UB40 Release First Single From Upcoming 45th Anniversary Album

Gimme Some Kinda Sign, the first song off UB40’s upcoming 45th anniversary album, has just been released.

The new song is a reggae band adaptation of US singer Brenton Wood’s 1967 soul classic Gimme Little Sign, which they’ve given a modern spin on.

It will be included on the band’s forthcoming 14-track album, UB45, which also features a number of brand-new songs and reimaginings of some of their greatest successes, such as Kingston Town and Red Red Wine.

Lead singer; Matt Doyle selected the song, not realizing that it had been on his wish list of songs to cover since their 1983 album Labour of Love, and recommended it to the band’s co-founder Robin Campbell.

Campbell said: “I was delighted when Matt suggested Gimme as a song he’d like to cover as it had been on my to do list for 40 years and I still have the 7” 45 vinyl.

“It says something about his musical knowledge that he picked a song recorded more than 20 years before he was born.”

Doyle added: “Gimme Some Kinda Sign is easily one of my favourite tunes on the new record and is incredibly fun to play live.

“Recording was an absolute blast and I love what we’ve done with this song by an incredible old soul singer, who’s 83 now, and if he hears it, I think Brenton Wood would be happy with it for sure.”

The band also shot a music video for the single, which features them performing the lively song live at Birmingham’s Capture Studios.

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Released on April 19, the new album will also include remastered versions of their Food For Thought debut song from 1980, Cherry Oh Baby, Sing Our Own Song, and the new tune Home.

Bigga Baggariddim, UB40’s previous studio album, was published in 2021. Champion, their most recent single, was released in 2022 as the official anthem of the Birmingham-hosted Commonwealth Games.

The reggae group, which was founded in Birmingham in 1978, became well-known for their renditions of popular songs including (I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You and Red Red Wine.

They began performing in their hometown before moving to London to play several events. This attracted the attention of well-known musicians, such as Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders, who encouraged them to tour with her band.

Following years of popularity, the original band broke up in 2008 when co-founder Ali Campbell left due to a dispute over management. Mickey Virtue and the late Astro later joined the band to form a tearaway group.

After Virtue left the group and Astro passed away in November 2021, Campbell carried on under the moniker UB40 with Ali Campbell.

In 2008, Duncan, Campbell’s brother, first took Campbell’s place by joining the other members of UB40. However, Duncan eventually withdrew from the group due to bad health.

Doyle, a Kioko guitarist, took Duncan’s position as the band’s new lead singer in 2021. Doyle is joined on the new record by Jahred Gordon, a young Jamaican keyboard player.

Jamie Travers, a seasoned producer and the late founding member Brian Travers’s saxophone son, also contributes on keyboards.

To honor their late bandmate who passed away in 2021, Travers has included snippets of his father’s saxophone from live recordings for the LP.

Along with Earl Falconer, Norman Hassan, James Brown, Martin Meredith, Laurence Parry, Ian Thompson, Gilly G, and Matt Campbell, the band also features Robin Campbell, the brother of Ali and Duncan Campbell.

Along with commemorating the new record and anniversary, the group will be touring the UK starting in November, stopping in places including Belfast, Cardiff, and London.

The tour will begin on November 1st, and UB45 will be released on April 19th.