Back where U belong

By ADAM BENNETT

Although it was Bob Marley who sowed the seed of reggae's enduring popularity in New Zealand in the 1970s, Britain's UB40 deserve credit for feeding the flame on visits here since the early 80s.

With the music stronger here than it has ever been, UB40 are returning for the first time since the ill-fated 1999 Sweetwaters festival.

Guitarist Robin Campbell says there's a good reason the band have toured New Zealand several times.

"Yeah, we love it. We've always had a fantastic relationship with New Zealand. We had record success in New Zealand that seemed out of proportion to our success in other places very early on. New Zealand was just about the first place that picked up on us."

The band are now one of the biggest reggae acts ever, with album sales of more than 50 million. They found huge US and global success largely on crossover versions of classic reggae and pop hits.

And while their big hits have been criticised by some reggae purists as "covers for lovers", their early work and occasional nuggets on more recent releases are fine reggae by any standards.

That New Zealand's Katchafire cut their teeth on UB40 covers is an example of their influence.

"New Zealand has always been a favourite place and we've always been treated beautifully," Campbell says from his home in Birmingham. "We have quite a bunch of friends who look us up."

Among those friends are members of South Pacific reggae innovators Herbs.

Campbell believes reggae is undergoing a surge of popularity worldwide, especially with the huge success in the US of artists such as Shaggy and Sean Paul.

But he says reggae's popularity in New Zealand is a homegrown affair.

"I think in New Zealand it's because of the Maori. I think the Maori have had a deep love for reggae since Marley was there and they had a sort of cultural affinity.

"Obviously other New Zealanders are fans as well, but without doubt when we first went there we were blown away by the fact that our audience was almost all Maori.

"I think that's just because they have this deep love for reggae that it seems most island races have. It may be something to do with the isolation of the islands and the easier pace of life. I think reggae goes with that attitude to life."

Although that life is a far cry from the Birmingham environment in which Campbell and his brother - lead vocalist Ali - and the other band members grew up, there was a large Jamaican immigrant population in the city and that sparked his love of the music.

As well, there was a late-70s explosion of reggae and ska music in the area.

Reggae band Steel Pulse also emerged from Birmingham, as did ska band the Beat, while nearby Coventry gave birth to the iconic Two-Tone ska movement and the Specials.

"We heard Jamaican pop music from when I was about 8," Campbell says. "It wasn't reggae then, it was boogie, and then it turned into ska.

"When reggae happened it changed my life. It made me and Ali decide we wanted a career in music. We've never had any plans really for anything other than playing reggae."

Surprisingly, UB40 have yet to play in Jamaica despite more than 25 years playing reggae.

"We'd love to," Campbell says. "It does feel sometimes that it's never going to happen. We don't want to take coals to Newcastle and not do the job properly."

The big problems have always been logistical and technical. "Every time we ever get involved with Jamaican promoters it scares the life out of us.

"It's not like we haven't forged the relationships over there but we ain't going till it's right."

The band have other links with reggae's birthplace. Ali Campbell has a studio in Jamaica, where he records artists for release on the label he and UB40 sax player Brian Travers formed.

After releasing three Labour of Love albums, on which the band did cover versions of songs by the artists who first inspired them, Campbell says: "It occurred to us that it might be nice if we asked some of those artists to record one of our tunes."

The result was the 2002 album UB40 Presents The Fathers of Reggae.

"We wrote out a wish list of guys who invented the music we grew up on and got in touch with them - and to a man they all said they'd love to."

The list includes the Mighty Diamonds, Freddy MacGregor, Gregory Isaacs, Max Romeo, Bob Andy, Ken Booth, John Holt, Toots Hibbert, Alton Ellis and Jacky Robinson.

"Musically, it was the greatest time of my career so far. Not only am I recording my gods, but they're singing my songs. To meet some of your heroes and find out they're well aware of the stuff you do and they actually have favourite tunes is just the greatest buzz in the world.

"To be noticed by your gods is pretty fantastic."

Performance

* Who: UB40

* Where and when: Civic Theatre, tonight

- NZPA