UB40

UB40 are an English reggae band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK singles chart and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album four times and were nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Group in 1984. UB40 have sold more than 100 million records worldwide. The ethnic make-up of the band's original line-up was diverse, with musicians of English, Welsh, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish and Yemeni parentage.

Their hit singles include their debut track "Food for Thought" and two Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits, "Red Red Wine" and "(I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You". Both songs also topped the UK singles chart, as did the band's version of "I Got You Babe", recorded with Chrissie Hynde. The band's two most successful albums, Labour of Love (1983) and Promises and Lies (1993), both reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. UB40 and the English ska band Madness share the record for the most weeks spent by a group on the UK singles chart during the 1980s, with 214 weeks each.

The band's line-up remained stable for nearly 29 years, from March 1979 until January 2008, when frontman Ali Campbell left the band, followed shortly thereafter by keyboardist Mickey Virtue. Another member, Astro, continued with the band until November 2013, when he departed to team up with Campbell and Virtue to form their own band, called "UB40 featuring Ali Campbell". In 2014, legal advice was sought by the original band (now consisting of the remaining co-founding members drummer Jimmy Brown, guitarist Robin Campbell, bassist Earl Falconer, percussionist Norman Hassan, and saxophonist Brian Travers, along with their new vocalist Duncan Campbell), who took action against the group formed by Campbell, Virtue, and Astro over their potentially confusing use of the band name. On 5 July 2021, it was announced that Matt Doyle, formerly of the reggae band Kioko, would become the band's new vocalist following Duncan Campbell's retirement due to ill health.

History

1978–1983: Formation and rise to stardom

The band members initially formed friendships while attending various schools across Birmingham, England. The name "UB40" was chosen in reference to an attendance card issued to individuals claiming unemployment benefits from the UK government's Department of Employment. The designation UB40 stood for Unemployment Benefit, Form 40.

The origins of what would become UB40 can be traced back to mid-1978, when guitarist Ali Campbell, along with drummer Jimmy Brown and bassist Earl Falconer, began rehearsing a mix of popular reggae covers and their own original compositions. They were soon joined by several friends, first percussionists Yomi Babayemi and Norman Hassan, followed by saxophonist Brian Travers and keyboardist Jimmy Lynn. Although Robin Campbell was initially hesitant to commit to forming a band, he eventually joined after being persuaded by his brother Ali. He bought a guitar in December of that year to participate in their jam sessions.

With Robin's inclusion, the eight musicians officially formed a band, choosing the name "UB40" after a friend suggested it as a fitting reference to their shared unemployed status at the time. Before fully committing to the band, Travers had been working as an electrical apprentice for NG Bailey, while Robin Campbell had been an apprentice toolmaker.