UB40 - Promises and Lies

I’m not sure if this is my memory playing tricks on me, but I seem to remember that Michael Hutchence was asked who would INXS rather take on in a fight – Guns N Roses or UB40. In a flash he said that INXS could easily beat GNR, but UB40… there was no chance they’d take them on.  They were proper hardmen.  Not just a bunch of LA posers wearing leather. 

I gather that when starting the band, the members of UB40 stole their instruments because they couldn’t afford them.  They come from the legitimate mean streets of Birmingham and are generally, properly tough. 

How does a band with such a hard reputation make albums of Reggae lite?  I mean, they must be the second most successful reggae artist of all time, but they’re not exactly Bob Marley or Peter Tosh. 

The big single from this album is a cover of an Elvis track, but their biggest tracks have always been covers.  Their cover of Red Red Wine from the Labour of Love album will probably be their legacy and this album will find an audience in the UB40 faithful, but maybe not reggae purists.