English reggae/dub group UB40 featuring Ali Campbell were formed at the end of 1978 by several young friends from the multicultural neighbourhoods of Birmingham. Coming from working class origins, the name UB40 alluded to the UK government’s Unemployment Benefit Form 40, which many people at that time were scraping by on.
In 1980, UB40 debuted the double A-side songs King (in reference to Martin Luther King) and Food For Thought (about third world poverty), the latter of which hit the No.4 spot on the UK singles list. That year Chrissie Hynde also invited the band to provide support on The Pretenders' national tour.
Between 1983 and 1998, UB40 recorded three Labour Of Love albums featuring reggae covers of pop-rock songs like Neil Diamond’s 'Red Red Wine' (which hit No.1 in the UK and US) as well as Eric Donaldson’s 'Cherry Oh Baby', The Temptations’ 'The Way You Do The Things You Do', Johnny Osbourne’s 'Come Back Darling', Lord Creator’s 'Kingston Town' and Al Green’s 'Here I Am (Come And Take Me)'. In 1993 they also released the album Promises And Lies whose lead single, a cover of Elvis Presley’s '(I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You', became their biggest worldwide hit.
Over their first three decades, UB40 sold more than 70 million records and toured their smooth sound all around the globe. Among the accolades, the band was nominated for the BRIT Award for Best British Group in 1984 and the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album four times between 1987 and 2006.
In 2008, following the release of UB40’s 16th studio album TwentyFourSeven, frontman Ali Campbell left the group, and was followed shortly after by keyboardist Mickey Virtue. They reunited with trumpeter and vocalist Astro (born Terence Wilson) in 2013.
Working together as a threesome going by UB40 featuring Ali, Astro and Mickey, they recorded and released Silhouette in 2014, The Hits Of UB40 Live in 2015 and Unplugged containing acoustic versions of UB40 favourites in 2016. Virtue exited in 2018 after they released a collection of cover songs called A Real Labour Of Love, which peaked at No.2 on the UK albums chart.
As UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, the pair continued to build on the legacy of the original Birmingham band while fusing elements from other genres, actively not limiting their music to the past. Their instantly recognisable voices are backed by a dynamic seven-piece band.
In April 2020, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro got their band together remotely and recorded an emotive cover of the late Bill Withers’ Lean On Me in aid of NHS Charities Together. Sadly, founding member Astro died in November 2021. Frontman Ali Campbell continued the group under the altered moniker UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell.
In 2023, UB40 featuring Ali Campbell were inducted into the Music Walk of Fame with an intimate show at London’s KOKO and the unveiling of a stone on Camden High Street. The band also announced plans for their 2024 Hits Tour, stopping at arenas across the UK.
