UB40 have returned to the Top 5 of the UK Albums Chart for the first time in over 30 years with their new album.
The Birmingham reggae group is celebrating 45 years of hits with the aptly-titled ‘UB45‘ LP, featuring original songs and re-recorded classics from their catalogue.
🎉🎉 UB45 – No. 5 IN THE OFFICIAL CHARTS!
— UB40 (@UB40OFFICIAL) April 26, 2024
A heartfelt sincere thanks to all of you – our amazing fans! We couldn't have done this without you.
Big love
UB40 pic.twitter.com/xcKLrf4Gh2
It entered the charts at No. 5, becoming the band’s most-successful release since the 1993 classic ‘Promises And Lies’, featuring the global chart-topping classic, (I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You.
In a video shared to social media, guitarist Robin Campbell says: “We just want to say a thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all the fans, all the people who have gone out and bought the album, streamed it, downloaded it.
“You have put ‘UB45’ at No. 5 in the charts. We’re so grateful. Thank you ever so much.”
They captioned the post: “A heartfelt sincere thanks to all of you – our amazing fans! We couldn’t have done this without you.”
Speaking in RETROPOP’s April 2024 edition, Robin opened up about the new album – the band’s first with new frontman Matt Doyle – and the group’s motivation to record the set.
“They’re obviously songs that we still play live and that was the whole point, really. We’re celebrating 45 years and we wanted parts of the album to showcase the band as it is now, with Matt singing those old songs,” Robin reflects.
“The audiences and our fans have already reacted so positively to Matt and the way he does those songs, so it was great to be able to record the songs the way we do them now – still very similar to the originals, but with a few slight changes.
“We wanted to show how well Matt fits into UB40 and how it still sounds like UB40. Even though he’s not doing an impression of Ali [Campbell, former frontman], he’s singing the songs as he singles them and they sound great.
In a review of the album, RETROPOP said ‘UB45’ “documents the latest phase in the evolution of the group” and praised the new material, which points to “future recordings that continue the UB40 legacy”.
