Fit For A King
Many would consider former UB40 frontman Ali Campbell to be reggae royalty. So the place he's doing this interview from seems fitting.
"I'm in the Royal Garden (Hotel)," he says down the phone from London, "next to Kensington Palace actually, where Lady Di used to live, and I think it's where Kate and Will are hanging out at the moment."
UB40 is one of the most successful reggae acts of all time, selling over 70 million records and topping the charts with songs like 'Red Red Wine' and '(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You'. But in 2008, Campbell quit the band after almost 30 years, citing ongoing management difficulties. When he plays Brisbane this month it will be with 'Ali Campbell's UB40' (aka The Dep Band). UB40 are still going, with Campbell's brother taking over the lead vocals.
"Yes, it's all very confusing. The thing is that UB40, the original band, the remaining members of, they're touring with my brother singing vocals but they're not telling anybody — they really should have 'not the original line-up' on their posters. The promoters have decided that they want to call my gig 'Ali Campbell's UB40', which I don't mind, because at least it lets people know that it is a different UB40 than the old one."
Campbell has released three successful solo albums since leaving UB40. The most recent, 'Great British Songs', is a collection of UK favourites from the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Kinks, all given Campbell's signature reggae spin. His Australian tour will feature tracks from that album, as well as the classics and a few surprises.
"I've just been rehearsing with the guys today, and we've three new numbers but they're all numbers that people know, except for one, people won't believe when they hear it — it's a lot of fun because I'm not going to introduce it by name, I want to see if people can guess what it is halfway through."
ALI CAMPBELL'S UB40 PLAY THE BRISBANE RIVERSTAGE THURSDAY JANUARY 26. TO SCORE YOURSELF A DOUBLE PASS TO THE SHOW EMAIL This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
