Blood and Fire: The Autobiography of the UB40 Brothers

by Ali Campbell (Author), Ali Campbell (Author), Paul Gorman (Collaborator), Robin Campbell (Author), Tim Abbot (Collaborator)

• Used

  Hardcover
  2005

  $16.37

  Born and raised in a council house on Birmingham's notorious Balsall Heath under the watchful eye of their staunchly socialist, folk singer father, Robin and Ali Campbell were to become members of the most successful reggae band in the world, a career that has spanned four decades. But this is not the autobiography of a pop band legend, but rather the story of two working class brothers crashing and burning and fighting back against the odds. It is the story of growing up in the 1960's to the sounds of Motown and ska, folk music and skiffle and radical politics and - most importantly - the new and infectious sound reggae that was to capture the ears of these two teenage kids from the Midlands. Instilled by their father from an early age to always do things their own way the brothers - in between dead end jobs and the dole office - put together a band that would show Balsall Heath what reggae was all about. Mismanagement, drink, drugs, divorce, paranoia and jail terms would dog the band and threaten to destroy it all - including the brother's relationship and yet they come to amass record sales in excess of 50 million, with nearly 50 hit singles to their credit - from 'Red Red Wine' and 'Don't Break My Heart' to 'Homely Girl' and 'I Got You Babe'.