Red red whine... or how UB40 went way off key
PROMISES AND LIES: THE UB40 STORY BBC4 - 10.30pm
FRANKLY, I had absolutely no intention of watching this programme.
I don’t particularly like reggae music in the first place and, to be perfectly honest, have even less enthusiasm for the sort of reggae–lite peddled by UB40 down through the years.
But after accidentally catching the last few minutes of this hour-long documentary, I had to see it in full. We are talking must-see television here.
The bare outline of the story is that UB40 were formed in Birmingham in the late 1970s by singer and guitarist Ali Campbell, along with other members that included his brother Robin.
They went on to sell more than 70million records and had three chart-toppers in the UK, as well as five top ten hits in America.
But, as this profile revealed in very raw terms indeed, it all ended in tears.
Vast millions of royalties were frittered away, huge quantities of ganja were puffed and most of the band members ultimately found themselves in very precarious financial circumstances to say the least.
Contributors included longtime Who manager Bill Curbishley, who was drafted in to try to put some manners on the money situation.
He sounded both exasperated and incredulous at the situation that confronted him.
The most striking thing, though, was how the Campbell family has been ripped apart because of it all.
Neither Robin nor two of his brothers speak to Ali these days.
There are two versions of UB40 on the road and legal proceedings have been going on for quite some time.
No one can really judge the rights and wrongs of these things from the outside.
But I have to say that if I was invited out for a drink with Ali Campbell, I think I’d rather stay at home and have a cup of tea.