UB40 - Introduction

More than any other singers of their moment, Britain's UB40 have verified on the power of pop-influenced reggae music. With worldwide sales topping 30 million albums during their career, the UB40 story reveals just how far people can go by staying true to their roots. UB40 raised up in the heart of Birmingham, one of England's most culturally diverse cities. The summer of 1978 saw the eight band members drawn together by their love of the skanking Jamaican reggae vibes. Taking their name from a notorious British unemployment form, the multi-racial group of young men proceeded to spend the next six months in a basement, collaborating on ideas and learning their instruments. By early 1979 they had played their first local gig. Through the rest of the year UB40 performed at pubs, clubs, and benefits all around the UK. Labour Of Love II, released in November of 1989. The album notched platinum-plus U.S. sales, seed a pair of Top 10 pop hits -- "The Way You Do The Things You Do" and "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)." 1993's platinum-plus smash "Promises And Lies" spawned the mammoth hit "Can't Help Falling In Love," which reigned at #1 on the U.S. pop chart for seven consecutive weeks. The following tour conclude in a series of shows in South Africa (their first), with the band dedicating their anti-apartheid anthem "Sing Our Own Song" to President Nelson Mandela, marking a poignant end to UB40's 15 month tour.