"Labour of Love" is the fourth studio album by British reggae band UB40, released on September 12, 1983. This album, their first of cover versions, features the hit single "Red Red Wine," which topped the charts globally. It also includes three other UK top 20 hits: "Please Don't Make Me Cry," "Many Rivers to Cross," and "Cherry Oh Baby."
The album achieved significant commercial success, reaching number one in the UK, New Zealand, and the Netherlands, and the top five in Canada. In the US, it initially peaked at number 39 but re-entered the Billboard 200 in 1988, reaching number 14 due to the continued success of "Red Red Wine."
The success of Labour of Love led UB40 to release three additional albums of cover versions under the Labour of Love title.
Labour of Love by UB40 is a collection of reggae covers from the period 1969 to 1972, reflecting the band's admiration for the genre. Guitarist Robin Campbell selected and finalized the tracks after discussions with the band, driven by a long-standing desire to pay homage to their reggae influences. The album came at a time when UB40 was under pressure to release new material but lacked enough original content, making it a strategic and creative choice to focus on covers. Their newly opened studio, the Abattoir, provided a relaxed environment for this project, free from the pressures of creating original material.
Interestingly, the band was unaware that "Red Red Wine," a standout track on the album, was originally written by Neil Diamond, not as a reggae song but as a pop track. They had always thought it was a Tony Tribe original. The UB40 version included a toasted verse by Astro, a feature that Neil Diamond later incorporated into his live performances.
UB40's decision to produce an album of cover versions was part of their broader goal to popularize reggae music. Despite their inclination towards heavy dub reggae, they understood the necessity of commercializing their music to gain wider radio play and reach a larger audience. As Ali Campbell noted, this approach was a series of compromises aimed at making reggae accessible to more listeners.
