Former UB40 frontman Ali Campbell has a school-inspired surprise up his sleeve for fans in Dubai tomorrow night

When Ali Campbell rolls into the Irish Village tomorrow night, pop fans can expect to hear all the favourites associated with the former UB40 frontman.

Reggae versions of Elvis Presley’s ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’, Neil Diamond’s ‘Red, Red Wine’ and the Sonny and Cher classic ‘I Got You, Babe’ are bound to get the crowds singing along and enjoying a trip down memory lane.

But Birmingham singer Ali’s got something up his sleeve - the equivalent of a musical curveball if you like.

At 50, he’s as enthusiastic as ever about music, and his bid to bring reggae and dub to the masses is clearly showing no signs of waning, despite his acrimonious split from the band he formed over 30 years ago.

He told 7DAYS: “On the last album, I covered a song that was on a Britney Spears album, the song’s called ‘Out From Under’. That was a surprise for everyone, certainly a surprise for my management - they thought I’d lost the plot! “And it was all because I was playing the album on the school run, my daughter loves Britney and I loved the tune.

Then I found out that Wayne Hector (British songwriter) had written it. He’s had about 30 No.1 singles around the world and I thought OK, I’m going to do this.

“Folk were saying ‘you can’t cover something that was on a Britney album’ but I thought: ‘Er, yes I can!’ “I was very happy with that and I think
in fact it is one of the best tracks on Flying High.”

Ali released that album ‘Flying High’ earlier this year, just 18 months after ‘Running Free’.

The album titles clearly show how he feels since breaking with UB40. But it doesn’t end there for the Ivor Novello award winner.  

Also in the pipeline is a concert film of his first post-UB40 gig at the Royal Albert Hall, and a more recent concert at Shepherd’s Bush. And it’s nice to know that despite the years of experience, even Ali gets nervous. He had an all-star cast for the ‘break-up’ concert, featuring legendary rhythm section Sly and Robbie as well as a host of guest singers including reggae veteran Pato Banton, soul singer Lemar and Jamaican dancehall heroine Lady Saw.   
And the ‘Kingston Town’ singer chuckled: “I’ve just finished mixing the Royal Albert Hall gig, it was a flash, a white, blinding light at the time and I didn’t know how it went but I just mixed it now and it’s great. It really was like jumping off a mountain.

“I didn’t really enjoy it because it was a flash of panic but listening back to it now I’m quite proud of it really.”

Campbell clearly likes collaborations. He’s worked with everyone from sassy Pretenders frontwoman Chrissie Hynde through to ragga singer Shaggy and smooth operator Craig David.

But he can’t wait to tell us about yet another new venture, a joint effort with an unlikely American crew. Although he’s keeping tight-lipped on the song itself.

He said: “I’ve just finished doing a great tune with Fun Lovin’ Criminals, I really like those guys. This track I’ve done, I can’t tell you what it’s called but it’s the least likely reggae cover you have ever heard and it’s got this really nice vibe to it.”

Any other unusual collaborations coming up for Ali? Well, there’s plenty,as you would probably expect from a man with such a strong belief in his beloved reggae and dub.

“I’ve just finished working with Los Pericos as well, an Argentinian reggae outfit. I think it means ‘the dangerous ones’, they told me it meant White Coffee in their blurb, that was bull,” he said with a knowing smile. “I’ve just done a track for Lady Saw too, she’s on my album and I’ve just done a track for hers as well.”

Ali’s burying himself in his work. But unlike the ‘Red, Red Wine’ from the heartbreaking Neil Diamond song he made famous, it’s not to help forget.

He explained: “I’m enjoying writing all the stuff at the moment, having been with UB40 for 28 years it was a bit like pulling teeth. It was a compromise, there was eight people who all wanted something different out of the same track and it was usually who shouted longest and loudest who got there own way.

“Now I’m more productive than I’ve ever been, I’m also doing a lot more with other people. It took me four years to decide I’d had enough, I was moaning so much it was becoming a standing joke!

But once I did leave, it was like, I want to get that out of the way and get onto promoting reggae and promoting dub. And because I have (former UB40 keyboard player) Michael Virtue in the band, we actually sound more like UB40 than they do!”