Artist News

Ali Campbell defends decision to set up rival UB40

By | Published on Wednesday 29 January 2014

Astro & Ali Campbell

So, this is hotting up. After UB40 hit out at three of their ex-bandmembers for announcing plans to release new music under the same moniker, one of the three, former frontman Ali Campbell, has defended his intentions.

Speaking to the Birmingham Mail, Campbell, who quit the band in acrimonious circumstances in 2008, says that the remaining members of his former group, which include his brothers Duncan and Robin, have been destroying the UB40 former legacy.

After the current UB40 said that Ali Campbell’s planned use of their name was “now in the hands of our lawyers”, he joked to the Mail, referencing his former band’s recent change in artistic direction: “I think we should have taken legal action against UB40 for making that awful [last] album. When they released that country thing… that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. I thought I’m going to take the name back. The old UB40 are destroying the legacy while I’ve continued to fly the flag for reggae”.

As previously reported, Campbell is working with fellow former UB40ers Mikey Virtue and Astro on the new record. Astro, who only quit UB40 last year, added to the Mail that he felt reinvigorated since regrouping with his ex-bandmates. He said: “I did feel the weight of the world was on my shoulders having to stand in front of fans and convince them everything was OK. Now I’m having a great time. It’s almost like we’ve never been apart”.

As for the pending name dispute, and the fact two UB40s could be touring at the same time, Campbell reckons all parties should “let the music talk and the fans decide”. It remains to be seen what the two sides’ respective legal reps make of that proposal.



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