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| ⚫ | {{About|the ] album|the Hue and Cry song|Labour of Love (song)|the stage play|Labour of Love (play){{!}}''Labour of Love'' (play)|other uses|Labor of Love (disambiguation){{!}}Labor of Love}} | ||
| {{EngvarB|date=May 2015}} | {{EngvarB|date=May 2015}} | ||
| {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}} | {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}} | ||
| ⚫ | {{About|the UB40 album|the Hue and Cry song|Labour of Love (song)|the stage play|Labour of Love (play)|other uses|Labor of Love (disambiguation){{!}}Labor of Love}} | ||
| {{Infobox album | {{Infobox album | ||
| | name = Labour of Love | | name = Labour of Love | ||
| Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
| | venue = | | venue = | ||
| | studio = The Manor Mobile (on tour) | | studio = The Manor Mobile (on tour) | ||
| | genre = ] | | genre = | ||
| * ] | |||
| * ]<ref name= "Stanley 2013">{{cite book|first=Bob |last=Stanley|title=Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop|chapter= Back to the Future: Two Tone and Mod|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9emZAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT7|date=13 September 2013|publisher=Faber & Faber|isbn=978-0-571-28198-5|page=494}}</ref> | |||
| | length = 39:52 | | length = 39:52 | ||
| | label = {{ubl|DEP International/] (UK)|] (US)}} | | label = {{ubl|DEP International/] (UK)|] (US)}} | ||
| Line 30: | Line 32: | ||
| | single3date = 28 November 1983 | | single3date = 28 November 1983 | ||
| | single4 = ] | | single4 = ] | ||
| | single4date = |
| single4date = 27 February 1984 | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| }} | }} | ||
| '''''Labour of Love''''' is the fourth studio album by British reggae band ], and their first album of ]s. Released in the UK on 12 September 1983,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Record News |magazine=] |page=4 |date=3 September 1983}}</ref> the album is best known for containing the song "]", a worldwide number-one single, but it also includes three further UK top 20 hits, "]", "]" and "Cherry Oh Baby". The album reached number one in the UK, New Zealand and the Netherlands and the top five in Canada, but only reached number 39 in the US on its original release,<ref>{{cite |
'''''Labour of Love''''' is the fourth studio album by British reggae band ], and their first album of ]s. Released in the UK on 12 September 1983,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Record News |magazine=] |page=4 |date=3 September 1983}}</ref> the album is best known for containing the song "]", a worldwide number-one single, but it also includes three further UK top 20 hits, "]", "]" and "]". The album reached number one in the UK, New Zealand and the Netherlands and the top five in Canada, but only reached number 39 in the US on its original release,<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Top 200 Albums – 14 April 1984 |url=http://www.billboard.com/charts/billboard-200/1984-04-14 |magazine=] |date=14 April 1984 |accessdate=12 September 2017}}</ref> before re-entering the ] in 1988 and peaking at number 14 as a result of "Red Red Wine"'s delayed success in the US. | ||
| Following the record's success, UB40 have since released three further albums of cover versions under the ''Labour of Love'' title. | Following the record's success, UB40 have since released three further albums of cover versions under the ''Labour of Love'' title. | ||
| Line 46: | Line 48: | ||
| == ''Labour of Love'' film == | == ''Labour of Love'' film == | ||
| Accompanying the album, a 30-minute film shot in black and white, also entitled ''Labour of Love'', was released on ] on 27 September 1984.<ref name="Billboard19840310" /><ref name="release">{{cite magazine |date=22 September 1984 |title=UB40 tour and video |magazine=] |page=6}}</ref> It was directed by ] and written by Rose and the group's saxophone player Brian Travers. The story followed a fictional version of the lives of the band members, their relationships with family and girlfriends, and their jobs in a junkyard, with all roles in the film played by the band and their friends.<ref>{{cite news |first=Graham |last=Young |title=See UB40 stars return to the Red Red Wine Eagle & Tun pub |url=http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/music-nightlife-news/see-ub40-stars-return-red-10830729 |newspaper=] |date=3 February 2016 |accessdate=12 October 2017}}</ref> The plot focused on the rivalry between two brothers (played by the band's Ali and Robin Campbell) trying to win the affections of the same girl (played by keyboard player Mickey Virtue's real-life girlfriend at the time, Bernadette McNamara).<ref>Campbell; Campbell (2006). p. 103.</ref> The film featured songs from the album as its soundtrack, and the music videos for the singles "Red Red Wine", "Please Don't Make Me Cry" and "Cherry Oh Baby" were lifted directly from the film. Rose would go on to direct music videos for ] and ] before becoming a Hollywood movie director. | |||
| == Artwork == | == Artwork == | ||
| Line 55: | Line 57: | ||
| | rev1 = ] | | rev1 = ] | ||
| | rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic" /> | | rev1score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="AllMusic" /> | ||
| | |
| rev3 = '']'' | ||
| | |
| rev3score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="MojoApr2015" /> | ||
| | |
| rev4 = '']'' | ||
| | |
| rev4score = {{Rating|3|5}}<ref name="QApr2015" /> | ||
| | |
| rev2 = ] | ||
| | |
| rev2score = A−<ref name="Christgau" /> | ||
| | rev5 = '']'' | | rev5 = '']'' | ||
| | rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="RS19840119" /> | | rev5score = {{Rating|4|5}}<ref name="RS19840119" /> | ||
| Line 67: | Line 69: | ||
| Reviews of the album in the UK were generally positive. In '']'' ] expressed his irritation at his fellow journalists' insistence on bringing up the band's left-wing political views in articles about them, saying, "UB40's mode of escape from these glib cliches is to make their own highly specialised version of ]'s '']'' or ]'s '']''. ''Labour of Love'' is an album of songs that touched and inspired UB40 in their formative years and you know something? It's beautiful. What may appear to be a simple form of escapism has in fact galvanised this band, snatching them out of their increasingly confined introversion and seemingly opened their eyes to bold new horizons... To make comparisons with the originals is to miss the point. Sometimes you just have to step back to leap forward."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Colin |last=Irwin |authorlink=Colin Irwin (journalist) |title=Fruits of Love |magazine=Melody Maker |page=23 |date=17 September 1983}}</ref> Richard Cook of '']'' was more reserved, feeling that UB40's versions didn't always have the impact of the originals: "I think the Campbells' memories might be deceiving them. The music of the era they recall was always far ruder and tougher and far more percussive than their honey-smooth treatments imply." However, he welcomed the change from the political stance of the group's own songs, calling the cover versions "gentle, sometimes caressing, a shallow groove far preferable to the morose intensity of the group's usual tug at the lapels... Everything blurs perfectly there, the rippling draft of the rhythm, the stewed warmth of the saxophone, all melting around the dry edge of the vocal. Sometimes UB hit the spot of rock-reggae with absolute accuracy, and its power to turn ears is far superior to the weight of their customary glam pamphleteering."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Richard |last=Cook |title=Dread Dread Whine... |magazine=NME |page=27 |date=17 September 1983}}</ref> | Reviews of the album in the UK were generally positive. In '']'' ] expressed his irritation at his fellow journalists' insistence on bringing up the band's left-wing political views in articles about them, saying, "UB40's mode of escape from these glib cliches is to make their own highly specialised version of ]'s '']'' or ]'s '']''. ''Labour of Love'' is an album of songs that touched and inspired UB40 in their formative years and you know something? It's beautiful. What may appear to be a simple form of escapism has in fact galvanised this band, snatching them out of their increasingly confined introversion and seemingly opened their eyes to bold new horizons... To make comparisons with the originals is to miss the point. Sometimes you just have to step back to leap forward."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Colin |last=Irwin |authorlink=Colin Irwin (journalist) |title=Fruits of Love |magazine=Melody Maker |page=23 |date=17 September 1983}}</ref> Richard Cook of '']'' was more reserved, feeling that UB40's versions didn't always have the impact of the originals: "I think the Campbells' memories might be deceiving them. The music of the era they recall was always far ruder and tougher and far more percussive than their honey-smooth treatments imply." However, he welcomed the change from the political stance of the group's own songs, calling the cover versions "gentle, sometimes caressing, a shallow groove far preferable to the morose intensity of the group's usual tug at the lapels... Everything blurs perfectly there, the rippling draft of the rhythm, the stewed warmth of the saxophone, all melting around the dry edge of the vocal. Sometimes UB hit the spot of rock-reggae with absolute accuracy, and its power to turn ears is far superior to the weight of their customary glam pamphleteering."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Richard |last=Cook |title=Dread Dread Whine... |magazine=NME |page=27 |date=17 September 1983}}</ref> | ||
| In the US, ] of '']'' also gave the album a positive review: while criticising the vocals, he also noted that "UB40's ingenuity and unmistakable affection for the material keeps the comparisons from being too lopsided" and felt that each song "retains the spirit of the original while also capturing a modern feel".<ref name="RS19840119">{{cite magazine |first=J.D. |last=Considine |authorlink=J.D. Considine |title=UB40 – ''Labour of Love'' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ub40/albums/album/166556/review/5945243/labour_of_love |magazine=] |issue=413 |page=61 |date=19 January 1984 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227102643/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ub40/albums/album/166556/review/5945243/labour_of_love |archivedate=27 December 2007}}</ref> In ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s end-of-year round-up of 1984's key albums, ] stated that "UB40 ... not only makes these songs their own but brings them into the Eighties without betraying their buoyant period spirit... This album's title is an accurate assessment of its approach. A thoroughly enjoyable record."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Kurt |last=Loder |authorlink=Kurt Loder |title=1984 Record Guide |magazine=Rolling Stone |issue=437–38 |pages=114–15 |date=20 December 1984}}</ref> ] professed his initial dislike of an album of cover versions, before revising his opinion after repeated listens, admitting that "it hit me once again that reggae tunes can take a long, long time to hook in".<ref name="Christgau"></ref> In his retrospective review for ], David Jeffries called ''Labour of Love'' "a near perfect album, one filled with warmth and an infectious love of the music it's covering", and that even if its most famous track had been overplayed on the radio, "the end-to-end LP flow is classic while recontextualizing 'Red Red Wine' for the better".<ref name="AllMusic">{{ |
In the US, ] of '']'' also gave the album a positive review: while criticising the vocals, he also noted that "UB40's ingenuity and unmistakable affection for the material keeps the comparisons from being too lopsided" and felt that each song "retains the spirit of the original while also capturing a modern feel".<ref name="RS19840119">{{cite magazine |first=J.D. |last=Considine |authorlink=J.D. Considine |title=UB40 – ''Labour of Love'' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ub40/albums/album/166556/review/5945243/labour_of_love |magazine=] |issue=413 |page=61 |date=19 January 1984 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071227102643/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/ub40/albums/album/166556/review/5945243/labour_of_love |archivedate=27 December 2007}}</ref> In ''Rolling Stone''{{'}}s end-of-year round-up of 1984's key albums, ] stated that "UB40 ... not only makes these songs their own but brings them into the Eighties without betraying their buoyant period spirit... This album's title is an accurate assessment of its approach. A thoroughly enjoyable record."<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Kurt |last=Loder |authorlink=Kurt Loder |title=1984 Record Guide |magazine=Rolling Stone |issue=437–38 |pages=114–15 |date=20 December 1984}}</ref> ] professed his initial dislike of an album of cover versions, before revising his opinion after repeated listens, admitting that "it hit me once again that reggae tunes can take a long, long time to hook in".<ref name="Christgau"></ref> In his retrospective review for ], David Jeffries called ''Labour of Love'' "a near perfect album, one filled with warmth and an infectious love of the music it's covering", and that even if its most famous track had been overplayed on the radio, "the end-to-end LP flow is classic while recontextualizing 'Red Red Wine' for the better".<ref name="AllMusic">{{AllMusic |first=David |last=Jeffries |class=album |id=r20775 |label=UB40 – ''Labour of Love'' > Review}}</ref> | ||
| Reviews of the 2015 deluxe edition remained positive, but lamented that ''Labour of Love'' didn't have the intensity of the band's earlier, more political, records. Ian Harrison of '']'' said of the album, "It's still quality, but it's hard not to mourn the earlier militancy".<ref name="QApr2015">{{cite magazine |first=Ian |last=Harrison |title=UB40 – ''Labour of Love'' |magazine=] |issue=345 |pages=116–17 |date=April 2015}}</ref> Lois Wilson of '']'' agreed, observing that "Revisited now, it seems caught up with nostalgia... On the back of ''Labour of Love''{{'}}s huge international success, UB40 became reggae's world ambassadors and their focus shifted; they'd make political records again but never anything as potent as '']'' or '']'', instead relying on the surefire hit potential of further cover albums".<ref name="MojoApr2015">{{cite magazine |first=Lois |last=Wilson |title=UB40 – ''Labour of Love'' |magazine=] |issue=257 |page=102 |date=April 2015}}</ref> | Reviews of the 2015 deluxe edition remained positive, but lamented that ''Labour of Love'' didn't have the intensity of the band's earlier, more political, records. Ian Harrison of '']'' said of the album, "It's still quality, but it's hard not to mourn the earlier militancy".<ref name="QApr2015">{{cite magazine |first=Ian |last=Harrison |title=UB40 – ''Labour of Love'' |magazine=] |issue=345 |pages=116–17 |date=April 2015}}</ref> Lois Wilson of '']'' agreed, observing that "Revisited now, it seems caught up with nostalgia... On the back of ''Labour of Love''{{'}}s huge international success, UB40 became reggae's world ambassadors and their focus shifted; they'd make political records again but never anything as potent as '']'' or '']'', instead relying on the surefire hit potential of further cover albums".<ref name="MojoApr2015">{{cite magazine |first=Lois |last=Wilson |title=UB40 – ''Labour of Love'' |magazine=] |issue=257 |page=102 |date=April 2015}}</ref> | ||
| Line 79: | Line 81: | ||
| | headline = Side one | | headline = Side one | ||
| | title1 = Cherry Oh Baby | | title1 = ] | ||
| | writer1 = ] | | writer1 = ] | ||
| | extra1 = Eric Donaldson | | extra1 = Eric Donaldson | ||
| Line 150: | Line 152: | ||
| | length1 = 3:01 | | length1 = 3:01 | ||
| | title2 = Sufferin' | | title2 = Sufferin{{'-}} | ||
| | note2 = Dub Mix | | note2 = Dub Mix | ||
| | writer2 = UB40 | | writer2 = UB40 | ||
| Line 202: | Line 204: | ||
| ] Session 14/04/83 | ] Session 14/04/83 | ||
| #Red Red Wine | #"Red Red Wine" | ||
| #Please Don't Make Me Cry | #"Please Don't Make Me Cry" | ||
| BBC Radio 1 in Concert 7/1/84 | BBC Radio 1 in Concert 7/1/84 | ||
| <ol start="3"> | <ol start="3"> | ||
| <li>One in Ten | <li>"One in Ten" | ||
| <li>Keep on Moving | <li>"Keep on Moving" | ||
| <li>Don't Let It Pass You By | <li>"Don't Let It Pass You By" | ||
| <li>Love Is All Is Alright | <li>"Love Is All Is Alright" | ||
| <li>Johnny Too Bad | <li>"Johnny Too Bad" | ||
| <li>Sweet Sensation | <li>"Sweet Sensation" | ||
| <li>Cherry Oh Baby | <li>"Cherry Oh Baby" | ||
| <li>Red Red Wine | <li>"Red Red Wine" | ||
| <li>Please Don't Make Me Cry | <li>"Please Don't Make Me Cry" | ||
| <li>Present Arms | <li>"Present Arms" | ||
| <li>Tyler | <li>"Tyler" | ||
| </ol> | </ol> | ||
| Line 225: | Line 227: | ||
| *James Brown – drums, syncussion | *James Brown – drums, syncussion | ||
| *] – vocals, guitar | *] – lead vocals, guitar | ||
| *Robin Campbell – guitar, vocals, lead vocals on "Sweet Sensation" | *Robin Campbell – guitar, vocals, lead vocals on "Sweet Sensation" | ||
| *Earl Falconer – bass | *Earl Falconer – bass | ||
| Line 253: | Line 255: | ||
| {{col-begin}} | {{col-begin}} | ||
| {{col-2}} | {{col-2}} | ||
| === Weekly charts === | === Weekly charts === | ||
| {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" | {|class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" | ||
| Line 259: | Line 262: | ||
| ! Peak<br />position | ! Peak<br />position | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| {{ |
{{album chart |Canada |5 |artist=UB40 |album=Labour of Love |chartid=3195}} | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| {{ |
{{album chart |Germany |29 |artist=UB40 |album=Labour of Love}} | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| {{ |
{{album chart |Netherlands |1 |artist=UB40 |album=Labour of Love}} | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| {{ |
{{album chart |New Zealand |1 |artist=UB40 |album=Labour of Love}} | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| {{ |
{{album chart |UK |1 |artist=UB40 |album=Labour of Love}} | ||
| |- | |||
| {{album chart |Billboard200 |39 |artist=UB40 |album=Labour of Love}} | |||
| |- | |- | ||
| ! Chart (1988) | ! Chart (1988) | ||
| ! Peak<br />position | ! Peak<br />position | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| {{ |
{{album chart |Billboard200 |14 |artist=UB40 |album=Labour of Love}} | ||
| |} | |} | ||
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| | style="text-align:center;" | 14 | | style="text-align:center;" | 14 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| | New Zealand Albums (])<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Selling Albums of 1983 |url= |
| New Zealand Albums (])<ref>{{cite web |title=Top Selling Albums of 1983 |url=https://aotearoamusiccharts.co.nz/archive/annual-albums/1983-12-31 |publisher=]}}</ref> | ||
| | style="text-align:center;" | 41 | | style="text-align:center;" | 41 | ||
| |- | |- | ||
| Line 307: | Line 312: | ||
| {{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=UB 40|type=album|title=Labour of Love|award=Gold|relyear=1983|certyear=1990|accessdate=11 March 2019}} | {{Certification Table Entry|region=Germany|artist=UB 40|type=album|title=Labour of Love|award=Gold|relyear=1983|certyear=1990|accessdate=11 March 2019}} | ||
| {{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|artist=UB 40|type=album|title=Labour of Love|award=Platinum|relyear=1983|certyear=1984|accessdate=10 June 2019}} | {{Certification Table Entry|region=Netherlands|artist=UB 40|type=album|title=Labour of Love|award=Platinum|relyear=1983|certyear=1984|accessdate=10 June 2019}} | ||
| {{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=UB40|title=Labour of Love|type=album|award=Platinum | |
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|artist=UB40|title=Labour of Love|type=album|award=Platinum |id=1987-07-10|source=newchart|access-date=2024-11-20|relyear=1983}} | ||
| {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=UB40|title=Labour of Love|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1983|certyear=1985}} | {{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|artist=UB40|title=Labour of Love|type=album|award=Platinum|number=2|relyear=1983|certyear=1985|id=3712-264-2}} | ||
| {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Labour of Love|artist=UB-40|type=album|award=Platinum |relyear=1983|certyear=1988}} | {{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|title=Labour of Love|artist=UB-40|type=album|award=Platinum |relyear=1983|certyear=1988}} | ||
| {{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}} | {{Certification Table Bottom | nosales=true}} | ||
| Line 316: | Line 321: | ||
| {{UB40}} | {{UB40}} | ||
| {{Authority control}} | |||
| {{DEFAULTSORT:Labour Of Love}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Labour Of Love}} | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| ] | ] | ||
Latest revision as of 22:37, 20 November 2024
This article is about the UB40 album. For the Hue and Cry song, see Labour of Love (song). For the stage play, see Labour of Love (play). For other uses, see Labor of Love.1983 studio album by UB40
| Labour of Love | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by UB40 | ||||
| Released | 12 September 1983 | |||
| Recorded | 1982–83 | |||
| Studio | The Manor Mobile (on tour) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:52 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| UB40 chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Labour of Love | ||||
| ||||
Labour of Love is the fourth studio album by British reggae band UB40, and their first album of cover versions. Released in the UK on 12 September 1983, the album is best known for containing the song "Red Red Wine", a worldwide number-one single, but it also includes three further UK top 20 hits, "Please Don't Make Me Cry", "Many Rivers to Cross" and "Cherry Oh Baby". The album reached number one in the UK, New Zealand and the Netherlands and the top five in Canada, but only reached number 39 in the US on its original release, before re-entering the Billboard 200 in 1988 and peaking at number 14 as a result of "Red Red Wine"'s delayed success in the US.
Following the record's success, UB40 have since released three further albums of cover versions under the Labour of Love title.
Background and recording
The album consists of cover versions of ten of the group's favourite songs by reggae artists from the period 1969 to 1972. Guitarist Robin Campbell drew up a list of possible tracks which were then whittled down to a final choice of ten following discussion among the band members. Campbell told UK music magazine NME, "It's a collection of songs we knew as reggae songs. We'd wanted to do it for years, we wanted it to be our first album... Why we recorded them was because they were part of an era for us, what we were into." In another interview with Melody Maker, drummer Jim Brown explained that the band were being pressured to deliver a new album, but didn't have enough original material completed, so it seemed an ideal time to revisit the idea of making an album of cover versions. UB40 had recently opened their own studio, the Abattoir, and Campbell spoke about how the combination of not having to write songs and having their own studio in which to produce them had resulted in a happy environment during the album's recording: "We could relax with this; there wasn't the pressure of it being our own material. We experimented with several things like LinnDrums and synthesised basslines. It was a lot more fun."
The group were apparently unaware during recording that the most famous track on the record had not originally been a reggae song. Ali Campbell told Billboard, "Nobody was as shocked as we were to find out that Neil Diamond wrote 'Red Red Wine'... To me, it was always a Tony Tribe song. He sang it." The album and 12" version of "Red Red Wine" included a toasted verse by Astro, later copied and included by Diamond in his live performances of the song.
The band defended their decision to make an album of cover versions, stating that they had always wanted to make reggae for a wide audience. Robin Campbell said, "We actually set out in the first place to popularise reggae. That was our intention." His brother Ali added, "What we want to do is play heavy dub reggae. But if we came straight out doing that, it would never have gotten on the radio. We commercialize our music all the time; it's been a series of compromises."
Labour of Love film
Accompanying the album, a 30-minute film shot in black and white, also entitled Labour of Love, was released on VHS on 27 September 1984. It was directed by Bernard Rose and written by Rose and the group's saxophone player Brian Travers. The story followed a fictional version of the lives of the band members, their relationships with family and girlfriends, and their jobs in a junkyard, with all roles in the film played by the band and their friends. The plot focused on the rivalry between two brothers (played by the band's Ali and Robin Campbell) trying to win the affections of the same girl (played by keyboard player Mickey Virtue's real-life girlfriend at the time, Bernadette McNamara). The film featured songs from the album as its soundtrack, and the music videos for the singles "Red Red Wine", "Please Don't Make Me Cry" and "Cherry Oh Baby" were lifted directly from the film. Rose would go on to direct music videos for Frankie Goes to Hollywood and Bronski Beat before becoming a Hollywood movie director.
Artwork
The album's cover art was created by Ken Ansell of the Design Clinic and featured two collages of images that illustrated each of the songs on the album (the five songs on side one were illustrated on the front cover, and the five songs on side two on the back cover). It was the first time that UB40 had not had any input on the artwork on one of their albums, but they were on tour in the US at the time and Virgin Records, the parent company of UB40's DEP International label, could not afford to wait until they returned for the sleeve to be designed. As Ansell recounted to Classic Pop magazine in 2017, "We pitched the idea to Virgin of creating an illustration for each song so that as and when they were released as singles we would have ready-made images. Fortunately, on their return the band liked the concept and we went ahead."
Critical reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | A− |
| Mojo |  |
| Q | |
| Rolling Stone | |
Reviews of the album in the UK were generally positive. In Melody Maker Colin Irwin expressed his irritation at his fellow journalists' insistence on bringing up the band's left-wing political views in articles about them, saying, "UB40's mode of escape from these glib cliches is to make their own highly specialised version of Bowie's Pin-Ups or Ferry's These Foolish Things. Labour of Love is an album of songs that touched and inspired UB40 in their formative years and you know something? It's beautiful. What may appear to be a simple form of escapism has in fact galvanised this band, snatching them out of their increasingly confined introversion and seemingly opened their eyes to bold new horizons... To make comparisons with the originals is to miss the point. Sometimes you just have to step back to leap forward." Richard Cook of NME was more reserved, feeling that UB40's versions didn't always have the impact of the originals: "I think the Campbells' memories might be deceiving them. The music of the era they recall was always far ruder and tougher and far more percussive than their honey-smooth treatments imply." However, he welcomed the change from the political stance of the group's own songs, calling the cover versions "gentle, sometimes caressing, a shallow groove far preferable to the morose intensity of the group's usual tug at the lapels... Everything blurs perfectly there, the rippling draft of the rhythm, the stewed warmth of the saxophone, all melting around the dry edge of the vocal. Sometimes UB hit the spot of rock-reggae with absolute accuracy, and its power to turn ears is far superior to the weight of their customary glam pamphleteering."
In the US, J.D. Considine of Rolling Stone also gave the album a positive review: while criticising the vocals, he also noted that "UB40's ingenuity and unmistakable affection for the material keeps the comparisons from being too lopsided" and felt that each song "retains the spirit of the original while also capturing a modern feel". In Rolling Stone's end-of-year round-up of 1984's key albums, Kurt Loder stated that "UB40 ... not only makes these songs their own but brings them into the Eighties without betraying their buoyant period spirit... This album's title is an accurate assessment of its approach. A thoroughly enjoyable record." Robert Christgau professed his initial dislike of an album of cover versions, before revising his opinion after repeated listens, admitting that "it hit me once again that reggae tunes can take a long, long time to hook in". In his retrospective review for AllMusic, David Jeffries called Labour of Love "a near perfect album, one filled with warmth and an infectious love of the music it's covering", and that even if its most famous track had been overplayed on the radio, "the end-to-end LP flow is classic while recontextualizing 'Red Red Wine' for the better".
Reviews of the 2015 deluxe edition remained positive, but lamented that Labour of Love didn't have the intensity of the band's earlier, more political, records. Ian Harrison of Q said of the album, "It's still quality, but it's hard not to mourn the earlier militancy". Lois Wilson of Mojo agreed, observing that "Revisited now, it seems caught up with nostalgia... On the back of Labour of Love's huge international success, UB40 became reggae's world ambassadors and their focus shifted; they'd make political records again but never anything as potent as Signing Off or Present Arms, instead relying on the surefire hit potential of further cover albums".
Accolades
In 1989, it was ranked number 98 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "100 Greatest Albums of the Eighties".
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cherry Oh Baby" | Eric Donaldson | Eric Donaldson | 3:18 |
| 2. | "Keep on Moving" | Lee "Scratch" Perry, Curtis Mayfield | The Impressions; modelled after the reggae cover by The Wailers | 4:37 |
| 3. | "Please Don't Make Me Cry" | Winston Tucker | Winston Tucker | 3:26 |
| 4. | "Sweet Sensation" | Leslie Kong | The Melodians | 3:42 |
| 5. | "Johnny Too Bad" | Roy Beckford, Winston "Shadow" Bailey, Delroy Wilson, Derrick Crooks | The Slickers | 4:57 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Red Red Wine" | Neil Diamond | Neil Diamond; modelled after the reggae cover by Tony Tribe | 5:21 |
| 7. | "Guilty" | Isaac Hayes | Tiger | 3:16 |
| 8. | "She Caught the Train" | Joe Monsano | Ray Martell | 3:17 |
| 9. | "Version Girl" | Boy Friday | Boy Friday | 3:27 |
| 10. | "Many Rivers to Cross" | Jimmy Cliff | Jimmy Cliff | 4:31 |
2015 deluxe edition
Disc One
As original album.
Disc Two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Additional information | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Red Red Wine" (7" Version) | Neil Diamond | 3:01 | |
| 2. | "Sufferin'" (Dub Mix) | UB40 | B-side of "Red Red Wine" | 3:45 |
| 3. | "Many Rivers to Cross" (7" Version) | Jimmy Cliff | 3:48 | |
| 4. | "Food for Thought" (Live) | UB40 | B-side of "Please Don't Make Me Cry" | 4:40 |
| 5. | "Johnny Too Bad" (Unexpurgated Version) | Roy Beckford, Winston "Shadow" Bailey, Delroy Wilson, Derrick Crooks | B-side of 12" of "Many Rivers to Cross" | 5:28 |
| 6. | "Cherry Oh Baby" (Dub Mix) | Eric Donaldson | 12" single | 5:42 |
| 7. | "Frilla" (12" Version) | UB40 | B-side of 12" of "Cherry Oh Baby" | 6:58 |
| 8. | "I've Got Mine" (Extended Version) | UB40 | 12" version of non-album single | 6:02 |
| 9. | "Dubmobile" | UB40 | B-side of "I've Got Mine" | 3:43 |
Disc Three
BBC Live Sessions
BBC Radio 1 Session 14/04/83
- "Red Red Wine"
- "Please Don't Make Me Cry"
BBC Radio 1 in Concert 7/1/84
- "One in Ten"
- "Keep on Moving"
- "Don't Let It Pass You By"
- "Love Is All Is Alright"
- "Johnny Too Bad"
- "Sweet Sensation"
- "Cherry Oh Baby"
- "Red Red Wine"
- "Please Don't Make Me Cry"
- "Present Arms"
- "Tyler"
Personnel
|
UB40
|
Additional personnel
Production
|
Charts
Weekly charts
|
Year-end charts
|
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Canada (Music Canada) | Platinum | 100,000 |
| Germany (BVMI) | Gold | 250,000 |
| Netherlands (NVPI) | Platinum | 100,000 |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | Platinum | 15,000 |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | 2× Platinum | 600,000 |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,000,000 |
|
Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
- Stanley, Bob (13 September 2013). "Back to the Future: Two Tone and Mod". Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop. Faber & Faber. p. 494. ISBN 978-0-571-28198-5.
- "Record News". Melody Maker. 3 September 1983. p. 4.
- "Top 200 Albums – 14 April 1984". Billboard. 14 April 1984. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
- Campbell, Ali; Campbell, Robin (2006). Blood & Fire: The Autobiography of the UB40 Brothers. Random House. p. 102. ISBN 978-0-09947-654-2.
- ^ Snow, Mat (3 September 1983). "The Stance Is Dance". NME. pp. 6–7.
- Scott, Simon (10 September 1983). "Labour parties". Melody Maker. pp. 8–9.
- ^ Vare, Ethlie Ann (10 March 1984). "UB40's 'Labour' Paying Off". Billboard. p. 53.
- "UB40 tour and video". Record Mirror. 22 September 1984. p. 6.
- Young, Graham (3 February 2016). "See UB40 stars return to the Red Red Wine Eagle & Tun pub". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
- Campbell; Campbell (2006). p. 103.
- Dineley, Andrew (July 2017). "Pop Art: Ken Ansell". Classic Pop. pp. 62–66.
- ^ Jeffries, David. UB40 – Labour of Love > Review at AllMusic
- ^ Wilson, Lois (April 2015). "UB40 – Labour of Love". Mojo. No. 257. p. 102.
- ^ Harrison, Ian (April 2015). "UB40 – Labour of Love". Q. No. 345. pp. 116–17.
- ^ Robert Christgau Consumer Guide
- ^ Considine, J.D. (19 January 1984). "UB40 – Labour of Love". Rolling Stone. No. 413. p. 61. Archived from the original on 27 December 2007.
- Irwin, Colin (17 September 1983). "Fruits of Love". Melody Maker. p. 23.
- Cook, Richard (17 September 1983). "Dread Dread Whine...". NME. p. 27.
- Loder, Kurt (20 December 1984). "1984 Record Guide". Rolling Stone. No. 437–38. pp. 114–15.
- "100 Best Albums of the Eighties". Rolling Stone. No. 565. 16 November 1989. pp. 53–149.
- "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3195". RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
- "Longplay-Chartverfolgung at Musicline" (in German). Musicline.de. Phononet GmbH.
- "Dutchcharts.nl – UB40 – Labour of Love" (in Dutch). Hung Medien.
- "Charts.nz – UB40 – Labour of Love". Hung Medien.
- "UB40 | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart.
- ^ "UB40 Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.
- "Jaaroverzichtung – Album 1983". Hung Medien.
- "Top Selling Albums of 1983". Recorded Music NZ.
- Scaping, Peter, ed. (1984). "Top 100 albums: 1983". BPI Year Book 1984. British Phonographic Industry. pp. 44–45. ISBN 0-906154-04-9.
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- "Top 100 Albums". Music Week. 26 January 1985. p. 42.
- Scaping, Peter, ed. (1985). "Top 100 albums: 1984". BPI Year Book 1985 (7th ed.). British Phonographic Industry. pp. 48–49. ISBN 0-906154-06-5.
- "Canadian album certifications – UB40 – Labour of Love". Music Canada.
- "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (UB 40; 'Labour of Love')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 11 March 2019.
- "Dutch album certifications – UB 40 – Labour of Love" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 10 June 2019. Enter Labour of Love in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1984 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- "New Zealand album certifications – UB40 – Labour of Love". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 20 November 2024.
- "British album certifications – UB40 – Labour of Love". British Phonographic Industry.
- "American album certifications – UB-40 – Labour of Love". Recording Industry Association of America.
