On 4th October 2011, the family and friends of UB40 gathered at the Hare & Hounds public house in King’s Heath. The Performing Rights Society was presenting them with an award at the site of their first gig in 1978. The musicians played a short set and a party followed. After 70 million records sold and 50 chart hits, it should have been a sweet moment for the act. Instead it was the slightest glimmer of light in a period of disarray, betrayal and recrimination which had brought them to near destruction and actual bankruptcy.
The rise of the multi-racial Two-Tone movement in the early 1980s brought a massive surge in the popularity of ska music. So perhaps it was inevitable a reggae group, with both black and white members, would rise alongside it. From the estates of a recession ravaged Birmingham, UB40 formed to play the music they’d grown up with. But far removed from Jamaican shores, their songs reflected the unemployment and social isolation of Britain’s inner cities. Of course, the band’s name was purloined from a benefit application form and their debut was called ‘Signing Off’, an optimistic reference to leaving the dole queue.
Despite a distinctive sound - and ability to capture the national mood matched only by The Specials - their extended lease on the upper reaches of pop stardom could hardly have been predicted. And yet their profile steadily expanded and their traditional reggae covers albums (‘Labour Of Love parts 1-3) sold by the lorry load. UB40’s version of Neil Diamond’s ‘Red, Red Wine’ was not only a massive number one single, but has become the definitive rendition.
Remarkably, for 30 years, their line-up remained unchanged – the youthful gang of mates grew up, became international stars and one of the most consistently successful UK groups of their time.
Until 2008.
In January of that year, singer and handsome face of the band Ali Campbell quit. The official line was that he wanted to concentrate on a solo career. He begged to differ, saying he was "too disgusted" with them to go on.
The source of the disgust is still a little vague, but the evidence suggests the band faced some hair-raising tax problems and their label DEP International was making heavy losses. Most of the band’s members were in favour of a series of schemes to maximise their income, including one to buy and sell re-possessed homes. Ali Campbell saw this as a denial of everything the band once stood for and, along with keyboard player Mickey Virtue, stormed out of the outfit, swearing he would stop breathing before he rejoined.
In a statement he said: "It's heart-breaking. They've made a mockery of the music we made. Money talks and bullshit walks. My two brothers [Duncan who replaced him and guitarist Robin] have shit on me."
A solo Ali Campbell album did arrive after his departure, but failed to make much impact. Then a tour billed as ‘Ali Campbell sings the best of UB40 1978-2008’ ensured the bitterness between Campbell and his former colleagues and brothers was entrenched deeper still.
And there the matter would have rested – solo AC in one camp, UB40 with his brother on vocals, in
another – had it not been for the resurrection of the financial issues which led to the original rift.
By late 2011four members of UB40 were declared officially penniless. A judge sitting at
Birmingham County Court declared Brian Travers, Jimmy Brown, Terence Oswald (or Astro) and
Norman Hassan bankrupt. His ruling means tax officers have the authority to seize the men’s property to pay off outstanding debts. The case came on the heels of a hearing in July, giving liquidators the green light to chase debts and royalty payments on UB40's hits. He also awarded costs against the group.
Says Ali, "In the 1980s we were living in five-star hotels and we got through a lot of money. Why weren't the other guys listening to me when I started to flag these money problems up? They decided to back the management and not me, I'm very proud of what I achieved with UB40. But we were divided and ruled, and this is what happened in the end. UB40 has been asset-stripped by the people around them."
At the Hare & Hounds ceremony, Ali Campbell was conspicuous by his absence. He was not invited and didn’t ask to attend. He no longer receives royalties from the group's hits and confesses much of the band’s cash was squandered at the height of their fame.
Bands fall to squabbling and split up all the time. It isn’t unusual and usually isn’t pretty. But UB40 gave every impression of bucking the trend. Despite becoming very tame in recent years, their camaraderie, childhood friendships, actual brotherhood, reliable hit making and unwavering line-up, suggested they would last the course. That they crashed and burned after thirty three years of success, demonstrates an unsettling truth: in rock and roll nothing is forever.
