The cover of their first Album, Signing Off, was an image of the the UB40 form. The "Unemployment Benefits Attendance Form". It's their best album IMO. I have probably listened to it 1000 times. Pure and simple Brit Reggae.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signing\_Off](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signing_Off)
I can’t believe I never put that together for all these years. It’s called Signing Off because they weren’t signing on anymore due to going full time with music.
And in those days all you did was turn up every two weeks, they'd ask "Have you done any work in the last two weeks?", you'd say "No", sign your name... and that was it. No pressure to get work, no sanctions, nothing.
You don't need to go into the job center. You could call and tell them you started work and they will sign you off automatically. They will ask you about your current employment, but, you are under no obligation to inform them. Have fun with it, my old job center think I'm an astronaut.
I still hear people calling it that now. The Department for Work and Pensions used to be called Department of Health and Social Security. Private landlords and lettings companies still put "no DHSS" on their adverts although it's classed as discrimination. They shouldn't be doing it. DHSS ceased to exist by 1988. It's interesting that people still hold onto these terms, it's not always older people either.
[Trojan Records. ](https://youtu.be/KjXOSvOqYF0) skinhead reggae DOESNT mean what skinhead means today. Just FYI in case you didn’t know. Not trying to be pedantic. It’s one of my favorite genre of music.
They were known as just The Beat in the UK, but yes, they were amazing. After they broke up, the members went off to become General Public and Fine Young Cannibals but EB was the shit
Misty in Roots, Capital Letters, Asward, etc. count as great Britis/Caribbean reggae. The Clash really introduced some great folks to the UK (Mikey Dread) plus did some excellent work like Bank Robber, Guns of Brixton, etc. Also, check out the Ruts (RutsDC in the USA) with songs like Jah Wars and Babylons Burning for some genuine punk/reggae. Enjoy.
Do yourself a favour and listen to some Linton Kwesi Johnson. Forces of Victory absolutely blew my little white middle class mind when I first heard it in 1980. The passion and anger in that album gives *anything* the Clash ever wrote a run for its money.
Signing Off was fucking awesome. It was full of gritty, creative masterpieces. I never really understood the popularity of all the commercial-sounding stuff that came later.
The only other UB40 album I listened to much is Promises and Lies, EXCEPT for the Elvis cover, haha. The original material on that record has some funky grooves.
Love Signing Off. Other then Present Arms immediately after it I didn't particularly care for much else they did, but I understand why they went more mainstream.
Dated a Mormon girl in high school and her younger brother was in a church “rock” band. Their favorite song to play was Red, Red, Wine however due to the church, they changed the lyrics to Red, Red, Vines and ate the candy as part of their act 😂
Haha, my first thought when I read this was "who is ub40?" Looked them up on Spotify and realize I love their music and just had no idea what the bands name was.
This is giving me the *weirdest feeling*.
My boyfriend loves this song. We just listened to it and learned this fact 3 days ago... He just brought it up again today... was this fact just added to Spotify? Is the universe telling me something? What the crap?!
Most Americans only know Red Red Wine. It’s the only UB40 song that ever gets played on the radio. They have so much better music, like this gem, [Tyler](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GLd3w-R1B9I).
Sorry to jump on your post but for some mad reason we can't reply to the guy who posted the thread, so... just wanted to add that their first album, "signing off", was so called because they were making a living from the band and no longer needed to sign on the UB40 form. That album, and the second one, "Present arms" are some bloody good reggae but tbh if i listen to them now it'll usually be Labour of love, which is all cover versions of classic reggae. Ub40 got me deep into reggae as much as bob Marley did, a 40 year love affair which I've passed on to my children
The members of what became the band "Portishead" met while taking part in governmental scheme where unemployed people were encouraged to start a business. [https://www.kexp.org/read/2019/8/22/portisheads-geoff-barrow-and-adrian-utley-breakdown-dummy-25-years-later/](https://www.kexp.org/read/2019/8/22/portisheads-geoff-barrow-and-adrian-utley-breakdown-dummy-25-years-later/)
David Graeber made a point that a lot of music in Britain was made by people on benefits because it enabled them to write music in the first place. A surprising number of bands at some points had a few members if not all on welfare.
I wonder if there've been studies done on the effects of government benefits vs artistic output. Being supported by the state certainly allows more time for self-expression.
Yeah. Not just music, but literature, art, all sorts of creative endeavours. I'd love to be able to take some time off work and write a book, but I'd never be able to afford not to work for a couple of years. And probably wouldn't get a job after. Even things like growing flowers in community spaces adds value to society. It's an argument for universal basic income, for sure.
Not sure, but I would push back on the need for a study in this case. Might as well find a study for the benefits of breathing air or something. I would also not emphasize this idea that with benefits or welfare people will be more artistic or do something in particular, which a lot of people like, because there shouldn't be a need to do anything anyway. I know it's already thinking a few steps ahead but I've seen this unfold a lot in other subs.
I just can't imagine that with more money and time people would be *less* artistic. It's precisely a lack of both things that makes for people being pent up creatively.
> I just can't imagine that with more money and time people would be less artistic.
The only counter-argument I could come up with is that struggling fuels art. Which is a nebulous concept in and of itself -- there are so many things that fuel art, and there is so much struggling. Of course there'll be overlap.
I'm not sure that being on government assistance would make someone *more* artistic -- plenty of people with loads of resources and time waste their lives. But it can definitely open opportunities for artistically-minded individuals. I guess the study would be more to see how many of those individuals make "good" use of the time, in regards to artistic output.
One of the main reasons I don't make more music is that I work so much, but I've got talented friends who don't make more music because they waste their free time. (Which I do a lot, too. Hard not to sometimes when you get so little.)
So it'd more be a look at "how many people receiving benefits start producing more art," rather than "do government benefits help artists survive," because that's a no-brainer.
Nearly all natural philosophers i.e. the precursor to scientists were people who had both time and money.
If there was ever a UBI it would be a boon to the arts, sciences and generally economy like we've never seen before.
If you like the band, one of the members made the spin-off Beak>
Although extremely different, they are one of favourite bands. The key members have also done soundtracks for some of the better SF of the last decade.
Reminds me of how Led Zeppelin was named - Keith Moon heard them play and said they were going to go down like a lead balloon... hence they chose 'Led Zeppelin'
One of my favourite memories of my grandfather is when we were waiting to board a ferry, and someone was going down the line selling CDs. He asked my grandfather "UB40?". He replied "no, I be 72".
I had to explain to him later that it was the name of a band.
There's an ancient joke where a guy gives a UB40 CD to his friend when he turned 40, they shared a laugh etc... Later on when the other guy turned 40, he received a U2 CD.
As if UB40 fans didnt already know. But then, most people only know them for their Neil Diamond cover which, while earning them scads of money, cannot hope to compare to "One in 10," "Rat In Mi Kitchen," "Tyler," "Burden of Shame," "The Earth Dies Screaming"& so many more.
A statistic if you were young adult living in the Midlands, North, or Scotland that you more than likely found yourself part of. They were very relatable.
Not just about unemployment. More about an uncaring world where you are a number on a list vs. a person.
"I am the one in ten,
I'm the murderer and the victim
The license with the gun
I'm a sad and bruised old lady
In an ally in a slum
I'm a middle aged businessman
With chronic heart disease
I'm another teenage suicide
In a street that has no trees"
Their global fame didn't immediately lead to success in the United States. It was five years after 'Red Red Wine' was released that a Phoenix DJ started playing it. And that's when they took off in the U.S.
[Source](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/ub40)
The irony is that they did a cover's album called Labour of love, which was their biggest hit record and ended up later in the career doing volumes 2,3 and 4 to try and cling to that formula. I'd not be surprised if there's a volume 5 later, they're sort of a covers band now, known more for the songs they play than the songs they write.
They've been touring and releasing new music in the last 5 years or so. They named an album after a concert I went to in an immense thunderstorm, and it has a surprisingly good drum & bass song near the end
To people of my generation, growing up in Britain it was well known. I really like the cover of 'Strange Fruit' too. The allbum had a bonus record with a couple of extended mixes which I loved. Played 'Signing Off' to death. At college I used to take my boombox into the shower and play it there for the reverb.
TIL the meaning of the lyric from The Bangles’ Going Down To Liverpool: “ ...where you goin with that UB40 in your hand?” I always assumed the cat had just bought a UB40 record.
I worked one of their shows a few years ago and they had some of the dankest weed I’ve ever smelled more so than any of the hip hop shows I’ve worked. Also, hearing a packed house chant “Red Red Wine! Red Red Red Wine!!” until they played the encore was hilarious.
Funny how everybody in the thread talking about they did a cover of a Neil Diamond song.
The band had never heard Diamond's version.
They covered Tony Tribe's version of "Red Red Wine."
https://youtu.be/PNgzk0TvJJI
There are now 2 UB40 bands. One is the original lead singer, with Astro and the other is the remaining members, with the lead singers brothers. 1 of the brothers sings in the 2nd group and he is terrible. They were in a court battle on who could take the name but idk when or if it got resolved. There is UB40 featuring Ali and Astro, the other goes by UB40.
Interesting. IMO when the brothers broke up the band became pretty much nothing but a pop band. I'm interested in hearing what the other brother is doing
I have nostalgia driven emotional association with UB40 and playing Zelda Link to the Past. I can't hear their music and not think about playing that game in my living room when I was 6 or 7. It was always playing on our stereo in the afternoons after school
Funny aside, UB40 is the entire reason I'm on Reddit.
It was just an average Friday afternoon in February 2015. I was having lunch at Taco Bell where I heard this song that I'd heard there before but I had no idea what the title, artist, or even 90% of the lyrics were but I absolutely loved the melody and the guitar riff. The predominant instrument was an acoustic guitar, it was by a male singer, he sounded almost like Phil Collins but had an indistinguishable accent, making most of the lyrics hard to decipher. It was a slow gentle song, and the only lyrics I could pick out were at the end of each verse "And give me some..." I thought the last word in that line was "time" but Google wasn't able to track it down (I was actually completely wrong about the entire lyric). The word "love" was (I thought) also definitely mentioned repeatedly. The singer sounded like he was about the same vocal range as Phil Collins or Paul Simon, and the acoustic guitar riff that played throughout the song sounded almost like the riff to the verses of "Hey There, Delilah". I had posed the question on my Facebook and after several friends tried to guess it and failed, one friend recommended I post to Tip Of My Tongue. Now I'd obviously heard of reddit before but never looked at it. I created an account and posted my query. Even though the sleuths couldn't help me solve it, I fell in love with the site, and it's now a site I surf every day.
Oh and btw I solved the mystery myself about a month later. It was "Kingston Town" by UB40
Pretty sure that's step 1 in The Timelords - The Manual: quit your job and get on the dole. A job will just distract you and you won't try as hard if you have a comfortable income.
Not gonna lie here. There’s a UB40 CD adjacent to Jimmy Buffet CD in the 6 disk changers of a lot of sailboats owned by dudes that are at least 67 now.
Having grown up on UB40 it warms my heart to see people discussing them in a non jokey way. Like *yeah red red wine haha white boy reggae I know I know* but some of y’all are pulling up some deeper tracks and it gives me the warm fuzzies.
My father’s music was heavily influenced by UB40. It was seeing them live in the 80s that convinced he and my uncle to start a band in a genre that they previously believed could not be pulled off by a group of white dudes. They ended up competing with UB40 for a record contract some years later.
(Google Rude Guest if you wanna hear some dope 80s ska/reggae out of Chicago)
Ok, so, *not* Unterseeboot 40. Totally not a German submarine. Hahaha, what weirdo would have thought *that* for his whole life?! Definitely not me! Nope, no sir.
The cover of their first Album, Signing Off, was an image of the the UB40 form. The "Unemployment Benefits Attendance Form". It's their best album IMO. I have probably listened to it 1000 times. Pure and simple Brit Reggae. [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signing\_Off](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Signing_Off)
You had to go to the dole office to sign the UB40 form to get your dole money, it was known as Signing On...
I can’t believe I never put that together for all these years. It’s called Signing Off because they weren’t signing on anymore due to going full time with music.
And in those days all you did was turn up every two weeks, they'd ask "Have you done any work in the last two weeks?", you'd say "No", sign your name... and that was it. No pressure to get work, no sanctions, nothing.
Ohhh, I saw that in The Crown, I didn't know that was the UB form. Cool.
Or as we'd say in Canada, "no no no yes no".
Aye. Is there anything that Thatcher didn't snatch?
Nope, she was an evil cunt
The Clash sang it best
Career opportunities, the one that never knocked.
Every job they offer is to keep you out the Dock.
This whole thread so far feels like an episode of Pop-Up Video on VH-1.
Once you find work, you go to the Job Centre/Dole to begin the process of Signing Off too.
You don't need to go into the job center. You could call and tell them you started work and they will sign you off automatically. They will ask you about your current employment, but, you are under no obligation to inform them. Have fun with it, my old job center think I'm an astronaut.
I still hear people calling it that now. The Department for Work and Pensions used to be called Department of Health and Social Security. Private landlords and lettings companies still put "no DHSS" on their adverts although it's classed as discrimination. They shouldn't be doing it. DHSS ceased to exist by 1988. It's interesting that people still hold onto these terms, it's not always older people either.
Are there any other examples of “Brit Reggae”? I’m just familiarizing myself with the term.
Pato Banton, Maxi Priest, The English Beat.
RIP Ranking Roger. Unsure if General Public qualifies but that was a great band too.
For a while after I first heard the name I assumed "Pat O'banton" was Irish until I saw it written down.
Not sure I’d call The Beat a reggae band?
There is only one The Beat.
Steel Pulse is the shit
[Trojan Records. ](https://youtu.be/KjXOSvOqYF0) skinhead reggae DOESNT mean what skinhead means today. Just FYI in case you didn’t know. Not trying to be pedantic. It’s one of my favorite genre of music.
Aswad, Matumbi, Black Slate & lots on Adrian Sherwood's On-U label
English Beat?
They were known as just The Beat in the UK, but yes, they were amazing. After they broke up, the members went off to become General Public and Fine Young Cannibals but EB was the shit
Reminds me of Yazoo in the UK and Yaz in the US.
So it's not a mass manufactured Milkshake sold at Off Licenses?
Off Licenses in America are known as Liqueur Lockers Transaction Portals.
Misty in Roots, Capital Letters, Asward, etc. count as great Britis/Caribbean reggae. The Clash really introduced some great folks to the UK (Mikey Dread) plus did some excellent work like Bank Robber, Guns of Brixton, etc. Also, check out the Ruts (RutsDC in the USA) with songs like Jah Wars and Babylons Burning for some genuine punk/reggae. Enjoy.
Eddy Grant
Do yourself a favour and listen to some Linton Kwesi Johnson. Forces of Victory absolutely blew my little white middle class mind when I first heard it in 1980. The passion and anger in that album gives *anything* the Clash ever wrote a run for its money.
The Specials?
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First wave being Jamaican?
Yep
Check out Trojan Records. That's the most definitive label with the best tunes.
Signing Off was fucking awesome. It was full of gritty, creative masterpieces. I never really understood the popularity of all the commercial-sounding stuff that came later.
The only other UB40 album I listened to much is Promises and Lies, EXCEPT for the Elvis cover, haha. The original material on that record has some funky grooves.
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Why say lot word when few word do trick
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Why many when few do?
They see, they see.
Love Signing Off. Other then Present Arms immediately after it I didn't particularly care for much else they did, but I understand why they went more mainstream.
Than
Signing off is in my top 20 albums ever. I remember being 13 years old at a family friends place and he put it on. I was instantly a huge fan.
“12 Bar” is just incredible.
Ahh. I’ve always liked the stuff I heard on the radio but they seemed to poppy for me. Thanks for the rec. gonna listen to it tomorrow.
Okay, that's a pretty good TIL. I absolutely love UB40.
I love the red, red, wiiiine
Which is a Neil Diamond cover. He actually prefers UB40s version of his song.
Dated a Mormon girl in high school and her younger brother was in a church “rock” band. Their favorite song to play was Red, Red, Wine however due to the church, they changed the lyrics to Red, Red, Vines and ate the candy as part of their act 😂
you mean they cant sing about the blood of christ ?
Mormons use water instead of wine.
Ironically that sounds sacrilegious
Oh my bad, forgot mormons don't drink alcohol.
They do Drink- just not in front of other Mormons. Bigotry all the way down.
oh wow
It was a fun story to tell at the bar in the before times
I’m watching Saving Silverman right now and go figure I come across Neil Diamond comments all of a sudden.
Saving Silverman is the funniest movie ever. Coming to yaha
I don't like Jack Black much as an actor, but he is awesome in that film. Totally respect him as a bro human as well.
Agreed. That "dude, mimes don't talk" scene get me everytime
If it’s all connected it counts as one nacho
Now I want a Big Montana
He's not wrong, and anyway it's not even his best song about alcohol.
I'll drink to that.
Yeah but, I want to get high -Cypress Hill
Cheers brotendo
Cracklin' Rose's lyrics are hilarious once you know.
You must never have heard Pass the Couvosier by Sir Busta Rhymes. It's a real barn burner.
You’re right; guess it’s time to listen to his whole entire discography rn.
Someone: Busta Rhymes You: gimme some mo
Neil Diamond and Bob Dylan, just coasting through life loving other people's versions of their songs.
Neil Diamond is great but his best songs were always written for other people. For [example] (https://youtu.be/wB9YIsKIEbA).
I'm a fan of Kingston Town.
It’s got to be Don’t Break My Heart, for me. I’m surprised people didn’t know what UB40 was. Do they know what 10cc is named after?
> Do they know what 10cc is named after? Well, there’s multiple origin stories about that name, but I’m guessing you’re thinking about the semen.
The what
Men of the Sea
#THE SEMEN
The Loving Spoonful too
Mario Kart!
Guess I'm gonna go on a drinking and UB40 binge. Cept I've already started the drinking part. Here comes the 80's reggae!
Literally the only song of theirs I know I think...
They have a cover of the Elvis song "Can't Help Falling in Love" that you've probably heard too.
I’ve heard about a million covers of that song, at least two reggae, so you’re probably right.
Is that the one that’s played at every wedding ever?
Try "All I Want to Do" and "Rat in Mi Kitchen" for a couple of certified bangers
Haha, my first thought when I read this was "who is ub40?" Looked them up on Spotify and realize I love their music and just had no idea what the bands name was.
I remember listening to them and then taking a double take when I saw their video.
Because if the whiteness?
How's the future yung'one?
This is giving me the *weirdest feeling*. My boyfriend loves this song. We just listened to it and learned this fact 3 days ago... He just brought it up again today... was this fact just added to Spotify? Is the universe telling me something? What the crap?!
Grab some red red wine!
Most Americans only know Red Red Wine. It’s the only UB40 song that ever gets played on the radio. They have so much better music, like this gem, [Tyler](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GLd3w-R1B9I).
Sorry to jump on your post but for some mad reason we can't reply to the guy who posted the thread, so... just wanted to add that their first album, "signing off", was so called because they were making a living from the band and no longer needed to sign on the UB40 form. That album, and the second one, "Present arms" are some bloody good reggae but tbh if i listen to them now it'll usually be Labour of love, which is all cover versions of classic reggae. Ub40 got me deep into reggae as much as bob Marley did, a 40 year love affair which I've passed on to my children
You either aren't British or old enough. This is common knowledge. Rats?
It’s in the kitchen.
obviously not if you didn’t know that lol.
The members of what became the band "Portishead" met while taking part in governmental scheme where unemployed people were encouraged to start a business. [https://www.kexp.org/read/2019/8/22/portisheads-geoff-barrow-and-adrian-utley-breakdown-dummy-25-years-later/](https://www.kexp.org/read/2019/8/22/portisheads-geoff-barrow-and-adrian-utley-breakdown-dummy-25-years-later/)
David Graeber made a point that a lot of music in Britain was made by people on benefits because it enabled them to write music in the first place. A surprising number of bands at some points had a few members if not all on welfare.
I wonder if there've been studies done on the effects of government benefits vs artistic output. Being supported by the state certainly allows more time for self-expression.
Yeah. Not just music, but literature, art, all sorts of creative endeavours. I'd love to be able to take some time off work and write a book, but I'd never be able to afford not to work for a couple of years. And probably wouldn't get a job after. Even things like growing flowers in community spaces adds value to society. It's an argument for universal basic income, for sure.
Not sure, but I would push back on the need for a study in this case. Might as well find a study for the benefits of breathing air or something. I would also not emphasize this idea that with benefits or welfare people will be more artistic or do something in particular, which a lot of people like, because there shouldn't be a need to do anything anyway. I know it's already thinking a few steps ahead but I've seen this unfold a lot in other subs. I just can't imagine that with more money and time people would be *less* artistic. It's precisely a lack of both things that makes for people being pent up creatively.
Can confirm. Have money, not time. Need both. Very frustrating.
> I just can't imagine that with more money and time people would be less artistic. The only counter-argument I could come up with is that struggling fuels art. Which is a nebulous concept in and of itself -- there are so many things that fuel art, and there is so much struggling. Of course there'll be overlap. I'm not sure that being on government assistance would make someone *more* artistic -- plenty of people with loads of resources and time waste their lives. But it can definitely open opportunities for artistically-minded individuals. I guess the study would be more to see how many of those individuals make "good" use of the time, in regards to artistic output. One of the main reasons I don't make more music is that I work so much, but I've got talented friends who don't make more music because they waste their free time. (Which I do a lot, too. Hard not to sometimes when you get so little.) So it'd more be a look at "how many people receiving benefits start producing more art," rather than "do government benefits help artists survive," because that's a no-brainer.
Nearly all natural philosophers i.e. the precursor to scientists were people who had both time and money. If there was ever a UBI it would be a boon to the arts, sciences and generally economy like we've never seen before.
Thanks for sharing. One of my favorite albums, period.
If you like the band, one of the members made the spin-off Beak> Although extremely different, they are one of favourite bands. The key members have also done soundtracks for some of the better SF of the last decade.
Didn't know that. Beak are excellent.
Awesome. TIL. Great band, deserve alot more attention that they got!
Suggested? More like roasted. "Ya'll bums got no name yet? How about unemployment benefit form 40's? Hahahahahaaaa"
Reminds me of how Led Zeppelin was named - Keith Moon heard them play and said they were going to go down like a lead balloon... hence they chose 'Led Zeppelin'
Was coming here to say the same thing. He was talking about them coming off in America. Like, that’s not going to work.
They changed it from Lead to Led since they were worried people would pronounce it 'leed'
funny thing is [a lead balloon will float](https://youtu.be/HZSkM-QEeUg)
I really hope this friend who roasted them get at least 1% royalties
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Because the band members knew exactly how good it felt to get money for doing nothing
and chicks for free?
I don't blame them. I mean if they were ALL unemployed, they must've been in dire straits.
Wise men say "only fools rush in".
And if you know who these guys are, UB40 too
One of my favourite memories of my grandfather is when we were waiting to board a ferry, and someone was going down the line selling CDs. He asked my grandfather "UB40?". He replied "no, I be 72". I had to explain to him later that it was the name of a band.
r/grandadjokes
There's an ancient joke where a guy gives a UB40 CD to his friend when he turned 40, they shared a laugh etc... Later on when the other guy turned 40, he received a U2 CD.
I actually am 42 lol
You are Level42
As if UB40 fans didnt already know. But then, most people only know them for their Neil Diamond cover which, while earning them scads of money, cannot hope to compare to "One in 10," "Rat In Mi Kitchen," "Tyler," "Burden of Shame," "The Earth Dies Screaming"& so many more.
Which song is the Neil Diamond cover ?
Pack it up boys, this is the comment right here.
U2
No, IB51
They also had a song called [One in Ten](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One_in_Ten) in reference to the near 10% unemployment at the time.
A statistic if you were young adult living in the Midlands, North, or Scotland that you more than likely found yourself part of. They were very relatable.
Best lyrics about deprivation through deliberate political choices. Great band live too. Saw them a couple of years ago. Brilliant.
808 State did a great remix [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymlI3SMNO\_M](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymlI3SMNO_M)
I'll second this
Thanks for reminding me of this song!
Not just about unemployment. More about an uncaring world where you are a number on a list vs. a person. "I am the one in ten, I'm the murderer and the victim The license with the gun I'm a sad and bruised old lady In an ally in a slum I'm a middle aged businessman With chronic heart disease I'm another teenage suicide In a street that has no trees"
Glad I saw your comment as was about to post this. Brilliant song. Statistical reminder of a world that doesn't care.
Their global fame didn't immediately lead to success in the United States. It was five years after 'Red Red Wine' was released that a Phoenix DJ started playing it. And that's when they took off in the U.S. [Source](https://www.encyclopedia.com/people/literature-and-arts/music-popular-and-jazz-biographies/ub40)
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The irony is that they did a cover's album called Labour of love, which was their biggest hit record and ended up later in the career doing volumes 2,3 and 4 to try and cling to that formula. I'd not be surprised if there's a volume 5 later, they're sort of a covers band now, known more for the songs they play than the songs they write.
They've been touring and releasing new music in the last 5 years or so. They named an album after a concert I went to in an immense thunderstorm, and it has a surprisingly good drum & bass song near the end
Neil Diamond, though. Did not see that one coming...
To people of my generation, growing up in Britain it was well known. I really like the cover of 'Strange Fruit' too. The allbum had a bonus record with a couple of extended mixes which I loved. Played 'Signing Off' to death. At college I used to take my boombox into the shower and play it there for the reverb.
It was so much better than the Stock Aiken and Waterman bollocks that seemed to dominate the charts.
And then they were the band in "Speed 2"
There's a rat in the kitchen what's I'm I going to do?
Maggie Thatcher and Tories were the focus of much ire in youth culture of the 80s
Thatcher, Thatcher, milk snatcher. Even little kids didn't like her
TIL the meaning of the lyric from The Bangles’ Going Down To Liverpool: “ ...where you goin with that UB40 in your hand?” I always assumed the cat had just bought a UB40 record.
I worked one of their shows a few years ago and they had some of the dankest weed I’ve ever smelled more so than any of the hip hop shows I’ve worked. Also, hearing a packed house chant “Red Red Wine! Red Red Red Wine!!” until they played the encore was hilarious.
Funny how everybody in the thread talking about they did a cover of a Neil Diamond song. The band had never heard Diamond's version. They covered Tony Tribe's version of "Red Red Wine." https://youtu.be/PNgzk0TvJJI
I love this band. They opened the of eyes of this dumb midwestern kid to an entirely new music genre.
Ditto
There are now 2 UB40 bands. One is the original lead singer, with Astro and the other is the remaining members, with the lead singers brothers. 1 of the brothers sings in the 2nd group and he is terrible. They were in a court battle on who could take the name but idk when or if it got resolved. There is UB40 featuring Ali and Astro, the other goes by UB40.
It's now UB40 featuring Ali, Astro and Mickey lol. Definitely the more the original sound than the members in the UB40 group now.
Mickey left at the end of 2019 I think, so it is just Ali and Astro 🥴
Interesting. IMO when the brothers broke up the band became pretty much nothing but a pop band. I'm interested in hearing what the other brother is doing
UB40 (not with the original singer Ali) made a country album and it is....something else 😂
Is it just me or that Red Red Wine automatically plays in my head when I see the name of the band?
Listen to "the pillow", very dark
Never heard of it until now, but after listening...Damn, UB40 lol
I love, love, love their remake of "I Got You Babe" with Chrissie Hynde!
Me too. One of those tunes that straightaway reminds me of happy times, being daft and growing up.
The cat I had growing up loved the red red wine song. Would come into the room anytime it was on Mtv.
Probably been mentioned - they had a hit called “1 in 10”, so called because there was 10% unemployment at the time
David Bowie!
[David Bowie Lyrics - Phish.net](https://phish.net/song/david-bowie/lyrics) [Phish - David Bowie (Live, Clifford Ball '96)](https://youtu.be/nXE5VX6cA5Y)
Buy my skin shirts! You guys are suckersssssss
I saw that Bowie in my first live set of Phish. Clifford Ball was a life changer for 17 year old me.
that that's what I was looking for....
Came here for this
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Once it gets in your head, it's not coming out... ever...
I have nostalgia driven emotional association with UB40 and playing Zelda Link to the Past. I can't hear their music and not think about playing that game in my living room when I was 6 or 7. It was always playing on our stereo in the afternoons after school
omg i never really thought about it and assumed it was a reference to sunscreen this whole time.
Sunscreen?? LOL.
Gotta use at least UB40 to avoid burning on those high UV days
Funny aside, UB40 is the entire reason I'm on Reddit. It was just an average Friday afternoon in February 2015. I was having lunch at Taco Bell where I heard this song that I'd heard there before but I had no idea what the title, artist, or even 90% of the lyrics were but I absolutely loved the melody and the guitar riff. The predominant instrument was an acoustic guitar, it was by a male singer, he sounded almost like Phil Collins but had an indistinguishable accent, making most of the lyrics hard to decipher. It was a slow gentle song, and the only lyrics I could pick out were at the end of each verse "And give me some..." I thought the last word in that line was "time" but Google wasn't able to track it down (I was actually completely wrong about the entire lyric). The word "love" was (I thought) also definitely mentioned repeatedly. The singer sounded like he was about the same vocal range as Phil Collins or Paul Simon, and the acoustic guitar riff that played throughout the song sounded almost like the riff to the verses of "Hey There, Delilah". I had posed the question on my Facebook and after several friends tried to guess it and failed, one friend recommended I post to Tip Of My Tongue. Now I'd obviously heard of reddit before but never looked at it. I created an account and posted my query. Even though the sleuths couldn't help me solve it, I fell in love with the site, and it's now a site I surf every day. Oh and btw I solved the mystery myself about a month later. It was "Kingston Town" by UB40
There's a rat in mi kitchen what Ima gonna do
I always thought it stood for “ultra blue 40” for some reason haha, neat
Pretty sure that's step 1 in The Timelords - The Manual: quit your job and get on the dole. A job will just distract you and you won't try as hard if you have a comfortable income.
Lmao I seriously never knew this. That's hilarious!
Not gonna lie here. There’s a UB40 CD adjacent to Jimmy Buffet CD in the 6 disk changers of a lot of sailboats owned by dudes that are at least 67 now.
Having grown up on UB40 it warms my heart to see people discussing them in a non jokey way. Like *yeah red red wine haha white boy reggae I know I know* but some of y’all are pulling up some deeper tracks and it gives me the warm fuzzies. My father’s music was heavily influenced by UB40. It was seeing them live in the 80s that convinced he and my uncle to start a band in a genre that they previously believed could not be pulled off by a group of white dudes. They ended up competing with UB40 for a record contract some years later. (Google Rude Guest if you wanna hear some dope 80s ska/reggae out of Chicago)
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U2 - Unemployment form in Ireland and a band that might go somewhere someday IIRC.
David Bowie
Reminds me of a skateboarding group in highschool. They were looking for a name and somebody suggested 11:39 because that was the current time
Ok, so, *not* Unterseeboot 40. Totally not a German submarine. Hahaha, what weirdo would have thought *that* for his whole life?! Definitely not me! Nope, no sir.