UB40 visited the United States for their 2009 Labour of Love Tour, before returning to Europe and the UK later in the year. UB40′s US tour began on April 10 in Snoqualmie, Washington, and ran until May 8 in Glenside, Pennsylvania, including live reggae shows in 18 cities. Most of the tour venues were on the US West Coast, including shows on April 13 in Portland, Oregon, and on April 21 in Solana Beach, California. The tour also took UB40 up to Canada for a show on April 11 in Coquitlam, British Columbia.

UB40 also headlined South Florida’s SunFest, held from April 29 to May 3, 2009 in downtown West Palm Beach. Other bands in the lineup included Slightly Stoopid, 311, The Steve Miller Band, and others.

The penultimate US tour date was a May 7 show in Times Square, New York City.

They also performed at the Epsom Downs Racecourse on Thursday 30th July, as the grand finale of the 2009 Epsom Live! series of events, which featured a live outdoor concert after the last race.

Nick Blofeld, the Epsom Downs Racecourse’s Managing Director, praised their 2006 show at the same venue: “The atmosphere was fantastic with young and old enjoying UB40 perform their classic hits as the sun set across The Downs after watching some thrilling racing around the unique Derby course.”

UB40 is particularly popular in the UK, with their recent release, Love Songs, reaching #3 on the UK Album Charts. Love Songs was a 2009 issue of digitally remastered hits from the band’s past reggae albums. The 20 tracks on Love Songs were UB40′s favorite lovers sounds, including the hit singles I Got You Babe and (I Can’t Help) Falling In love With You. The album includes other UB40 favorites such as Please Don’t Make Me Cry, Homely Girl, Breakfast In Bed, and I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight.

The full track list includes:

1. (I Can’t Help) Falling In Love With You
2. I Got You Babe
3. Kiss And Say Goodbye
4. You’re Always Pulling Me Down
5. Don’t Break My Heart
6. Please Don’t Make Me Cry
7. I Love It When You Smile
8. Homely Girl
9. Where Did I Go Wrong
10. Come Back Darling
11. Impossible Love
12. Dream A Lie
13. Tears From My Eyes
14. Breakfast In Bed
15. I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight
16. Bring Me Your Cup
17. I’ll Be There
18. Gotta Tell Someone
19. Here I Am (Come And Take Me)
20. I Would Do For You

You can find more reggae love songs at the 80 reggae love songs… know any others? article.

UB40 formed in Britain’s West Midlands in 1978, eventually gaining global popularity as one of the world’s foremost reggae bands, delighting existing reggae fans and drawing new listeners to the genre with reggae hits such as (I Can’t Help) Falling in Love With You and Kingston Town. The original reggae band’s line up included Ali Campbell, his brother Robin Campbell, James (Jimmy) Brown, Norman Hassan, Earl Falconer, Brian Travers, Mickey Virtue, and Astro.

UB40 truly took off in the beginning of 1980, when the reggae band was invited to tour with The Pretenders. Drawing on their roots in Jamaican music, UB40 joined the Two Tone sound that had grown from Caribbean ska, rock steady and reggae and was then becoming popular in nearby Coventry, England. UB40 has released dozens of studio and live albums, their most famous song, 1988′s Red Red Wine, the original Labour of Love album, became a global hit, topping the Hot 100 chart.

UB40′s 8-member band lineup has remained active for over 30 years, drawing on their Irish, Scottish, English, Yemeni and Jamaican heritage for a truly global sound. Founder and former lead singer Ali Campbell left UB40 last year, and Mickey Virtue left UB40 shortly thereafter. Fortunately, they managed to finish the Twentyfourseven album (get it here) just in time to keep the original line up. Ali and Mickey Virtue were replaced with Duncan Campbell and Tony Mullings. Other members of the UB40 lineup include drummer James Brown, guitarist/vocalist Robin Campbell, bassist/vocalist Earl Falconer, percussionist/vocalist Norman Hassan, saxophonist Brian Travers, and vocalist/trumpeter Astro.

Despite an earlier press release from the band, indicating that Ali Campbell was leaving to pursue a solo career, the lead singer released a statement indicating that he had “been deeply unhappy with administrative practices and with many decisions that have been made in recent years.” He did soften his tone with closing well-wishes, concluding: “I know UB40 will carry on successfully without me and I wish them all the best.”

UB40′s new lineup released their next studio album Labour of Love IV in 2010. It was originally scheduled to be released in October 2009 but was a bit delayed. The band’s official website reported that it was all “business as usual,” and that “despite rumors to the contrary,” the band is moving forward making new music. Labor of Love IV was their first Labour of Love album since 1998′s Labour of Love III. UB40 began the Labour of Love series in 1983, with a #1 album and the hit single Red, Red Wine. In 1989 the group released Labour of Love II, which spawned a #4 single (Kingston Town) and 2 US billboard top 10 singles. Labour of Love III was released in 1998 and included the hit single Come Back, Darling.

Labor of Love IV continued UB40′s passionate love of reggae classics. Recorded at the band’s Reflex Studios in Birmingham in the spring of 2009, the album includes 16 tracks featuring covers such as Delroy Wilson’s Close to Me, John Holt‘s I Don’t Want to See You Cry and Man Next Door, Smokey Robinson’s Tracks of My Tears, and Sam Cooke’s Bring it on Home to Me. With Ali Campbell absent from the lineup, Labour of Love IV features lead vocals from his brother, Duncan Campbell.

The Labour of Love IV album release was followed by a UK/European arena tour in November and December 2009.

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The Bermuda reggae singer Collie Buddz kicked off his career with his 2007 eponymous release, Collie Buddz, which debuted at the #1 position on the Billboard Reggae charts and hit the top 100 overall. It seems success is treating young Mr. Buddz very well – not only does his new 7-track album boast catchy melodies and excellent production values, it’s available for free to all of his loyal fans and the new listeners who want to hear the latest from one of reggae’s rising sons.

Click here for dates and information about Collie Buddz’s Playback tour.

Listen to Collie Buddz Playback EP

Playback has a generally mellow feel, the perfect soundtrack to a laid back afternoon or weekend morning. It forecasts the warmer weather that so many Collie Buddz fans are waiting for, with tracks like Hope, featuring guest vocals from Demarco.

But Playback‘s sunny, casual sound belies the effort that Collie Buddz put into it, having spent 3 years crafting every track. “The EP was entirely written, recorded and engineered in Bermuda with my brother Smokey at Harper Digital Studios,” Collie once explained. He had help from some top-ranked producers including Supa Dups and Baby Dee.

You can hear the tracks before you download them here (JavaScript-enabled browsers only):

Official music video for Playback EPK

Playback EPK is the first single from the new Playback EP.

The official music video for Holiday from Playback

Holiday is the 2nd single from Collie Buddz Playback EP. The video was directed by Jeff Pliskin and edited by Collie Buddz himself. The artist filmed the track on location in Bermuda, in advance of the release of the EP. This is a great track to relax to after a long day of work.

Get the Collie Buddz Playback free music download

Collie Buddz has made Playback available as a free music download from 2 links off of the official Collie Buddz website. The main music download link is here. The second free music download link is here.

These free music links to download the Playback EP come direct from the official Collie Buddz website, so you can be sure they’re safe.

The total download is 77MB so a high-speed internet connection is preferred for downloading the tracks. There are no requirements for downloading the free music tracks – no giving up your email address or anything else.

This isn’t the first free Collie Buddz music download that has come our way – last summer Slightly Stoopid shared 4 free music tracks to download, one of which was a remix of Collie Buddz’s Come Around (the other 3 are tracks from Slightly Stoopid and Cypress Hill). Collie Buddz recently wrapped up the Slightly Stoopid Legalize It 2010 summer tour with Slightly Stoopid and Cypress Hill. He’s also done some solo touring, launched a new official website last year, and kicked off his own radio station, Vibe 103. “The pieces are all falling into place, allowing me to focus on doing what I love most, making music,” explains Buddz.

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Don’t want to find all the tracks? No worries – you can also listen to Pissed Pat’s Stoned 4 U Revisited Mix right here on Dub & Reggae or check out to the Blazed and Infused Ganja Mix from z0nk.One and shockout radio. Pat included a link to download his mix on the player page (look at the bottom of the description, on the right). When you get the munchies, don’t wander off and forget to thank Pat and z0nk!

Here’s the of ganja-inspired dub and reggae music. Click the links for downloads, videos, and players:

1. 311 – Who’s Got The Herb
2. Assemblage Point – Cent’nal DUB
3. Pato Banton – I do not sniff the coke (I only smoke Sensimilla!)
4. Capital Letters – Smoking My Ganja
5. Collie Buddz – Come Around
6. Culture & Don Carlos – Roots & Culture
7. Jah Cure – Flying High
8. Eek A Mouse- Ganja Smuggling
9. Jah Elect – Nice and Proper (Register at norml.org to download the track)
10. Michael Franti – We Don’t Stop
11. Freesound – Sweet Sensi
12. Mr. Haze – Dub Project
13. Humble – High Grade
14. The Individuals – 420 International
15. Iriepathie – Piece of Ganja (Register at norml.org to download the track)
16. Ina Kamoze – World A Reggae
17. Katchafire – Sesimillia live
18. King Tubby & Dillinger – At King Tubbys – See And Blind
19. Barrington Levy- Collie Weed
20. Barrington Levy – Prison Oval Rock
21. Bob Marley- Kaya
22. Bob Marley – Natural Mystic (thanks Dom Corleone!)
23. Bob Marley – One Love
24. Bob Marley – Three Little Birds
25. Damian Marley & Cypress Hill- Ganja Bus
26. Damian Marley ft. Nas – Road To Zion (thanks Dom Corleone!)
27. Mystic Eyes & Trinity – Perilous Times
28. Mystic Roots – Pass the Marijuana
29. Mystic Roots – Sweet Sensi
30. Frankie Paul – Do Good
31. Lee Scratch Perry – The Ganja Man
32. Phish – Makisupa Policeman
33. Ranking Dread – Marijuana In My Soul
34. Roots Manuva – Highest Grade Dub
35. Sahra Indio – Reggae on the Farm
36. Jah Shaka – Commandments Of Dub 7 – School Of Dub
37. Sublime- 89 Vision
38. Sublime- Doin’ Time
39. Sublime- Smoke Two Joints
40. Peter Tosh – Legalize It (thanks Dom Corleone!)
41. Mr. Williamz – Ganja 4 Life (Register at norml.org to download the track)
42. Zenji San – Natural Ting (Register at norml.org to download the track)

If you’re feeling meditative, check out this article on legalizing marijuana. Consider this quote from the article:

“Key in the campaign to ‘legalize it’ is Tom Ammiano, who has made a significant proposition: legalize pot for adult consumption, charge growing fees and tax retailers. It would generate about $1.3 billion in revenue along with countless positive side effects: fewer minor drug offenders in jails, no more sketchy deals and fewer enforcement costs. The deal is for California only, but it would be a large step toward nationwide law, considering how politically massive the state is. Federally legalized cannabis would generate an estimated net $14 billion per year.”

Happy holidays,
Dubman

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The Unity Tour begins on June 5th in Santa Barbara, California runs across the country to New York City’s Central Park Summer Stage on June 25th, and then winds it’s way back to the west coast for a final show on August 12th in Irvine, California.

The tour, which supports 311‘s release of Uplifter, their 9th studio album and first in over 3 years, scheduled for release on June 2.

Grammy-award winner Ziggy Marley‘s roots reggae tunes are a perfect fit for 311‘s reggae-infused rock sound. In an interview with LiveDaily, Nick Hexum, 311′s lead singer and guitarist, explains that the album continues the band’s evolutionary blend of rock and reggae: “We were getting more and more into reggae. Now I think we’re ready to get into a heavier sound.” But don’t expect a heady metal album, despite production from a former Metallica producer. Hexum went on to explain that “there’ll be some hip-hop and reggae on there. Heavy yet up-tempo is how I would characterize a good chunk of our new stuff.”

Ziggy, born David Nesta Marley in Trenchtown, Jamaica, has won 4 Grammys in his musical career as the leader of the Melody Makers and a solo musician. His most recent Grammy was awarded for his 2006 release Love Is My Religion. (Watch Ziggy Marley‘s Love is My Religion music video.)

Unity Tour dates are available at LIveDaily.com.

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