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UB40 Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
UB40 Quizzes, Trivia

UB40 Trivia

UB40 Trivia Quizzes

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Fun Trivia
3 UB40 quizzes and 30 UB40 trivia questions.
1.
  UB40 - Reggae Stars    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Dedicated to possibly the best mainstream Reggae artists ever, and definitely the most well known! However, if you are looking for mainstream songs... well, you might just find it here!
Average, 10 Qns, Gayleg, Nov 02 19
Average
Gayleg
Nov 02 19
1002 plays
2.
  First Lines UB40 Songs    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Each question gives you the first lines of a UB40 song. Do you know what song it is?
Average, 10 Qns, Vermic, Oct 13 03
Average
Vermic
1529 plays
3.
  UB40 Music    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
UB40 are the best selling reggae band from the Midlands in the UK. Sadly they split up with the two brothers forming two separate bands. Robin enlisted their other brother Duncan as lead singer while Ali formed a new UB40.
Average, 10 Qns, lesn, Oct 21 18
Average
lesn
Oct 21 18
167 plays

UB40 Trivia Questions
1. The band came up with the name UB40 when they formed in 1978, but where did the idea for the name come from?

From Quiz UB40 Music

Answer: UB40 was the reference number on all unemployment benefit forms

The name was selected in reference to a form issued to people claiming unemployment benefit from the UK government's Department of Employment. The designation UB40 stood for Unemployment Benefit, Form 40 Since many in the band were unemployed it seemed a good name to use.

2. UB40's first gig was held at a pub located in Kings Heath on February 1979. What was the name of the pub?

From Quiz UB40 Music

Answer: The Hare and Hounds, Birmingham

Their first gig took place on 9 February 1979 at 'The Hare & Hounds' Pub in Kings Heath, Birmingham for a friend's birthday party. This was later commemorated in October 2011 by the unveiling of a plaque at the venue.

3. One of the UB40 albums was made into a short movie, with members of the band taking the main roles. Which was it?

From Quiz UB40 - Reggae Stars

Answer: Labour of Love

'Labour of Love' was filmed in Birmingham, telling the love story of boy meets girl, finds out girl lied to him, gets beaten up by girl's boyfriend, and finally wins girl... full cast of boxers, drunks, and prostitutes included!

4. UB40 have released a number of albums over the years but what was the name of their first album?

From Quiz UB40 Music

Answer: 'Signing off'

'Signing Off' was released on 29 August 1980. It entered the UK Albums Chart on 2nd October 1980, and spent 71 weeks in total on the chart. Some of the tracks were recorded in a small bedsit and others in the garden, if you listen carefully you can hear birds singing on some tracks.

5. When the band split which other band members joined Ali Campbell's version of UB40?

From Quiz UB40 Music

Answer: Micky Virtue and Astro

Mickey Virtue (born Michael Virtue,plays keyboards. He was one of the first to join Ali). Astro (born Terence Wilson,plays percussion, trumpet, vocals he did not join Ali immediately but joined him in 2013. Fans are split over which version of UB40 they prefer. Some reason that Ali is the voice of the bands hits, so his is the real UB40 Ali himself referred to his brothers Duncan and Robin's UB40 as a Karaoke band.

6. What was on the cover of UB40's first album, 'Signing Off'?

From Quiz UB40 - Reggae Stars

Answer: A British unemployment benefit form

The UB's had to post the form to themselves in order to get the postage stamp on it, and thereby make it legal! This was the only copyright law they had to bypass in order to use the form as an album cover.

7. Ali and Robin sing the main vocals, but who else in the band has sung solos?

From Quiz UB40 - Reggae Stars

Answer: Astro, Norman and Earl

Astro, Norman, and Earl specialise in the dub part of UB40 songs! Astro is most well known for 'Rat in mi Kitchen', while Earl will be remembered for 'Reggae Music' and Norman for 'Johnny Too Bad'.

8. Which UB40 song has the following lyrics? "The sunset outside my window Has lost all it's glow The rose in the garden, my love Doesn't bloom any more"

From Quiz UB40 Music

Answer: 'Impossible love'

UB40 have recorded a number of songs on serious political subjects, but they have also recorded a number of love songs, mainly covers of early reggae songs for which they made sure the original writers got paid. This has earned them a lot of respect among Jamaican artists who made little to nothing from their original recordings.

9. The UB's are well known for doing cover versions of Reggae songs. They released an album on which the 'Fathers' of Reggae cover well-known UB40 songs. In February 2003, how many cover albums had the UB's released?

From Quiz UB40 - Reggae Stars

Answer: 4

'Labour of Love' 1, 2 and 3 are just that, tributes to the music that the band loves, while the 'Father's' album was a real treat for the band, because they asked all their Reggae heroes to sing the UB lyrics to the UB sound. The result? Magic!

10. UB40 featuring Ali, Micky and Astro recorded a song in 2014 entitled 'I want you' but what rock legend wrote this song?

From Quiz UB40 Music

Answer: Bob Dylan

Their version is very different to the Bob Dylan original, it is more upbeat with a light rock feel that is different to their more usual reggae sound. Around the same time Robin and Duncan's UB40 recorded an old Willie Nelson country song 'Blue eyes crying in the rain'.

11. The UB's wrote and sang a song called 'The Pillow'. What was it about?

From Quiz UB40 - Reggae Stars

Answer: The life of a prostitute

'The Pillow' was based on the prostitutes in Balsall Heath, in Birmingham, but manages to describe the general life of prostitution as well. The video features Ali singing outside of the Moulin Rouge in Paris... enough said.

12. An easy one for UB40 fans. What song contains these lyrics? "You make me laugh a lot And buy me silly things And I'd rather be with you than anyone else".

From Quiz UB40 Music

Answer: 'Don't break my heart'

'Don't break my heart' is one of UB40s love songs with its haunting back beat and despairing lyrics about a love that's dying. It reached number three in the UK charts in 1985.

13. When did UB40 form?

From Quiz UB40 - Reggae Stars

Answer: 1978

UB40, along with the Rolling Stones, is one of the bands that has stuck together. The band still consists of the original 8 members, and even though they have added and subtracted a few musicians, the core 8 have remained, and have stayed loyal and true to each other.

14. After UB40 split, which well known reggae artist was tipped to replace Ali as lead singer?

From Quiz UB40 Music

Answer: Maxi Priest

Born of Jamaican descent, Maxi grew up in London listening to Reggae, Pop, Gospel, and R&B. From his first release in 1986, Maxi was often referred to as the "King of Lovers Rock." He has enjoyed 20-plus years as singer, songwriter, and performer, and remains as popular today as ever. However the much talked about joining UB40 didn't happen apart from recording some songs with them.

15. How many songs did Chrissi Hynde record with UB40?

From Quiz UB40 - Reggae Stars

Answer: 2

Chrissi recorded 'Breakfast in Bed' and 'I Got You Babe', although 'I Got You Babe' seems to be the most well known! With 'I Got You Babe' both Chrissi and Ali battled to find a note that would suit them both, resulting in Chrissi singing a little lower than normal and Ali a little higher. Still works, though!

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