It's My Delight

UB40, a musical collective that emerged in Birmingham, England, in 1978, was formed from childhood friends with working-class roots and diverse backgrounds. The story of how they acquired their first instruments is curious: the money came from compensation received after a pub altercation, and some of them were still learning to play them. After recording a demo that was played on the radio, they began performing in venues. It was Chrissie Hynde, from The Pretenders, who saw them in action and gave them the opportunity to be her opening act on a tour in 1979. The following year, in 1980, they released their debut album, Signing off, and founded their record label, DEP International, under which they released Present Arms in Dub. Mass recognition came in 1983 with their reinterpretation of Red Red Wine, originally by Neil Diamond, included in the cover album Labour of Love. The band remained active, undertaking international tours, although Ali Campbell, one of their vocalists, left the group in 2008 to form his new band, "The Dep Band", in 2010.