Album: “Guns in the Ghetto”

Description

UB40: Ali Campbell, Robin Campbell (vocals, guitar); Brian Travers (soprano, tenor & baritone saxophones) Michael Virtue (keyboards, cello, vocals); Earl Falconer (bass, keyboards); James Brown (drums); Norman Hassan (percussion, vocals). <p>Additional personnel: Martin Meredith (soparano & alto saxophones); Laurence Parry (trumpet, flugelhorn, valve trombone); Dan Armstrong (keyboards, programming); Ruby Turner, Simone Sauphanor (background vocals). <p>Recorded at Kuff Studios, Jamaica; Dep International Studios, Birmingham, England. <p>Recording primarily at Jamaica's Kuff Studios, UB40 used the surrounding island as a muse in lending their friendly pop/reggae sound a grittier edge. A heavy dub vibe permeates "Always There" while "Hurry Come Up" uses a rapid, lo-fi rhythm track to lend a dance-hall flavor. A small Jamaican town that's remained unchanged for 200 years inspired "Oracabessa Moonshine" while the title track came about after listening to the anti-gun campaign of an Ochos Rios radio station. Although UB40 strays into more eclectic territory this time around, GUNS IN THE GHETTO also reflects the band's crossover sensibilities. This comes across particularly on the lush ragga-ballad "Lisa" and the retro, Lisa Stansfield-sounding "I Really Can't Say."