Gli UB40 sono un gruppo musicale britannico, formatosi a Birmingham nel dicembre 1977.
Durante la carriera il gruppo ha venduto oltre 70 milioni di dischi e piazzato oltre 50 singoli all'interno della Official Singles Chart.
Storia
Il nome del gruppo è ispirato al numero del modulo del sussidio di disoccupazione inglese (UB40 acronimo di Unemployment Benefit, Form 40) nella Birmingham della seconda metà degli anni '70, fortemente segnata dalla deindustrializzazione.
La band fu fondata dai fratelli Alistair (Ali) e Robin Campbell, figli del cantante folk Ian Campbell. Il loro stile musicale è una combinazione di musica pop, reggae e rock, con un ampio utilizzo di percussioni, sintetizzatori e sonorità vocali.
Il loro primo singolo King/Food for Thought fu 5° nella Top 5 U.K. hits. I singoli Red Red Wine e Kingstown Town raggiunsero il primo posto nella Hit Parade inglese nel 1983 e nel 1989, mentre la loro cover di Can't Help Falling in Love riuscì a rimanere in vetta a quella statunitense per sette settimane nel 1993.
Formazione Ali Campbell - voce, chitarra (fino al 2008) Robin Campbell - chitarra, voce Earl Falconer - basso Jim Brown - batteria, percussioni, voce Brian Travers - sassofono Norman Hassan - percussioni Jimmy Lynn - tastiere Terence Wilson "Astro" - voce Yomi Babayemi - percussioni Michael Virtue - tastiere
Altri componenti Patrick Tenyue - tromba (1983-1994) Henry Tenyue - trombone (1983-1994) Martin Meredith - sassofono (1997-presente) Laurence Parry - tromba, flicorno, trombone (1995-presente)
Discografia Album in studio 1980 - Signing Off 1981 - Present Arms 1981 - Present Arms in Dub 1982 - UB44 1983 - Labour of Love 1984 - Geffery Morgan 1985 - Baggariddim 1985 - Little Baggariddim 1986 - Rat in the Kitchen 1988 - UB40 1989 - Labour of Love II 1993 - Promises and Lies 1997 - Guns in the Ghetto 1998 - UB40 Present the Dancehall Album 1998 - Labour of Love III 2001 - Cover Up 2002 - UB40 Present the Fathers of Reggae 2003 - Homegrown 2005 - Who You Fighting For? 2008 - TwentyFourSeven 2009 - Labour of Love IV 2013 - Getting Over the Storm 2018 - A Real Labour of Love 2019 - For the Many 2021 - Bigga Baggariddim 2024 - UB45
Album live
1983 - UB40 Live 1987 - UB40 CCCP: Live in Moscow 1998 - The Dancehall Album 2007 - Live at Montreux 2002 2008 - The Lost Tapes – Live at the Venue 1980 2021 - UB40 at 40 – Live in Birmingham
Album remix
1981 - Present Arms in Dub 2007 - Dub Sessions 2009 - Dub Sessions II: Labour of Dub 2010 - Dub Sessions III
Compilation
1982 - The Singles Album 1983 - 1980–1983 1983 - More UB40 Music 1985 - The UB40 File 1987 - The Best of UB40 – Volume One 1991 - Labour of Love Parts I + II 1995 - The Best of UB40 – Volume Two 2000 - The Very Best of UB40 2002 - UB40 Presents the Fathers of Reggae 2003 - Labour of Love, Volumes I, II and III – The Platinum Collection 2005 - The Best of UB40, Volumes 1 & 2 2009 - Love Songs 2009 - Best of Labour of Love 2012 - All the Best 2013 - Collected 2014 - Red Red Wine: The Collection 2016 - Red Red Wine – The Essential UB40 2018 - Red Red Wine – The Collection: Volume II 2020 - Essential
EP
1985 - Little Baggariddim 2019 - You Haven't Called
Singoli 1980 - King/Food for Thought 1980 - My Way of Thinking/I Think It's Going to Rain Today 1980 - The Earth Dies Screaming/Dream a Lie 1981 - Don't Let It Pass You By/Don't Slow Down 1981 - One in Ten 1982 - I Won't Close My Eyes 1982 - Love Is All Is All Right 1982 - So Here I Am 1982 - Tyler 1983 - I've Got Mine 1983 - Food for Thought 1983 - Red Red Wine 1983 - Please Don't Make Me Cry 1983 - Many Rivers to Cross 1984 - Cherry oh Baby 1984 - If It Happens Again 1984 - Riddle Me 1985 - I'm Not Fooled/The Pillow 1985 - I Got You Babe (con Chrissie Hynde) 1985 - Don't Break My Heart 1986 - Sing Our Own Song 1986 - All I Want to Do 1987 - Rat in Mi Kitchen 1987 - Watchdogs 1987 - Maybe Tomorrow 1988 - Reckless (con Afrika Bambaataa) 1988 - Where Did I Go Wrong 1988 - Red Red Wine (ristampa U.S.) 1988 - Breakfast in Bed (con Chrissie Hynde) 1988 - Come Out to Play 1989 - I Would Do for You 1989 - Homely Girl 1989 - Kingston Town 1990 - Wear You to the Ball 1990 - I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (con Robert Palmer) 1990 - Impossible Love 1991 - The Way You Do the Things You Do 1991 - Here I Am (Come and Take Me) 1991 - Groovin''' 1991 - Tears from My Eyes 1991 - Baby1992 - One in Ten (remix by 808 State) 1993 - (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You1993 - Higher Ground1993 - Bring Me Your Cup1994 - C'est La Vie1994 - Reggae Music1995 - Until My Dying Day1997 - Tell Me Is It True1997 - Always There1998 - Come Back Darling1998 - Holly Holy1999 - The Train Is Coming2000 - Light My Fire2001 - Since I Met You Lady (con Lady Saw)/Sparkle of My Eyes2002 - Cover Up2003 - Swing Low2005 - Kiss and Say Goodbye2005 - Reasons (con Hunterz e The Dhol Blasters) 2005 - Bling Bling 2008 - Lost & Found / Dance Until the Morning Light (con Maxi Priest feat. DJ Rapper Truth) 2009 - Bring It On Home to Me2010 - Get Along Without You Now2021 - Message of Love (feat. House of Shem) 2022 - Champion (con Gilly G) 2024 - Home2024 - Forever True Video album
1984 - Labour of Love 1984 - Live 1987 - UB40 CCCP – The Video Mix 1987 - The Best of UB40 – Volume One 1989 - Labour of Love II 1991- A Family Affair – Live in Concert 1995 - Live in New South Africa 2000 - Rockpalast Live 2001 - The UB40 Story of Reggae 2002 - The Collection 2004 - Homegrown in Holland Live 2007 - Live at Montreux 2002 Video musicali
1980 - My Way of Thinking 1980 - I Think It's Going to Rain Today 1980 - Food for Thought 1980 - The Earth Dies Screaming 1980 - Dream a Lie 1981 - One in Ten 1982 - I Won't Close My Eyes 1982 - Love Is All Is All Right 1983 - I've Got Mine 1983 - Many Rivers to Cross (versione 1) 1984 - Version Girl 1984 - Sweet Sensation 1984 - Cherry oh Baby 1984 - Red Red Wine 1984 - Guilty 1984 - Please Don't Make Me Cry 1984 - She Caught the Train 1984 - Johnny Too Bad 1984 - Many Rivers to Cross (versione 2) 1984 - If It Happens Again 1984 - Riddle Me 1985 - The Pillow 1985 - I'm Not Fooled So Easily 1985 - I Got You Babe (con Chrissie Hynde) 1985 - Don't Break My Heart^ 1986 - Sing Our Own Song 1986 - All I Want to Do 1987 - Rat in Mi Kitchen 1987 - Maybe Tomorrow 1988 - Breakfast in Bed (con Chrissie Hynde) 1988 - Where Did I Go Wrong 1988 - Come Out to Play 1989 - I Would Do for You 1989 - Wedding Day 1989 - Kingston Town 1989 - Baby 1989 - Wear You to the Ball 1989 - Homely Girl 1989 - Just Another Girl 1989 - Stick by Me 1989 - Groovin 1989 - Tears from My Eyes 1989 - Here I Am (Come and Take Me) 1989 - Sweet Cherie 1989 - Impossible Love (versione 1) 1989 - The Way You Do the Things You Do 1990 - Singer Man 1990 - Impossible Love (versione 2) 1993 - (I Can't Help) Falling in Love with You 1993 - Higher Ground 1993 - Bring Me Your Cup 1994 - C'est La Vie 1994 - Reggae Music 1995 - Until My Dying Day 1995 - Superstition 1997 - Tell Me Is It True 1997 - Always There 1998 - Come Back Darling 1998 - Holly Holy 1999 - The Train Is Coming 2000 - Light My Fire 2001 - Since I Met You Lady 2002 - Cover Up (originale e con Nuttea) 2003 - Swing Low (con United Colours of Sound) 2005 - Kiss and Say Goodbye 2005 - Reasons (con Hunterz e The Dhol Blasters) 2005 - Bling Bling 2005 - Sins of the Fathers 2008 - Dance Until the Morning Light (con Maxi Priest) 2010 - Oh America (con One Love e Rasta Don di Arrested Development) 2013 - Midnight Rider 2013 - Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain 2018 - Midnight Lover (con Gilly G) 2018 - You Haven't Called 2021 - Message of Love (con House of Shem) 2021 - You Don't Call Anymore (con KIOKO) 2021 - Roots Rock Reggae (con General Zooz) 2021 - Rebel Love (con Inner Circle) 2022 - Show and Prove (con Leno Banton) 2022 - Gravy Train Is Coming (con Blvk H3ro) 2022 - Champion (con Gilly G) 2024 - Gimme Some Kinda Sign (con Gilly G) 2024 - Home 2024 - Forever True 2024 - Red Red Wine (re-recorded) 2025 - Tyler 2025 - Say Nothing 2025 - Food for Thought (re-recorded) 2025 - Fool Me Once 2025 - King (re-recorded) 2025 - Cherry oh Baby (re-recorded) 2025 - Sing Our Own Song (re-recorded) 2025 - Kingston Town'' (re-recorded)
Note
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