the original lineup, by way of a free insert in The Mail on Sunday
s 4 May 2008 issue. the newspaper sold nearly three million copies. This led to a backlash when the full 17 track version was released 21 June 2008, and most of the big retailers refused to stock it. It failed to reach the Top 75 in the UK, in fact it entered the chart at number 84 which was a first, as all their official albums had previously gone Top 50 on the UK Albums Chart
. Their next release, on EMI, was a collection called Love Songs, which was a compilation of hits mainly from the Labour of Love series and all featuring Ali Campbell on vocals - it reached number 3 in the UK.
The band played numerous outdoor shows in the UK in 2008. They also toured the US, which included their first show at the Hollywood Bowl
. During the 2009 U.S. Tour UB40 offered fans live concert recordings on USB wristbands. The wristbands also included the Dub Sessions remix album and photos.
In 2009 the band released the first new album with their new lead singer Duncan Campbell – it was another in the Labour of Love cover series entitled Labour of Love 4. As the previous Labour of Love albums had been the most commercially successful albums for UB40.
On 12 June 2010, UB40 played a one-off concert to motor racing fans at the Le Mans 24 hour race. The playlist included Red Red Wine, Can't Help Falling in Love and Kingston Town. UB40 announced that after completing a coast to coast 2010 American tour they would be playing a nationwide UK tour of theatres in October/November 2010 performing their seminal album 'Signing Off', in full, along with a second set of popular UB40 songs. To coincide, on 1 Nov 2010 a remastered 2CD+DVD of 'Signing Off' is released as a '30th Anniversary Special Edition'
The 30th Anniversary Special Edition Signing Off Album charted at number 194 in the UK charts.
In 2011 five founder members of the group and directors of their DEP International
label, had bankruptcy
proceedings started against them relating to debts of the record label. The five named were Robin Campbell, Brian Travers, Terence Wilson
, Norman Hassan and James Brown. In October 2011 Travers, Wilson, Hassan and Brown were declared bankrupt.
they attended as teenagers in the multicultural Balsall Heath
area of Birmingham. Their love of ska
, reggae
and early lovers rock
inspired such original tracks as "King", "Madam Medusa", "Food for Thought", "Signing Off" and "One in Ten".
Their early musical style was unique, with a heavy influence of analogue synthesisers
, psychedelic
rock
guitar
, saxophone
and dub
producer techniques which were later perfected by Pablo Falconer
.
The Campbell brothers are the sons of the folk music
ian, Ian Campbell
.
music festival in Jamaica
, as well as spreading reggae to Russia, South America, etc. They have performed twice at the Night of the Proms
, in 2000 and in 2006. In 2006 UB40 was nominated for a Grammy Award
(Reggae category) for their album Who You Fighting For.
All three of their UK number one hits and four of their five U.S. top ten
hits were cover version
s.
UB40 collaborators include: Pato Banton
, Madness
, Bitty McLean
, Chrissie Hynde
, Maxi Priest
, Robert Palmer, Hunterz
, Japanese artist Mikidozan, French artist Nuttea, Lady Saw
, Afrika Bambaataa
, 808 State
.
i and Jamaica
n parentage. From the band's 1978 inception through early 2008, UB40's line-up was constant. In 2008 Ali Campbell left the band, followed shortly thereafter by Mickey Virtue, marking the first lineup change in the band's history. Founding members are listed in bold.
Additional musicians
Former additional musicians
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
/pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
band formed in 1978 in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The band has placed more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, and has also achieved considerable international success. One of the world's best-selling music artists, UB40 have sold over 70 million records.
Their hit single
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
s include their debut "Food for Thought
Food for Thought (song)
"Food for Thought" was the first single released by British reggae band UB40. It was released as a double A side along with "King", which was a song written about the late Martin Luther King, questioning the lost direction of the deceased leader's followers and the state of mourning of a nation...
" and two U.S. Billboard Hot 100 number ones with "Red Red Wine
Red Red Wine
"Red Red Wine" is a song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond. It has been covered by Tony Tribe, Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, and more famously by British reggae group UB40, whose version topped the U.S. and UK singles charts...
" and "Can't Help Falling in Love". Both of these also topped the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, as did the band's version of "I Got You Babe
I Got You Babe
"I Got You Babe" is a 1965 #1 single by American pop music duo Sonny & Cher.-Background and composition:Sonny Bono, a songwriter and record producer for Phil Spector, wrote the lyrics to and composed the music of the song for himself and his then-wife, Cher, late at night in their basement. Session...
".
1978–1999
The band members began as friends who knew each other from various schools across BirminghamBirmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
. The name "UB40" was selected in reference to the document issued to people claiming unemployment benefit from the UK government
Government
Government refers to the legislators, administrators, and arbitrators in the administrative bureaucracy who control a state at a given time, and to the system of government by which they are organized...
's Department of Health and Social Security
Department of Health and Social Security
The Department of Health and Social Security was a ministry of the British government in existence for twenty years from 1968 until 1988, and was headed by the Secretary of State for Social Services.-History:...
(DHSS) at the time of the band's formation. The designation UB40 stood for Unemployment Benefit, Form 40.
Brian Travers saved up and bought his first saxophone whilst working as an electrical apprentice for NG Bailey, leaving after a few years to become a founding member of UB40 alongside Jimmy Brown, Earl Falconer and Ali Campbell.
Before some of them could play their instruments
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
, Ali Campbell
Ali Campbell
Ali Campbell, , is a British singer, solo artist and songwriter and was the lead singer and founding member of UB40. As part of UB40, Campbell sold over 70 million records world wide and toured the globe for 30 years. In 2008 Campbell left UB40 and embarked on a successful solo career.-Personal...
and Brian Travers travelled around Birmingham promoting the band, putting up UB40 posters.
Their sound was created and honed through many long jam sessions at various locations in Birmingham.
Their first gig took place on 9 February 1979 at The Hare & Hounds Pub in Kings Heath
Kings Heath
Kings Heath is a suburb of Birmingham, England, five miles south of the city centre. It is the next suburb south from Moseley on the Alcester Road.-History:...
, Birmingham for a friend's birthday party. This was commemorated in October 2011 by the unveiling of a plaque at the venue, indicating the band receiving the Performing Rights Society's Music Heritage Award.
UB40 caught their first break when Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
saw them at a pub and gave them an opportunity as a support act to her band, The Pretenders
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
. UB40's first single, "King"/"Food for Thought
Food for Thought (song)
"Food for Thought" was the first single released by British reggae band UB40. It was released as a double A side along with "King", which was a song written about the late Martin Luther King, questioning the lost direction of the deceased leader's followers and the state of mourning of a nation...
" was released on Graduate Records, a local independent label run by David Virr. It reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
.
Their first album was titled Signing Off
Signing Off
Side TwoEP Side OneEP Side Two-Cassette:Side OneSide Two-CD:- Personnel :* Astro – Voices* Neil Black – Assistant Engineer* Jim Brown – Drums, Group Member* Ali Campbell – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals...
, as the band were signing off from, or ending, their claim for unemployment benefit. It was recorded in a bedsit
Bedsit
A bedsit, also known as a bed-sitting room, is a form of rented accommodation common in Great Britain and Ireland consisting of a single room and shared bathroom; they are part of a legal category of dwellings referred to as Houses in multiple occupation....
in Birmingham and was produced by Bob Lamb. Norman Hassan said of the recording: "if you stripped my track down, you could hear the birds in the background." This is because his tracks were recorded outside in the garden. Signing Off
Signing Off
Side TwoEP Side OneEP Side Two-Cassette:Side OneSide Two-CD:- Personnel :* Astro – Voices* Neil Black – Assistant Engineer* Jim Brown – Drums, Group Member* Ali Campbell – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals...
was released on 29 August 1980, and entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
on 2 October 1980. It reached as high as No. 2 in the UK and spent 71 weeks in total on the chart. Signing Off
Signing Off
Side TwoEP Side OneEP Side Two-Cassette:Side OneSide Two-CD:- Personnel :* Astro – Voices* Neil Black – Assistant Engineer* Jim Brown – Drums, Group Member* Ali Campbell – Rhythm Guitar, Vocals...
is now a Platinum album.
After great success in the UK, UB40's popularity in the United States was established when they released Labour of Love
Labour of Love
Labour of Love is a reggae album by UB40, the band's fourth studio album. It was originally released on 1 September 1983 and included the hits, "Red, Red Wine" , "Cherry Oh Baby" , "Many Rivers to Cross" , and "Please Don't Make Me Cry" .The entire album consists of cover versions of songs...
, an album of cover songs, in 1983. The album reached No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
and No. 8 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the US. The album featured the song "Red Red Wine
Red Red Wine
"Red Red Wine" is a song written and originally recorded by Neil Diamond. It has been covered by Tony Tribe, Jimmy James & the Vagabonds, and more famously by British reggae group UB40, whose version topped the U.S. and UK singles charts...
", a cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of a Neil Diamond
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond is an American singer-songwriter with a career spanning over five decades from the 1960s until the present....
song (in an arrangement similar to that of Tony Tribe's version); it stayed on the charts for over a hundred weeks. Three years later UB40 performed at the Birmingham Heart Beat Charity Concert 1986.
Their most successful worldwide single release is their reggae/pop version of "(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You
Can't Help Falling in Love
"Can't Help Falling in Love" is a pop song originally recorded by American singer Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company. It was written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore, and George David Weiss. The melody was based on "Plaisir d'Amour" but with a different...
", which was the main title to the 1993 Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone
Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress, film producer, and former fashion model. She achieved international recognition for her role in the erotic thriller Basic Instinct...
movie Sliver
Sliver (film)
Sliver is a 1993 film based on the Ira Levin novel of the same name about the mysterious occurrences in a privately owned New York highrise apartment building. Phillip Noyce directed the film, from a screenplay by Joe Eszterhas...
and was a number one hit across Europe and in the US.
2000s
UB40 toured South Africa in July 2007 and headlined the Live EarthLive Earth concert, Johannesburg
The Live Earth concert in South Africa was held at the Coca-Cola Dome, South Africa on 7 July 2007.-Running order:*South African Drum Cafe Team - unknown title...
concert at the Cradle of Humankind
Cradle of Humankind
The Cradle of Humankind is a World Heritage Site first named by UNESCO in 1999, about 50 kilometres northwest of Johannesburg, South Africa in the Gauteng province. This site currently occupies ; it contains a complex of limestone caves, including the Sterkfontein Caves, where the 2.3-million...
, near Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
. They performed one of the longest sets for the event at approximately 54 minutes.
In 2002, the Virgin Records
Virgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
compilation album Young Gifted & Black featured sleeve notes by Robin Campbell from UB40.
On 21 August 2007, they performed with Cas Haley
Cas Haley
Cas Haley is an American singer/guitarist who was the runner-up on Season 2 of America's Got Talent.-Career:His self-titled album charted as the #8 Best selling reggae album of 2008 on the Billboard Charts....
on the America's Got Talent season finale.
On 24 January 2008 it was announced that Ali Campbell would be leaving the group after 30 years. It was originally stated that this was in order for Campbell to concentrate on solo projects, but Campbell later said he was leaving due to management and business disputes. The remaining seven members released a statement saying: "Ali made a very simple decision, he chose to pursue and put his solo career over and above continuing to work with UB40 after February 2008, it’s as simple as that".
It was reported by some Birmingham newspapers on 13 March 2008, that Maxi Priest
Maxi Priest
Max Alfred "Maxi" Priest is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most...
would be the new lead singer of UB40 and had recorded a cover of Bob Marley
Bob Marley
Robert Nesta "Bob" Marley, OM was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and musician. He was the rhythm guitarist and lead singer for the ska, rocksteady and reggae band Bob Marley & The Wailers...
’s "I Shot the Sheriff
I Shot the Sheriff
"I Shot the Sheriff" is a song written by Bob Marley, told from the point of view of a man who admits to having killed the local sheriff, but claims to be falsely accused of having killed the deputy sheriff. He also claims to have acted in self defense when the sheriff tried to shoot him. The...
" with the band, based on information from an unnamed "source close to the band." Priest had joined UB40 on their arena tour in 2007, culminating in sell-out shows at the NEC Birmingham in December. Another local newspaper reporting that Maxi Priest would be the new UB40 frontman, also included a statement from band spokesman Gerard Franklyn which contradicted this claim: "Maxi is collaborating with the band to record material but there is no decision been made to replace Ali Campbell with one definitive singer. The reports are half correct he will be appearing with them for this new recording." In April 2008, the BBC reported that Campbell was to be replaced in the band by his brother Duncan, with reggae singer Maxi Priest also bolstering the line-up on tour.
The band released their next album, TwentyFourSeven
TwentyFourSeven (UB40 Album)
TwentyFourSeven is a studio album by reggae band UB40, their last to feature original members Ali Campbell and keyboardist Michael Virtue."Twentyfourseven" was released as a free insert in The Mail on Sunday's 4 May 2008 issue.[12] which sold nearly three million copies...
, UB40's last with the original lineup, by way of a free insert in The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday
The Mail on Sunday is a British conservative newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1982 by Lord Rothermere, it became Britain's biggest-selling Sunday newspaper following the closing of The News of the World in July 2011...
s 4 May 2008 issue. the newspaper sold nearly three million copies. This led to a backlash when the full 17 track version was released 21 June 2008, and most of the big retailers refused to stock it. It failed to reach the Top 75 in the UK, in fact it entered the chart at number 84 which was a first, as all their official albums had previously gone Top 50 on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
. Their next release, on EMI, was a collection called Love Songs, which was a compilation of hits mainly from the Labour of Love series and all featuring Ali Campbell on vocals - it reached number 3 in the UK.
The band played numerous outdoor shows in the UK in 2008. They also toured the US, which included their first show at the Hollywood Bowl
Hollywood Bowl
The Hollywood Bowl is a modern amphitheater in the Hollywood area of Los Angeles, California, United States that is used primarily for music performances...
. During the 2009 U.S. Tour UB40 offered fans live concert recordings on USB wristbands. The wristbands also included the Dub Sessions remix album and photos.
In 2009 the band released the first new album with their new lead singer Duncan Campbell – it was another in the Labour of Love cover series entitled Labour of Love 4. As the previous Labour of Love albums had been the most commercially successful albums for UB40.
On 12 June 2010, UB40 played a one-off concert to motor racing fans at the Le Mans 24 hour race. The playlist included Red Red Wine, Can't Help Falling in Love and Kingston Town. UB40 announced that after completing a coast to coast 2010 American tour they would be playing a nationwide UK tour of theatres in October/November 2010 performing their seminal album 'Signing Off', in full, along with a second set of popular UB40 songs. To coincide, on 1 Nov 2010 a remastered 2CD+DVD of 'Signing Off' is released as a '30th Anniversary Special Edition'
The 30th Anniversary Special Edition Signing Off Album charted at number 194 in the UK charts.
In 2011 five founder members of the group and directors of their DEP International
DEP International
Dep International was a British record label founded in 1980 by members of British group UB40. It specialised in reggae and dub music.The label went into administration in October 2006 and into insolvent liquidation in April 2008...
label, had bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
proceedings started against them relating to debts of the record label. The five named were Robin Campbell, Brian Travers, Terence Wilson
Astro (UB40)
Terence Wilson is a musician, rapper, and toaster, better known by his stage name, Astro, who has been part of the English Reggae band UB40 since it was founded in 1978.-References:...
, Norman Hassan and James Brown. In October 2011 Travers, Wilson, Hassan and Brown were declared bankrupt.
Influences
UB40 were influenced by the many blues partiesJamaican sound system
In the context of Jamaican popular culture, a sound system is a group of disc jockeys, engineers and MCs playing ska, rocksteady or reggae music...
they attended as teenagers in the multicultural Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath
Balsall Heath is a working class, inner-city area of Birmingham, England. It is home to a diverse cultural mix of people and the location of the Balti Triangle.-History:...
area of Birmingham. Their love of ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
, reggae
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
and early lovers rock
Lovers rock
Lovers rock is a style of reggae music noted for its romantic sound and content. While love songs had been an important part of reggae since the late 1960s, the style was given a greater focus and a name in London in the mid 1970s.-History:...
inspired such original tracks as "King", "Madam Medusa", "Food for Thought", "Signing Off" and "One in Ten".
Their early musical style was unique, with a heavy influence of analogue synthesisers
Analog synthesizer
An analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of vacuum-tube and electro-mechanical technologies...
, psychedelic
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
rock
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, saxophone
Saxophone
The saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
and dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
producer techniques which were later perfected by Pablo Falconer
Pablo Falconer
Ray "Pablo" Falconer was a reggae producer from Birmingham, England in the 1970s and 1980s.Brother to Earl Falconer from UB40, Falconer later went on to produce many singles and albums for that band.Falconer died in a car crash in Birmingham in 1987...
.
The Campbell brothers are the sons of the folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
ian, Ian Campbell
Ian Campbell Folk Group
The Ian Campbell Folk Group were one of the most popular and respected folk groups of the British folk revival of the 1960s. The group made many appearances on radio, television, and at national and international venues and festivals. They performed a mixture of British traditional folk music and...
.
Achievements
UB40 is one of the most commercially successful reggae acts of all time in terms of record sales (over 70 million), chart positions and touring schedule. During their three-decade long career, they have been performing sell-out shows worldwide and headlining the Reggae SunsplashReggae Sunsplash
Reggae Sunsplash is a reggae music festival first staged in 1978 in the northern part of Jamaica. In 1985 it expanded with the addition of an international touring festival...
music festival in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
, as well as spreading reggae to Russia, South America, etc. They have performed twice at the Night of the Proms
Night of the Proms
Night of the Proms is a series of concerts held yearly in Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Poland. Regularly there are also shows in France, Spain, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg...
, in 2000 and in 2006. In 2006 UB40 was nominated for a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
(Reggae category) for their album Who You Fighting For.
All three of their UK number one hits and four of their five U.S. top ten
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
hits were cover version
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
s.
UB40 collaborators include: Pato Banton
Pato Banton
Pato Banton is a reggae singer and toaster from Birmingham, England. He received the nickname 'Pato' from his stepfather, and 'Banton' from the disc jockey slang for a "heavyweight DJ".-Biography:Born in Birmingham, Banton first came to public attention in the early 1980s when he worked with The...
, Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
, Bitty McLean
Bitty McLean
Bitty McLean is a British/Jamaican reggae, lovers rock and ragga musician. He is best known for his three UK Top 10 hits in 1993 and 1994, including his debut offering "It Keeps Rainin' ".-Career:...
, Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
, Maxi Priest
Maxi Priest
Max Alfred "Maxi" Priest is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most...
, Robert Palmer, Hunterz
Hunterz
Hunterz is a British Asian urban musician with Hindi and Bhangra influences but based in England. His grandmother moved from Kenya to the U.K. after her husband died. She had to sing to feed her six children. With an early training in Indian classical music from the Patiala Gharana, HunterZ has...
, Japanese artist Mikidozan, French artist Nuttea, Lady Saw
Lady Saw
Lady Saw is a Jamaican reggae singer, known as the queen of dancehall.-Biography:...
, Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa
Afrika Bambaataa is an American DJ from the South Bronx, New York who was instrumental in the early development of hip hop throughout the 1980s. Afrika Bambaataa is one of the three originators of break-beat deejaying, and is respectfully known as the "Grandfather" and the Amen Ra of Universal...
, 808 State
808 State
808 State are a British electronic music outfit, formed in 1987 in Manchester, taking their name from the Roland TR-808 drum machine and their common state of mind...
.
Band members
The ethnic makeup of the band is diverse, with musicians of English, Scottish, Irish, YemenYemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i and Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n parentage. From the band's 1978 inception through early 2008, UB40's line-up was constant. In 2008 Ali Campbell left the band, followed shortly thereafter by Mickey Virtue, marking the first lineup change in the band's history. Founding members are listed in bold.
Current members
- Robin Campbell (born 25 December 1954, Birmingham) – lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
, vocals (1978–present) - Earl FalconerEarl FalconerEarl Falconer is a British bass player and singer, currently working with the British reggae band, UB40. Falconer also co-runs the Dubstep label Circus Records, with Flux Pavilion, Doctor P and DJ Swan-E....
(born 23 January 1957, Birmingham) – bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
(1978–present) - James (Jimmy) Brown (born 20 November 1957, Birmingham) – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1978–present) - Brian Travers (born 7 February 1959, Birmingham) – saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846...
(1978–present) - AstroAstro (UB40)Terence Wilson is a musician, rapper, and toaster, better known by his stage name, Astro, who has been part of the English Reggae band UB40 since it was founded in 1978.-References:...
(born Terence Wilson, 24 June 1957, Birmingham) – trumpetTrumpetThe trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
, vocals (1978–present) - Norman HassanNorman HassanNorman Lamont Hassan is an English Musician of Yemeni and Welsh Decent who is best known as being a member of the reggae band UB40 since its foundation in 1978.-Early Life:...
(born 26 January 1958, Birmingham) – percussion, tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
, vocals (1978–present) - Duncan CampbellDuncan Campbell (UB40)Duncan Campbell is a British musician and current lead singer of the British reggae band, UB40. He joined the band in 2008 after the departure of his brother Ali Campbell.-Early life:...
(born 25 December 1954, Birmingham, England) – lead vocals (2008–present)
Additional musicians
- Laurence Parry – trumpet, flugelhornFlugelhornThe flugelhorn is a brass instrument resembling a trumpet but with a wider, conical bore. Some consider it to be a member of the saxhorn family developed by Adolphe Sax ; however, other historians assert that it derives from the valve bugle designed by Michael Saurle , Munich 1832 , thus...
, trombone (1994–present) - Martin Meredith – saxophone (1997–present)
- Tony Mullings – keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
(2008–present)
Former members
- Ali CampbellAli CampbellAli Campbell, , is a British singer, solo artist and songwriter and was the lead singer and founding member of UB40. As part of UB40, Campbell sold over 70 million records world wide and toured the globe for 30 years. In 2008 Campbell left UB40 and embarked on a successful solo career.-Personal...
(born Alistair Campbell, 15 February 1959, Birmingham) - guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, lead vocals (1978–2008) - Mickey Virtue (born Michael Virtue, 19 January 1957, Birmingham) - keyboards (1978–2008)
Former additional musicians
- Patrick Tenyue – trumpet – (1983–94)
- Henry Tenyue – trombone (1983–94)
- Maxi PriestMaxi PriestMax Alfred "Maxi" Priest is a British reggae vocalist of Jamaican descent. He is best known for singing reggae music with a R&B influence, otherwise known as reggae fusion, and became one of the first international successes who regularly dabbled in the genre as well as being one of the most...
– vocals (2008)
See also
- Gary TylerGary TylerGary Tyler has been a prisoner in Louisiana since 1975, when he was convicted at age 17 of the 1974 shooting death of a 13-year-old white boy. Tyler was originally sentenced to death because of the charge and was the youngest prisoner on death row. The Fifth Circuit US Court of Appeals ruled the...
— biographical subject of a song by UB40 - List of best-selling music artists
External links
- UB40 official web site
- UB40 interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' November 2010
- Ali Campbell interview 2007 on ilikemusic.com
- UB40 at Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
- UB40 discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...