Songs from UB40

British Ska and Reggae-Rock

American pop audiences were first introduced to British band UB40 in 1983 when their first U.S. album, Labour of Love was released into the mainstream. The sound was unique and unusual for the States at the time, a unique meld of reggae and British pop. The single, “Red, Red Wine” was originally released in 1983, but its re-release in 1988 made it a #1 hit. Along with a number of other UB40 cover hits it continues to enjoy occasional airplay in the U.S. By contrast, British UB40 fans had already enjoyed at least five years of the band’s style and six U.K. albums by the time UB40 was ever heard about in The States. An unusual feature of the band is their penchant for reproducing popular hits as covers. They have done Neil Diamond, Elvis and Jimmy Cliff.

Founded in 1979 the band found its audience only when they were invited to tour with The Pretenders. The band recorded their first album al fresco, which automatically imbued it with an independent sound, but Signing Off won a large following after its release in 1980 and was later a hit album in the UK. The band has produced dozens of albums over the last 30 years most of them heavily true to their ska and reggae roots, but with careful forays into light rock, pop-musical and ballads. UB40 may be credited with making reggae the commercial commodity that it is today.

Signing Off (1980):

1. Tyler
2. King
3. 12 Bar
4. Burden of Shame
5. Adella
6. I Think It’s Going To Rain Today
7. 25%
8. Food for Thought
9. Little By Little
10. Signing Off
11. Madam Medusa
12. Strange Fruit
13. Reefer Madness

Present Arms (1981):

1. Present Arms
2. Sardonicus
3. Don’t Let it Pass You By
4. Wild Cat
5. One in Ten
6. Don’t Slow Down
7. Silent Witness
8. Lambs Bread
9. Don’t Walk on the Grass
10. Dr. X

Present Arms in Dub (1981):

1. Present Arms in Dub
2. Smoke It
3. B-Line
4. Kings Row
5. Return of Dr. X
6. Walk Out
7. One In Ten
8. Neon Haze

UB44 (1982):

1. So Here I Am
2. I Won’t Close My Eyes (remix)
3. Forget the Cost
4. Love is All is Alright (remix)
5. The Piper Calls the Tune
6. The Key
7. Don’t Do the Crime
8. Folitician (remix)
9. The Prisoner

Labour of Love (1983):

1. Cherry Oh Baby
2. Keep On Moving
3. Please Don’t Make Me Cry
4. Sweet Sensation
5. Johnny Too Bad
6. Red, Red Wine
7. Guilty
8. She Caught the Train
9. Version Girl
10. Many Rivers to Cross

Geffrey Morgan (1984):

1. Riddle Me
2. As Always You Were Wrong Again
3. If it Happens Again
4. D.U.B.
5. The Pillow
6. Nkomo-A-Go-Go
7. Seasons
8. You’re Not an Army
9. I’m Not Fooled So Easily
10. Your Eyes Were Open

Baggariddim (1985):

1. The King Step Mk. 1
2. The Buzz Feeling
3. Lyric Officer Mk. 2
4. Demonstrate
5. Two in a One Mk. 1
6. Hold Your Position Mk. 3
7. Hip Hop Lyrical Robot
8. Style Mk. 4
9. Fight Fe Come In Mk. 2
10. V’s Version
11. Don’t Break My Heart
12. I Got You Babe
13. Mi Spliff

Little Baggariddim (1985):

1. The King Step Mk. 1
2. The Buzz Feeling
3. Lyric Officer Mk. 2
4. Demonstrate
5. Two in a One Mk. 1
6. Hold Your Position Mk. 3
7. Hip Hop Lyrical Robot
8. Style Mk. 4
9. Fight Fe Come In Mk. 2
10. V’s Version
11. Don’t Break My Heart
12. I Got You Babe (ft. Chrissy Hynde)
13. Mi Spliff

The UB40 File (1985):

1. Tyler
2. King
3. Burden of Shame
4. I Think It’s Going To Rain Today
5. Food for Thought
6. Signing Off
7. Madam Medusa
8. Strange Fruit
9. My Way of Thinking
10. The Earth Dies Screaming
11. Dream a Lie

Rat in the Kitchen (1986):

1. All I Want To Do
2. You Could Meet Somebody
3. Tell it Like It Is
4. The Elevator
5. Watchdogs
6. Rat in Mi Kitchen
7. Looking Down At My Reflection
8. Don’t Blame Me
9. Sing Our Own Song

Labour of Love II (1989):

1. Here I Am (Come and Take Me)
2. Tears From My Eyes
3. Groovin’
4. The Way You Do the Things You Do
5. Kingston Town
6. Baby
7. Wedding Day
8. Wear You to the Ball
9. Homely Girl
10. Impossible Love

Promises and Lies (1993):

1. C’est La Vie
2. Desert Sand
3. Promises and Lies
4. Bring Me Your Cup
5. Higher Ground
6. Reggae Music
7. Can’t Help Falling In Love
8. Now and Then
9. Things Ain’t Like They Used to Be
10. It’s A Long, Long Way
11. Sorry

Guns In the Ghetto (1997):

Always There

Hurry Come Up

I Love It When You Smile

I’ve Been Missing You

Oracabessa Moonshine

Guns In the Ghetto

Tell Me Is It True

Friendly Fire

I Really Can’t Say

Lisa

Dancehall Album (1998):

1. Magic Carpet (ft. Pinchers)
2. Force Ripe (ft. Merciless)
3. Smile for Me (ft. General Degree)
4. Waw Waw Waw (ft. Lt. Stitchie)
5. Laddy Bay (ft. Mad Cobra)
6. More Opportunity (ft. Anthony B)
7. Oh No Baby Don’t Go (ft. Peter Metro)
8. Love That I Need (ft. Beenie Man)
9. More Love (ft. Red Dragon)
10. Nuff Love (ft. Lady Saw)
11. Who (ft. Spragga Benz)
12. Hills and Valley (ft. Ninjaman)
13. No Stray (ft. Roundhead)

Labour of Love III (1999):

1. Holly Holy
2. It’s My Delight
3. Come Back Darling
4. Never Let Go
5. Soul Rebel
6. My Best Girl
7. Good Ambition
8. The Train Is Coming
9. Blood and Fire
10. Mr. Fix It
11. Stay A Little Bit Longer
12. Someone Like You
13. The Time Has Come
14. Crying Over You
15. Legalize It

Cover Up (2002):

1. Rudie
2. Sparkle of My Eyes
3. Really
4. The Day I Broke the Law
5. Let Me Know
6. Cover Up
7. Walk On Me Land
8. Something More Than This
9. Everytime
10. I’m On the Up
11. Look At Me
12. Since I Met You Lady
13. Walked In the Rain
14. Write Off the Debt

Homegrown (2003):

1. So Destructive
2. I Knew You
3. Drop On By
4. Someone Like Me
5. Freestyler
6. Everything Is Better Now
7. Just Be Good (Bushman Dub)
8. Young Guns
9. Hand That Rocks the Cradle
10. Nothing Without You
11. Nothing Without You (Dub)
12. Swing Low (ft. United Colors of Sound)

Who You Fighting For? (2005):

1. Who You Fighting For?
2. After Tonight
3. Bling Bling
4. Plenty More
5. War Poem
6. Sins of the Fathers
7. Good Situation
8. Gotta Tell Someone
9. Reasons
10. One Woman Man
11. I’ll Be On My Way
12. Kiss and Say Goodbye
13. Things You Say You Love