Biography of UB40

Along with the 2-Tone groups that emerged during the late-'70s ska revival that dominated the British charts, UB40 managed to insinuate their own personality into the conservative genre of reggae. Mixing leftist politics with pop-based melodies, the band scored many hits in England, but it was "Red Red Wine," a song recorded by the band in 1984 but rereleased in 1988, that broke them in America.After "Red Red Wine," the band began to hit the charts frequently with their smooth, reggae-tinged versions of classic oldies like "Way You Do the Things You Do" and "I Can't Help Falling in Love." In the process, the band became less politicized and lost the spark that had distinguished their early albums. ~ John Floyd