UB40

UB40 have spent the last few years doing what many bands in such an exalted position would do. Having sold 50 million albums and become global superstars, they have spread their wings and diversified.

They have collaborated with Jamaica's dancehall legends and worked with the fathers of reggae. In 2003, they even recorded Swing Low, the anthem for the England rugby team's triumphant World Cup campaign.

But now - on the 25th anniversary of their recording debut - they have gone back to doing what they do best. With their 23rd album, Who You Fighting For, they have gone back to simply being UB40.

From the opening bars of the title track to its three sparkling cover versions, Who You Fighting For is instantly recognisable as classic UB40. With Ali Campbell's heartfelt vocals reiterating the fact that
he remains one of the most distinctive singers around, it contains political songs such as Plenty More and others, such as Sins Of The Fathers, which revel in an almost spiritual feel. As is the case with all the best UB40 songs, all 13 tracks are married to a hummable tune and a deft, lean arrangement. There are eight people in UB40, but there isn't an ounce of fat on any of these tunes.

'We started with a nucleus of live bass, drums and percussion,' says guitarist Robin Campbell. 'Then we added as little as possible. When you've got a great tune and a solid rhythm, the rest is just the icing on the top. And we don't like over-decorating the cake.'

Like all memorable UB40 albums, Who You Fighting For strikes the perfect balance between the personal and the universal. It features great love songs such as Gotta Tell Someone and the romantic ballad One Woman Man. And, with the Iraqi war providing a new source of inspiration, the title track and the hard-hitting Plenty More bring a Renewed sense of purpose to UB40's political writing. Both songs are passionate and persuasive without resorting to hectoring. However political the subject matter, the listener never feels that he or she is being lectured to by a UB40 song.

'We've had some very strong topics to fire us up, but we don't provide any answers,' says Robin. 'We would never presume to offer solutions. There's a propaganda machine that swings into action during a war, because new recruits are always needed. Young people are told they are fighting for freedom, so Who You Fighting For is our small attempt to counteract that. It's just asking young people to think before they sign up.'

As befits a band who have had international hits with their interpretations of other people's songs – Red Red Wine (1983) and (I Can't Help) Falling In Love (1993) topped the charts in Britain and America - UB40 have excelled once more in their choice of covers on
Who You Fighting For. This time, they have gone for The Jamaicans' lilting The Things You Say You Love, The Manhattans' Seventies soul classic Kiss And Say Goodbye and Matumbi's After Tonight, a pivotal song in the history of British reggae.

'Matumbi were a classy act during the Seventies,' says Robin. 'When they came through alongside Aswad and Steel Pulse, British reggae was in a very healthy state. Kiss And Say Goodbye is more of a soul number.
It's a song I've wanted to do for a long time. We played it recently in Amsterdam, and the crowd went wild.

The release of Who You Fighting For comes less than two years after 2003's Homegrown and it reiterates UB40's long-standing work ethic. Since forming in 1978, the band - inspired by their love of reggae and childhoods spent listening to The Beatles and The Everly Brothers - have been consistently successful. In recent years, they have released two other new studio albums, 2001's Cover Up and 2002's Fathers Of Reggae, the latter an epic collaboration with the legends of Jamaican music.

And while many of their peers have followed fashion, jumping from genre to genre in a desperate attempt to remain hip, UB40 have stayed true to reggae and its ongoing capacity for innovation. For them, the music
that first inspired them has never lost its edge or vitality.

'To some extent, reggae has never received the recognition that it truly desreves,' says drummer James Brown. 'But, if it hadn't been for reggae, there wouldn't be any garage, drum and bass or hip-hop. A lot of today's dance music wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for dub.'

'In the past few years, we've been trying different things,' adds Robin. 'But this album has really revitalised us. It's very exciting. We're pleased, and it seems that other people are too. Ali is on top form. He's singing beautifully and his voice has improved with age.'

Amazingly, Who You Fighting For is the work of the same eight members who started UB40 in Birmingham all those years ago. As they celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut single (King/ Food For Thought) and first album (Signing Off), the band have not only come full circle. They've made an album that ranks alongside their very best.

UB40 are:

James Brown: drums
Ali Campbell: vocals / guitar
Robin Campbell: guitar / vocals
Earl Falconer: bass / vocals / keyboards
Norman Lamont Hassan: percussion / vocals
Brian Travers: saxophones / horn arrangements
Michael Virtue: keyboards
Astro: vocals