UB40 unveil 'Home', the brand-new single and the second taster from UB45 their forthcoming studio album celebrating 45 years of the world’s biggest selling reggae band, out April 19.
‘Home’ is the opening track on UB45 and finds the band doing what they do best. Introducing the record with a potent opening salvo, the song sensitively shines a light on themes of immigration, identity, and racial politics, delivered with UB40’s inimitable sound, swagger, and style. Alongside the band’s effortless marriage of grooves and melody, an evergreen plea and message emerges. Lead singer Matt Doyle comments: “The song’s lyrics were inspired by recent events on a local and national scale. From the Windrush generation to the current day, the UK continues to be a state enriched and enhanced by its diversity, yet there are some who still seek to divide us and create a sense of othering.”
Founding member of UB40, Robin Campbell added: “Matt brought us this song and immediately it struck a chord with the band. We’ve always tried to call out bigotry, racism and stand up for what’s right as a group, so it’s a natural fit for our repertoire. He’s an extremely talented songwriter and we think “Home” really demonstrates that. We can’t wait for fans to hear it and perform the song live.”
Listen to ‘Home’ by UB40 on our Birmingham City Fan Playlist on Spotify.
UB45 features seven brand new songs plus seven fresh recordings of some of the band’s best loved tracks. In addition to ‘Home’, new recordings include a beautiful rendition of Bill Withers’ ‘Hope She’ll Be Happier’ (1971), ‘Trouble’, ‘Say Nothing’, ‘Fool Me Once’, and the single ‘Champion’ which was the official anthem of the 2022 Commonwealth Games, held in their home city of Birmingham.
UB40’s iconic tunes ‘Food For Thought’, ‘King’, ‘Tyler’, ‘Red Red Wine’, ‘Cherry Oh Baby’, ‘Sing Our Own Song’ and ‘Kingston Town’ have all been given a fresh recorded treatment while retaining the spirit, timbre and melodies that fans know and love.
Over the course of their career, UB40 have garnered over 100 million album sales, 50 UK Top 40 singles and 10 UK Top 10 albums. The new album celebrates a huge 45-year milestone for the band, honouring more than four decades of touring the world together and recording music shot through with an unbreakable bond, fostered by the band’s long-standing friendships and shared Birmingham roots.
The 45-year celebrations will continue well into 2024, with the guys heading out on the road for a headline UK arena tour with special guests Soul II Soul. Kicking off in London on 1 November, they will visit Liverpool, Cardiff, Birmingham, Leeds, Glasgow, Nottingham, before finishing in Belfast on November 23.
UB40 is Robin Campbell (vocals & guitar), James Brown (drums), Earl Falconer (vocals & bass), Norman Hassan (vocals & percussion), Martin Meredith (keyboards & saxophone), Laurence Parry (trumpet & trombone), Jahred Gordon (keyboards), Ian Thompson (saxophone), Gilly G (MC vocals) Matt Doyle (lead vocals & guitar) and Matt Campbell (backing vocals).
