Ever since 1978, UB40 has been a steady global music presence preaching the reggae-pop gospel. The United Kingdom natives marked the band’s 45th anniversary in 2023 and has further celebrated this milestone with a tour and “UB45,” a 14-track outing that features seven new songs and a septet of previously recorded hits from the ‘80s sung by the band’s newest member, vocalist Matt Doyle.
For founding member Robin Campbell, this was a chance for the world to hear the new guy, who entered the fold three years ago.
“The thing we hear from the fans all the time is how good he sounds singing those old songs and how well he fits into our sound,” Campbell said in a recent interview. “We just wanted to put that on record really, to show anyone who may not have been to see us, how good he sounds singing those songs. And then of course, the other half of the record consists of brand-new recordings and a couple of them, Matt Doyle wrote himself. He’s bringing a lot to the table and reinfusing us in the process.”
Metro fans can check in on the change when the band, on its Relentless Tour 2025, plays Atlanta Symphony Hall on Sunday.
Formerly with reggae outfit KIOKO, Doyle stepped in for Campbell sibling Duncan, who retired because of health issues. The band carries on, and with 21 albums under its belt, UB40 has plenty to rummage through when figuring out what to play in a live setting. Fans can expect the set lists to include UB40’s wildly successful cover songs, (including “Red Red Wine” and “Cherry Oh Baby,” both of which are on “UB45”) and much more.
“We play the classics fans expect to hear, some old ones they may not expect to hear, but also two or three tracks off the new album,” Campbell said.
Credit: (Courtesy of UB40)
Credit: (Courtesy of UB40)
Founded in an immigrant area of Birmingham, England, in 1978, this multiracial gang of friends grew up inundated by Jamaican and Indian pop music.
And while Tamla/Motown and English pop music whetted the Campbell brothers’ appetites, when reggae superstars Bob Marley and the Wailers came to Birmingham in 1976, elder brother Robin rallied the troops around their shared love of reggae.
“We, of course, weren’t a band then. We were a gang of friends that had all known each other since we were kids,” Campbell said. “I think all the founding members of the band were at that concert and we came out convinced this was what we wanted to do. We needed to stop talking about it and get down to it.”
Robin and Ali Campbell, along with Jimmy Brown, Earl Falconer, Yomi Babayemi, Norman Hassan, Brian Travers and Jimmy Lynn cribbed the band name UB40 from the attendance card issued to people claiming unemployment benefits from the British government and started gigging. A big break came when UB40 caught the attention of the Pretenders, who were blowing up with the success of their self-titled debut album.
“The Pretenders had that first album and single that were both No. 1,” Campbell said. “We went from playing to hundreds in little pubs and clubs to supporting a sold-out Pretenders U.K. tour of thousands overnight. We released our first single during that tour and when we finished that six-week tour in the U.K., we were No. 4 in the charts. It was our first single and first proper tour. That was the springboard of our career because we immediately came off that tour with a hit single. We booked our own tour and sold it out. We never looked back, really.”
Credit: (Courtesy of UB40)
Credit: (Courtesy of UB40)
Things moved along swimmingly until January 2008, when lead singer Ali Campbell left the band.
While the initial reason given was that he was splitting to pursue solo projects, the former UB40 vocalist later claimed it was over a dispute with management. Since then, the singer has been touring with a group of musicians dubbed UB40 featuring Ali Campbell, often playing in the same markets as the mother ship group. This has confused fans, and Robin Campbell finds the situation both sad and annoying.
Robin Campbell said his younger sibling’s departure from UB40 was fueled by his dissatisfaction with the group’s financial structure.
“From the beginning, we agreed that everything that we did and earned would be shared equally,” Campbell said. “When we set out, it was agreed that all eight members always got credited with words and music for each song, although the song may have been written by one or two members of the band. I think that’s the reason we stayed together for 30 years without any change. My kid brother and our lead singer walked out 16 years ago because, as far as he was concerned, he wasn’t getting enough of the share.
“He got a new wife and a new family and decided he wanted to earn more. It’s as simple as that,” he added. “When it didn’t work out for him, he’s since created other reasons that he left for and we haven’t spoken since. The simple truth is that he left to go solo and it didn’t work out as he hoped. It’s a shame that it happened, but I think the fact that we were all as strong as we were helped us to continue and carry on.”
CONCERT PREVIEW
UB40
7 p.m. Sunday. $79.55-$119.60. Atlanta Symphony Hall, 1280 Peachtree St. NE. Atlanta. aso.org.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
