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Ubiquitous UB40

Drummer Jimmy Brown tells Ornella D'Souza how the band has managed to stay afloat for three decades and counting

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The 1978 Birmingham-band of reggae superstars, UB40; (right) vocalist Duncan Campbell and saxophonist Brian Travers
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Wine connoisseurs, winos and even those least acquainted with the alcoholic grape juice, need no mulling over UB40's reggae 1984 version of Neil Diamond's 'Red, Red Wine'. The song smashed the charts for a good 100 weeks, fuelling the Birmingham-based band to churn a repertoire of successful covers, including Elvis Presley's 'Can't Help Falling in Love with You', Sonny&Cher's 'I Got You Babe', and Stevie Wonder's 'Superstition'. Few original numbers reflect their political sensibilities: 'Food for Thought' scorned lavish Christmas dinners while people starved in Africa, 'King' mocked Martin Luther King's directionless followers and 'One in Ten' hailed joblessness.

From having sold over 70 million records to their four-time Grammy nomination stint for the Best Reggae Album, UB40 is an outright commercial success. One of the few bands to have slayed it straight through the 70s to the noughties and counting, UB40 is currently on a five-city tour in India.

"It's been a journey with lots of highs and a few lows," says Jimmy Brown, drummer and founding member, acknowledging the elephant in their reggae run, that is UB40 sans the nasal frontman Ali Campbell and percussionist Astro, hailed for his 'Monkey pack him rizla pon the sweet dep line' lyrics for 'Red, Red Wine'. The two formed a trio with keyboardist Mickey Virtue in 2008, after an acrimonious split from current band members – saxophonist Brian Travers, drummer Jimmy Brown, bassist Earl Falconer, percussionist Norman Hassan and Ali's brothers, guitarist Robin and vocalist Duncan Campbell. Both bands go by the moniker 'UB40', coined from the government's Unemployment Benefit form 40, a sardonic nod to the original band's jobless status when they started out in 1978.

While traditionalists feel Ali was to UB40 what Mick Jagger is to Rolling Stones, rationalists find Ali's voice whiny and his decision to use the band's name after his 'brexit' questionable. But fans needn't worry. The band's a case of old wine in an old bottle, still full-bodied with the original Jamaican slo-mo reggae beats and long horn solos. Brown reminisces fondly about the band's origins. "We lived in inner-city Birmingham, home to immigrants in the 50s and 60s. That meant we were surrounded by sound systems based on the Jamaican model. There was a reggae band at every street corner! When Steel Pulse's very first reggae album reached No 1 on the British charts in the late 1970s, we knew this music has commercial potential."

Despite tweaks in the line-up, Brown credits UB40's effortless vibe with helping them stay afloat for three decades. "Being a musician is not like sport where you peak early. Your technique constantly develops over time. Six of us have known one another since we were 11-12 years old. We just know we will sound a particular way when we get together, which comes from the chemistry of playing together for long," says Brown, adding that many of the bandmates are granddads. "Our kids and grandkids know each other. We've got so many kids between us that I've lost count!" The family guy's advice packs a punch: "Family is what you need when you make a living the way we do. It's easy to become a rockstar casualty from over indulgence."

UB40 will perform at Mumbai's Dublin Square at Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla on April 28

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