Kingston Town

The first time we heard Kingston Town, it’s easy to be transported to a distant place, to a warm and relaxed atmosphere. What’s interesting is that this track, which we now strongly associate with UB40, has its roots in an original song from 1970, created by Lord Creator. That initial version, released under the Clandisc label and produced by Clancy Eccles, already evoked the essence of Kingston, Jamaica. UB40’s version, recorded in 1989, was included on their album Labour of Love II, a record that explored covers of well-known songs.

When UB40 decided to put their own spin on Kingston Town, they released it as a single in March 1990. It was a pivotal moment for the band, marking their sixth track to reach the top five on the UK Singles Chart, where it stayed at number four for three weeks in April of that year. The song’s impact spread quickly: in May 1990, it topped the Dutch Top 40 for two weeks, and in October and November, it did the same on the French Singles Chart for three weeks. In Australia, its journey was unique; it initially didn’t enter the top 100, but after a re-release in 1991, it peaked at number 17. In the United States, it was sent to radio in October 1995, coinciding with the launch of The Best of UB40 – Volume Two, though it failed to chart. A curious detail is that, in June 2007, there was a legal action over alleged plagiarism related to the song, though it was clarified that UB40 was not the plaintiff.