“Unplugged”, the live album by top selling reggae band UB40 ft. Ali Campbell, Astro and Mickey was among the 52 albums and single that earned certification on Friday October 27, by the U.K.’s British Phonographic Industry.
The album was certified Gold for selling 100,000 units in streams and sales as measured by the Official Chart Company.
UB40 stands out as one of the most commercially successful reggae acts in history. They’ve sold over 70 million records, consistently charted well, and maintained a busy touring schedule for over three decades. Their success transcended borders, with sell-out shows worldwide, headlining the Reggae Sunsplash festival in Jamaica, and introducing reggae to new audiences in places like Russia and South America.
Unplugged, a 2 CD compilation was recorded in studio and released on November 28, 2016. It features 16 of the bands biggest hits performed in a stripped down acoustic set including Red Red Wine, Kingston Town. The album is released by Universal Music Group.
The album’s credits include Matthew Hoy on backing vocals, Stylorouge for design and art direction, and Wes Maebe as the engineer. Michael Martin and Michael Virtue handle keyboards, while Ali Campbell takes the lead vocals, rhythm guitar, and melodica duties. Dave Bascombe is credited with mixing tracks 1-4 and 1-7. Paul Slowly contributes percussion, and Rob O’Connor is behind the photography. Winston Delandro is responsible for both rhythm and lead guitars, and John Johnson shines on the trombone in track 7. Vocals for track 7 are courtesy of Astro.
The group earned recognition with Grammy Award nominations for Best Reggae Album, as well as a Brit Award nomination for Best British Group in 1984. In 2011, UB40 received a Heritage Award from the UK’s PRS for Music, which included a commemorative plaque at the Hare & Hounds Pub in Birmingham, where they played their first gig.
Interestingly, three of their UK number one hits and four of their US top ten hits were cover versions. UB40 collaborated with a diverse range of artists, from Pato Banton and Madness to Chrissie Hynde and Afrika Bambaataa. They also set a record with 214 weeks on the UK singles charts in the 1980s, alongside Madness.
Speaking to their enduring appeal, Ali Campbell noted that reggae remained cool and hadn’t aged like jazz, attributing part of the group’s longevity to their choice of a relatively young musical genre.
