UB40 - Profile

UB40, a British reggae band shaped in 1978 in Birmingham. Mark the same arrangement of 8 musicians from 1978-2008, the band placed more than 50 singles on the UK charts, and achieved considerable international success as well. Their #1 hits (which are all covers) include "Red Red Wine" (#1 US/UK/Canada/NZ/Holland), "Can't Help Falling in Love" (#1 US/UK/Australia/Sweden/Holland), and "I Got You Babe" (#1 UK/Holland).

UB40 Tickets For UK Tour Dates On Sale

A 2009 UK tour by UB40 has been announced, with tickets on sale Thursday 6th November. The tour consists of concerts at the following towns and cities:

• Fri, 5 Dec 08 (19:00) UB40 Tickets MEN Arena Manchester, United Kingdom
• Sat, 6 Dec 08 (19:00) UB40 Tickets Echo Arena Liverpool, United Kingdom
• Tue, 9 Dec 08 (19:00) UB40 Tickets Brighton Centre Brighton, United Kingdom
• Fri, 12 Dec 08 (19:00) UB40 Tickets O2 Arena London, Greenwich Pennisula, United Kingdom
• Thu, 18 Dec 08 (19:00) UB40 Tickets Cardiff International Arena ( CIA), United Kingdom
• Sun, 21 Dec 08 (19:00) UB40 Tickets National Indoor Arena (NIA) Birmingham, Midlands, United Kingdom
• Fri, 20 Nov 09 (19:00) UB40 Tickets O2 Dublin Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
• Mon, 23 Nov 09 (19:00) UB40 Tickets SECC Scottish Exhibition Conference Center Glasgow, United Kingdom
• Sat, 5 Dec 09 (19:00) UB40 Tickets MEN Arena Manchester, United Kingdom

UB40 - Influences

UB40 were prejudiced by the other, they join as teenagers in the multiracial Balsall Heath area of Birmingham. Their love of ska and reggae inspired such original tracks as "King", "Madam Medusa", "Food for Thought", "Signing Off" and "One in Ten".
Their early musical style was exclusive, with a heavy influence of analogue synthesisers, psychedelic rock guitar, saxophone and dub producer techniques which were later perfected by the late Pablo Falconer.
Ali and Robin Campbell have a musical heritage, being sons of Ian Campbell, a folk musician.
Many of UB40's recordings were enthused by 1960s ska and early lovers rock.

UB40 - Band Members

The ethnic makeup of the band is diverse, with musicians of English, Scottish, Irish, Yemeni and Jamaican parentage. From the band's 1978 inception through early 2008, UB40's line-up was constant:


Astro live in Wellington, New Zealand in 2004
• James (Jimmy) Brown - born 20 November 1957, Birmingham - drums
• Ali Campbell - born Alistair Campbell, 15 February 1959, Birmingham - guitar, lead vocals (left 2008)
• Robin Campbell - born 25 December 1954, Birmingham - lead guitar, vocals
• Earl Falconer - born 23 January 1957, Birmingham - bass guitar, vocals
• Norman Hassan (Arabic: نورمان حسن‎) - born 26 January 1958, Birmingham - percussion, trombone, vocals
• Brian Travers - born 7 February 1959, Birmingham - saxophone
• Mickey Virtue - born Michael Virtue, 19 January 1957, Birmingham - keyboards (left 2008)
• Astro - born Terence Wilson, 24 June 1957, Birmingham - toasting vocals, percussion, trumpet
In 2008 Ali Campbell left the band, followed shortly thereafter by Mickey Virtue. Two new members joined the group:
• Duncan Campbell - vocals
• Tony Mullings - keyboards
Guest members include(d):
• Patrick Tenyue (trumpet) (1983–94)
• Henry Tenyue (trombone) (1983–94)
• Martin Meredith (saxophone) (1997— )
• Laurence Parry (trumpet, flugelhorn, trombone) (1995— )
• Maxi Priest - vocals (2008- )

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.