UB singer Ali Campbell discusses the album that transformed his life and the worldwide appeal of reggae.

In addition to being a creative and financial success for the UK reggae group, UB40’s album Labour of Love was also a way of life for singer Ali Campbell.
It’s what has sustained the 64-year-old singer over the course of more than 40 years and helped her weather the storm.

of departing from the original UB40 in 2008 to launch his own version of the band.
When two UB40s performed in Dubai within weeks of one another in 2014 and told The National they were the real deal, the animosity took a little ridiculous turn.

Over time, tensions subsided as both bands reached agreements and put out their own records.
Before his now-cancelled Saturday show at Etihad Arena due to health issues, Campbell told The National that the drama is over.

Rather, he considers how the album that transformed his life, Labour of Love, will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2023.
More than the millions of copies sold and the opportunity to perform in arenas all over the world, Campbell attributes the group’s positive image to the recording.
“We were viewed as a politically driven band at the time, and as a result, the media didn’t like us,” he explains. They believed we were upset, that it was a case of

According to Campbell, the reason the beloved songs weren’t recorded until the fourth album is because at the time, bands were expected to compose their own songs.

Because of this, UB40 found inspiration in their upbringing in Birmingham’s socially marginalized neighborhoods.
UB40’s tougher early songs, such “One in Ten” and “King,” were motivated by a sense of despair and were named after an unemployment claims form.

“I survived on £7.90 per week for three years, with £4 of that going towards rent.”
Campbell remembers that the only thing she could do was eat to sustain herself. We named our debut album Signing for that reason.
we were eager to stop relying on welfare.
When we made the decision to look for a job, our love for reggae was just as strong.
Begin the band, there was no option regarding the type of music we would perform.
Can the unforeseen advantage of creating Labour of Love halfway through the band’s five-year career
transformed them into a smoothly functioning unit in the studio?
“I wouldn’t go to that extent,” Campbell chuckles. all our knowledge through trial and error.”
“We were completely self-taught and had to acquire all our knowledge through experimentation.”
We utilize our tools in different manners. I received compensation before getting my guitar.
being hit in the face with a glass.
My legal executive older brother organized it for me, and when we received that chunk
money was also utilized to purchase our initial amplifiers.