UB40 - The Earth Dies Screaming (1982)

UB40 are an English reggae/pop band, who were formed in December 1978 from friends who knew each other from various schools across Birmingham. The ethnic make-up of the band's original line-up was diverse, with musicians of English, Welsh, Irish, Jamaican, Scottish and Yemeni parentage, and the name was selected in reference to the UB40 (Unemployment Benefit, Form 40) issued to people claiming unemployment benefits from the UK government's Department of Employment. The origins of what would become UB40 began in mid-1978, when guitarist Ali Campbell, together with the rhythm section of drummer Jimmy Brown and bassist Earl Falconer, began rehearsing charting reggae songs in addition to some of their own original compositions. They were soon joined by several of their friends, firstly percussionists Yomi Babayemi and Norman Hassan, and then saxophonist Brian Travers and keyboardist Jimmy Lynn. Robin Campbell, although initially reluctant to commit to forming a band with the others, was invited to join once again by his brother and bought a guitar with which to do so in December of that year. Once Robin had joined the others in their jamming sessions, the eight musicians formed a band, deciding on the name UB40 after a friend suggested it was an appropriate name given the unemployed status of all of the band members. This lineup lasted long enough to play a couple of shows in early 1979, before the band underwent its first lineup change in the form of Babyemi and Lynn leaving and Mickey Virtue joining in place of Lynnand, and a month later the classic lineup was rounded out with the inclusion of percussionist and vocalist Astro. The band's first single 'King'/'Food For Thought' was released on local independent label Graduate Records, reaching No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart, and this was followed by their debut album 'Signing Off' in 1980, with the title being a reference to them being able to sign off from claiming unemployment benefits. I've always thought the album was a superb piece of reggae, especially if you got it with the free 12" single, containing some outstanding extra tracks. These days, most people would know the band for their string of chart hits, many of them covers, such as 'Red Red Wine',' I Got You, Babe', and 'Can't Help Falling In Love', as well as self-penned songs like 'Here I Am' and 'Don't Break My Heart', but in their early days they took their music seriously and were up there with the best reggae bands of the early 80's, and as such they weren't averse to dubbing up their songs, even releasing the whole of their second album 'Present Arms' in a dub format. To show just how good they were back then, I've collected extended 12" versions of some of their early singles, and topped them off with an otherwise unreleased John Peel session track from 1982, 'Prince Baldhead Meets Gymslip And The School Girls At The Chemist'. If you only know the band from their pop/reggae chart hits then I think you'll be amazed at just how authentic they were when they started out. 

Track listing

01 The Earth Dies Screaming 
02 My Way Of Thinking
03 Food For Thought
04 Prince Baldhead Meets Gymslip And The School Girls At The Chemist
05 King
06 I Think It's Going To Rain Today
07 I Dream A Lie

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