UB40 are a British reggae pop band formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has placed more than 50 singles on the UK charts, and has also achieved considerable international success. Their #1 hits (which are all covers) include "Red Red Wine", "Can't Help Falling in Love", and "I Got You Babe".On 24 January 2008 it was announced that Ali Campbell would be leaving the group after 30 years. It was originally stated that this was in order for Campbell to concentrate on solo projects, but Campbell later said he was leaving due to "management difficulties". The remaining seven members released a statement saying: “Ali made a very simple decision, he chose to pursue and put his solo career over and above continuing to work with UB40 after February 2008, it’s as simple as that". The news that a second original member was leaving the band as a result of "management trouble" came on 19 March 2008. Keyboard player Michael Virtue followed Campbell, and also launched an investigation, with Campbell's legal company, into the financial dealings of the group.It was reported by some Birmingham newspapers on 13 March 2008, that Maxi Priest would be the new lead singer of UB40 and had recorded a cover of Bob Marley’s "I Shot the Sheriff" with the band, based on information from an unnamed "source close to the band." Priest had joined UB40 on tour in 2007, culminating in sell out shows at the NEC in December. Another local newspaper reporting that Maxi Priest would be the new UB40 frontman, also included a statement from band spokesman Gerard Franklyn which contradicted this claim: "Maxi is collaborating with the band to record material but there is no decision been made to replace Ali Campbell with one definitive singer. The reports are half correct he will be appearing with them for this new recording." In April 2008, the BBC reported that Campbell was to be replaced in the band by his brother Duncan, with reggae singer Maxi Priest also bolstering the line-up on tour.The band's new album, Twentyfourseven, UB40's last with the original lineup, was a free insert in The Mail on Sunday's 4 May 2008 issue. The full 17 track version was released on 21 June 2008, but failed to go top 75 in the UK. This is a first for UB40, as all the official albums have previously gone Top 50 on the UK Albums Chart.
