UB40 – Red Red Wine

Red Red Wine by UB40

UB40’s reggae-infused cover of Red Red Wine was released in August 1983 as part of their fourth studio album, Labour of Love — a collection of cover songs that revitalized the band’s career and introduced them globally as reggae-pop icons. Originally written and recorded by Neil Diamond in 1967 as a somber folk ballad, the UB40 version was inspired by Tony Tribe’s 1969 reggae cover and transformed the song into a laid-back groove with a toasting verse by band member Astro.

The music video, directed by Bernard Rose, captured the group’s casual style and was filmed in a local Birmingham pub. Despite the title, frontman Ali Campbell is seen drinking beer rather than wine, a detail reflecting the pub’s real-life culture where ordering wine would have stood out. To avoid hiring extras, UB40 invited workers from a nearby factory to join the shoot, covering the bar tab as payment. Filmed in the morning, the session quickly turned raucous, and by noon many of the impromptu “extras” were drunk. According to accounts, some staggered back to work only to be fired on the spot, though later reinstated. Shot in black and white, the clip emphasized a gritty, working-class authenticity that fit both UB40’s origins and their reworking of the song. Rose, who also directed the original “Relax” video for Frankie Goes To Hollywood, was a frequent UB40 collaborator and helped define their early visual style.

Commercially, Red Red Wine became UB40’s signature hit. It spent three weeks at No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in 1983, ending the year as the third-best-selling single in Britain. A U.S. reissue in 1988 propelled the song to the top of the Billboard Hot 100, cementing its global status. Neil Diamond himself later praised UB40’s version, adopting their reggae arrangement in his live shows and citing it among his favorite covers.

Critical reception highlighted the track’s seamless reggae transformation and its broad crossover appeal. The song helped UB40 transition from their politically charged early work into mainstream success, while also proving reggae could dominate global pop charts. Today, Red Red Wine remains one of the most recognizable songs of the 1980s and a defining reggae-pop anthem.

UB40 kept the song alive through the following decades, regularly performing it in concerts throughout the 1990s and 2000s. It became a guaranteed sing-along moment at their shows, often extended with Astro’s signature toast. These performances ensured that the track’s popularity spanned generations, maintaining its status as both a nostalgic hit and a live staple long after its original release.

References

1. Red Red Wine,” Wikipedia. Accessed Sept. 3, 2025.
2. “‘Red, Red Wine’: Neil Diamond’s Early Vintage Of A UB40 Smash,” uDiscoverMusic. April 2025. Accessed Sept. 3, 2025.
3. Financial Times, “UB40’s ‘Red Red Wine’ — band squeezed every last drop from the song,” Jan. 2017. Accessed Sept. 3, 2025.
4. “Labour of Love,” Wikipedia. Accessed Sept. 3, 2025.
5. “Red Red Wine by UB40,” Songfacts. Accessed Sept. 3, 2025.