MUSIC MY SIX BEST ALBUMS
ALI CAMPBELL
ALI CAMPBELL, 59, was lead singer with reggae band UB40 whose many hits include Red Red Wine and One In Ten. His current band, UB40 featuring Ali, Astro And Mickey, have an album out, A Real Labour Of Love, and play the Teenage Cancer Trust concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London, on March 19. royalalberthall.com BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS: African Herbsman (Universal/Island) The quintessential reggae album and my all-time favourite. I come from a predominantly West Indian area in Birmingham and at 11 I was sneaking out to blues parties.
My older brother Robin bought this album but I spent two years walking around with it under my arm. MICHAEL JACKSON: Got To Be There (Motown) I was fanatical about the Jackson 5 and had their logo on the back of my jacket. I remember running home from school to watch their cartoon series. I sang all the songs from this. He was the world’s greatest R&B singer, then he got older and whiter. THE BEATLES: Help! (EMI) This was the only Beatles album we had because my dad was a folk singer and hated pop so we could only listen when he was on tour. My brothers and I used to do the old hairbrush thing and sing along. As soon as I play it on car journeys now, it elates me. BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS: Natty Dread (Universal/Island) This is when Marley hit his peak. I remember as a kid being at a nightclub where they played reggae and soul. I saw this lone man jumping up and down on the dancefloor and he had a strange twiddly hairstyle. It was my first experience of a dread. THE ROLLING STONES: Forty Licks (Virgin) I love playing this in the car. I’m instantly back into black and white. It really does evoke the 1960s.
This is a collection of their best, including Get Off Of My Cloud and 19th Nervous Breakdown. STEVIE WONDER: Talking Book (Motown) I was transfixed by the noises on this and of course it was all the synths he was playing. It’s one of the most beautiful albums made by anyone. I loved his way of crooning. And I could do it as well. I’d be in the playground at school singing Stevie songs.