UB40 – I Think It’s Going To Rain Today (1980)

Okay, after posting the Wailing Souls, I can imagine a few folk thinking “what on earth are you doing posting a ***king UB40 track next?”

Truth is, the first UB40 LP is a work of some power and it was only later (not that later to be honest ….) that they turned into a cod reggae, chart stroking irrelevance.

However, you need to remember that cover versions and originals by The Clash (Police and Thieves), The Ruts (Jah War) , Stiff Little Fingers (Johnny Was) plus Two Tone Records were the first time many people got to appreciate the genius of reggae. 

Exhibit “A” to support this revisionist take on UB40 is this track. Actually a cover version of a Randy Newman track; I’ve always loved the bassline on this and the doleful vocal. UB40 did a bunch of poor cover versions and maybe only succeeded when covering something that wasn’t actually reggae to begin with.

LP track then a fantastic extended dub. The latter, in particular, still sounds great to me.

What d’ya reckon?