Rocktrospectiva: UB40's Second Covers Album "Labour Of Love II" Turns 35

Released on 27 November 1989, "Labour Of Love II" was the ninth album and second covers album by UB40. The album contained two top-ten Billboard Hot 100 hits – "Here I Am (Come and Take Me)" peaked at No. 7, "The Way You Do the Things You Do" peaked at No. 6 – and "Kingston Town" reached No. 4 on the UK Singles Chart as the main singles while "Groovin'" was the fourth single to be released on certain markets. 

 

An all-cover version album by UB40 following the original "Labour Of Love" released in 1983. The idea was to revisit and revive Reggae Classics, the subsequent idea was this would make sound dancing material with some enjoyable tracks such as "Kingston Town" , "Here I Am Come and Take Me" an R&B song given a different treatment and "The Way You Do the Things You Do", and also the Heptones "Baby" goes beyond the usual pop reggae. 

 

Other cool tracks were the undulating "Tears From My Eyes" and the groovy "Groovin'" with its timid trumpet blasts and 1 chorus of trombone solo, definitely these songs are from a golden age, when dancing was rather less frenetic, and the music for it was made by people, not machines.

 

The band are at their best when they keep things as simple as possible as on "Homely Girl", on Al Green’s "Here I Am" where there's' some action going on with the horns injecting fuel and glimpses of lead guitar work; the Rap argumentation on "Wear You to the Ball" is also an welcomed extra-color on this bunch of tracks where I rarely find a song that does not include arguments that make me nervous and anxious to push the stop button.

 

Definitely in many ways, "Labour Of Love II" might be considered as a clone of 1983's cover album "Labour of Love". Remember "Red Red Wine" their huge mega hit, well this is what happens, you start to working up the sequel, even though, UB40 succeeded with "Here I Am", "Kingston Town", & "The Way You Do the Things You Do" hit it pretty big. The whole album is breezy and entertaining, and it was certainly fresh to hear some non-dancehall reggae in the mainstream again. 

 

Labour Of Love II Track List: 

 

1. Here I Am (Come And Take Me) (original by Al Green)

2. Tears From My Eyes (Teddy Davis)

3. Groovin (Byron Lee)

4. The Way You Do The Things You Do (Original by The Temptations)

5. Wear You To The Ball (Original by The Paragons)

6. Singer Man (original by The Kingstonians)

7. Kingston Town (original by Lord Creator)

8. Baby (original by The Heptones)

9. Wedding Day 

10. Sweet Cherrie (Keith "Honey Boy" Williams)

11. Stick By Me (original by Shep And The Limelites)

12. Just Another Girl (original by Ken Boothe)

13. Homely Girl (original by The Chi-Lites)

14. Impossible Love (Keith "Honey Boy" Williams)