Reggae band UB40 were once under surveillance by MI5 because they “ruffled feathers with the government”, according to former frontman Ali Campbell. The 67-year-old Birmingham-born singer claims the domestic intelligence agency compiled a list of music bands in the 1980s, and the Red, Red Wine chart-toppers were included due to their radical left-wing politics.
MI5 Watchlist and Phone Tapping
Campbell told the Mirror: “There was a list at one point published of bands being ‘watched’ by MI5. We reckon we all had our phones tapped because you could hear the ‘click’. I mean we were political, outspoken and, I suppose, that meant we ruffled feathers with the government.” He added: “We’ve got a lot of crazy chapters in our past, but that was one of the craziest. We’re still political - that's why our new tour’s called Big Love. The world really needs it. Look at what’s happening with that maniac Trump in America, and in Britain with the rise of Reform. It's terrifying.”
Origins of UB40
Campbell grew up in Birmingham’s red-light district, Balsall Heath, with his three brothers. His mother Pat Weaver was a full-time mum, and his father Ian, born in Aberdeen, was the lead singer of the Ian Campbell Folk Group and often away touring. When Campbell formed UB40 with seven friends in 1978, all members were unemployed and claiming benefits. “We were a product of Thatcher’s Britain, one in ten unemployed,” Campbell said. “Naming ourselves after an unemployment benefit form was a stroke of genius really, because we gave ourselves three and a half million card-carrying fans.”
Economic Context and Band Name
Thanks to Margaret Thatcher’s strict monetarist policies, Birmingham lost around 200,000 industrial jobs between 1971 and 1981, resulting in close to 20 per cent unemployment. The name UB40 stands for Unemployment Benefit, Form 40, referring to the card issued to claim financial assistance. Their first album, Signing Off, also nodded to signing off the unemployment register. Campbell recalled: “I nicked my first ever guitar at a house party in the 80s. We couldn’t exactly buy our instruments at the start, on £7 a week.”
Early Struggles and Compensation
A couple of years later, Campbell received criminal compensation after being hit in the head with a beer mug. “That helped us a bit, but I gave a thousand pounds to my brother to set up his second-hand car business and spent the rest on obsolete instruments that you couldn’t play.” Since then, Campbell has performed as UB40 Featuring Ali Campbell after a bitter internal 2008 dispute split the original group into two iterations. The band has travelled the world, packed stadiums, and sold millions of records.
Cultural Boycott of South Africa
One of Campbell’s proudest moments was upholding the cultural boycott of South Africa aimed at isolating the apartheid regime. “We refused to go. When we finally did, we played in Johannesburg to 80,000 people. One of the songs we sang was called Power, with our first clenched, I get goosebumps just talking about it.” He still marvels at how far the Birmingham friends have come: “We’ve just come back from performing in the South Pacific. What a stunning place. And it’s funny, wherever we go in the world, we’ve got fans. Reggae is so loved worldwide.”
Current Tour and Red Red Wine
The Big Love tour will feature UB40’s biggest numbers, including 40 top 20 hits from the 2000s. Most synonymous is Red, Red Wine, originally by Neil Diamond. “I hear it in my sleep! It's in clubs, pubs.. people sing it at me in the street, in airports… But it's a cover I loved, I never get sick of singing it.” Campbell has been teetotal for two years and gave up weed 20 years ago. “I’m more health-conscious these days. I want to see my beautiful grandchildren grow up. We’ve lost two of the original band members. You can’t party all your life. I’ll probably have a party when I reach 70, but I’ll never drink alcohol again. What’s amazing is, I don’t miss it at all. I drink 0% Guinness now, that’s my tipple!”
UB40 featuring Ali Campbell’s Big Love tour will head across the UK in November and December. Tickets are on sale now at myticket.co.uk.
