Labour of Love
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Labour of Love is a reggae album by UB40, the band's fifth studio album. It was originally released in September 1, 1983 and included the hits, "Red, Red Wine", "Cherry Oh Baby", "Many Rivers to Cross", and "Please Don't Make Me Cry".
The entire album consists of cover versions of songs originally released by the group's musical idols. The most notable track is the cover of Neil Diamond's "Red, Red Wine," which reached #1 in the United Kingdom upon its release. The song was re-released in the United States in 1988, where it also topped the chart. The album and 12" version included a toasted verse by Astro, later copied by Neil Diamond in his live performances.
The album reached #1 in the UK and #8 in the United States. With the inclusion of the new version of "Red, Red Wine," the album regained popularity in 1988 and climbed to #15 in the U.S.
In 1989, it was ranked #98 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 100 greatest albums of the 1980s.
The band would later release two more cover albums, Labour of Love II and Labour of Love III.
Track listing
- "Cherry Oh Baby" – 3:18 (original by Eric Donaldson)
- "Keep On Moving" – 4:37 (original by Johnny Clarke)
- "Please Don't Make Me Cry" – 3:26 (original by Winston Tucker)
- "Sweet Sensation" – 3:42 (original by The Melodians)
- "Johnny Too Bad" – 4:57 (original by The Slickers)
- "Red, Red Wine" – 5:21 (original by Neil Diamond; inspired by Tony Tribe)
- "Guilty" – 3:16 (original by Tiger)
- "She Caught The Train" – 3:17 (original by Joe Monsano)
- "Version Girl" – 3:27 (original by Boy Friday)
- "Many Rivers To Cross" – 4:31 (original by Jimmy Cliff)