UB40 thread/updates
- Thread starter Greenfish
- Start date
Fozzie Bear
Well-Known Member
The Campbell brother's biography "Blood and Fire" is a surprisingly good read - I hadn't realised they were the sons of english folk guy Ian Campbell.
TBH I only really know the later cheesier stuff like red red wine. 
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
The Tony Tribe reggae version, or even the Jimmy James and the Vagabonds version are much, much, much better.
When UB40 covered it and saw it was written by N. Diamond, Ali Campbell actually thought it was Negus Diamond some small time Jamaican writer.
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
Yossarian said:
Blagsta said:
Exactly! Much of their their early stuff was class IMO. Too many people on this thread judging them solely on their later, more popular/well known and undisputedly shite stuff ....
Heard 'Baggariddim' (1985) for the first time not so long ago and I was well impressed, people who judge UB40 solely for their softcore croony later shite would have a surprise ...
Yeah: I take back what I said. I've only heard the later stuff
BoatieBird
Well-Known Member
That's the one - I knew I'd had a UB40 album that I'd played to death but I couldn't remember what it was called.
foo
dirtysweet
yeh, i'm kinda the same age as that lot so feel like i grew up with them...i really liked the brothers. someone said Ali has a 'good reggae voice' on this thread somewhere and i think that's right.
i like their version of Kingston Town too. Ali's voice is perfect imo.
bluestreak
HomosexualityIsStalin’sAtomBombtoDestroyAmerica
i only became aware of them in the alte 80s and early 90s and always thought they were shite, but as i get older i realised that their early stuff was OK, it was just the later years when they became a pop-reggae cover band that they became shite.
ska invita
back on the other side
easy to diss, but i think they're true to themselves, a genuine article in and of themselves - theyre not pretending to be something else, and they genuinely love reggae music. early stuff feels purer than the later, but even the later stuff is done with love i think. nothing wrong with 'pop' reggae - theres a lot of jamaican pop reggae out there too, and whats wrong with singing a song or too? Is it really that much more cheesy than someone like Beres Hammond? (love a bit of Beres! )
The lead singer (Ali CAmpbell - just looked it up!) has a unique voice too. Bands like UB40 are one of the reasons i love england - shit, id rather have ub40 as pop music than Ace of Base!
i really dont have a problem with them.
Check out this youtube link to Kingston Town:
The comments below show how theyve been embassadors for music and helped spread it worldwide...good!
The lead singer (Ali CAmpbell - just looked it up!) has a unique voice too. Bands like UB40 are one of the reasons i love england - shit, id rather have ub40 as pop music than Ace of Base!
i really dont have a problem with them.
Check out this youtube link to Kingston Town:
The comments below show how theyve been embassadors for music and helped spread it worldwide...good!
foo
dirtysweet
i'd just posted that link too ska invita. 
i like what you say about them in your post.
and you're spot on. i think when i was younger, i identified with them because they were just ordinary british lads who truly loved reggae.
and...
'nothing wrong with pop reggae'
i salute you sir!
(if you are indeed a sir)
i like what you say about them in your post.
and you're spot on. i think when i was younger, i identified with them because they were just ordinary british lads who truly loved reggae.and...
'nothing wrong with pop reggae'
i salute you sir!
(if you are indeed a sir)
Fedayn
Well-Known Member
dynamicbaddog
run for your life
King, The Earth Dies Screaming, and Food for Thought are outstanding songs, One in Ten is O.K, everything else they put out is a bit meh.....
albionism
A successful virus clinging to a speck of mud.
Started off promisingly enough. Food For Thought is a classic, as was One In Ten,
and a lot of UB40 in dub is cracking,
but sadly became something of a covers band.
Having said that, i do quite like their version of Johnny Too Bad...."woi woi, you are the babylon".
and a lot of UB40 in dub is cracking,
but sadly became something of a covers band.
Having said that, i do quite like their version of Johnny Too Bad...."woi woi, you are the babylon".
Are you trying to tell me 1 in 10 is a shite song?
I'll see you outside mate.
I'll see you outside mate.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
a load of reggae artists ripped off all their hits
isvicthere?
a.k.a. floppybollocks
Their first album was really good, plus "Dream a lie" single from the same sessions. Since then they've never again come near that form.
RubyBlue
faded and jaded
^ this - they were good in their day but 20 odd years later they're dated and stale.
Orang Utan
Maybe I like the misery
d'oh
ouchmonkey
Singe Gainsbourg
They are the greatest reggae artists ever aren't they?
beesonthewhatnow
going deaf for a living
They're rebuilding it at the moment, large chunks of it (including a fucking enormous set of monitors) were scattered around SSE Audios warehouse last time I was in there.
ATOMIC SUPLEX
Member Since: 1985 Post Count: 3
Food for thought is good, and I can't help liking a couple of other tracks.
