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UB40
artist

UB40

UB40 is a reggae artist from United Kingdom formed in 1978. 85 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.

Reggae · United Kingdom · Best reggae albums

1 follower
85
Releases
1980–2024
Active years
1978
Formed

Discography

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Twentyfourseven cover

Most popular

Twentyfourseven

2008 · 10 tracks

Singles & EPs

25

Live & compilations

25

Credits

1

Records UB40 worked on for other artists — the roles are as credited on each release.

Appears on

2

Releases by other artists featuring UB40.

Featured tracks

4

Videos

4

Collaborators

1

Upcoming shows

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Past shows

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Community

More about UB40

About

UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album four times, and in 1984 were nominated for the Brit Award for Best British Group. UB40 have sold more than 70 million records worldwide. The ethnic make-up of the band's original line-up was diverse, with musicians of English, Welsh, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish, and Yemeni parentage. Their hit singles include their debut "Food for Thought" and two Billboard Hot 100 number ones with "Red Red Wine" and "Can't Help Falling in Love". Both of these also topped the UK Singles Chart, as did the band's version of "I Got You Babe", recorded with Chrissie Hynde. Their two most successful albums, Labour of Love (1983) and Promises and Lies (1993), reached number one on the UK Albums Chart. UB40 and the English ska band Madness hold the record for most weeks spent by a group in the UK singles chart during the 1980s, with 214 weeks each.

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The band's line-up was stable for nearly 29 years, from March 1979 until January 2008, when frontman Ali Campbell left the band, followed shortly thereafter by keyboardist Mickey Virtue. Another member, Astro, remained with the band until November 2013, when he departed the original band to team up with Campbell and Virtue in a new version of UB40. In 2014, legal advice was sought by the original band (now consisting of remaining co-founding members drummer Jimmy Brown, guitarist Robin Campbell, bassist Earl Falconer, percussionist Norman Hassan, and saxophonist Brian Travers, along with new vocalist Duncan Campbell) who took action against the group containing Campbell, Virtue, and Astro over usage of the band name, due to it being used by both parties. On 5 July 2021, it was announced that Matt Doyle (formerly of the reggae band Kioko) would become the band's new vocalist, following Duncan Campbell's retirement due to ill health.

UB40 in brief

How many UB40 releases are on Riffiter?
85 releases are catalogued, spanning 1980 to 2024.
When was UB40 formed?
UB40 formed in 1978, in United Kingdom.
What genre is UB40?
UB40 is catalogued under Reggae.
What is the most recent UB40 release on Riffiter?
Home, released in 2024.

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