UB40 and Robin Campbell will not reunite with brother Ali for ‘all the money in the world’
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UB40’s Robin Campbell and Jimmy Brown say that ‘all the money in the world’ couldn’t get them to reunite with the band’s founding member Ali Campbell. As one of the biggest bands of the 1980s – having formed in Birmingham in 1978 – UB40 have sold more records than Oasis with hits including Red, Red, Wine and their cover of I Got You Babe.
![[UB-40 In Concert]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-652343506.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
But tensions boiled over when Ali, 65, announced in 2008 that he was leaving UB40 after 30 years following a disagreement over management, and he went on to form a breakaway group UB40 Featuring Ali & Astro, much to the distaste of the original group.
![[UB40 Perform At The OVO Hydro, Glasgow]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-2185181122.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
What ensued was years of bitter back and forth between the Campbell brothers, who would give the Gallagher brothers a run for their money when it comes to stubborn family feuds. On a new podcast episode, Robin has now slammed his brother Ali for ‘turning his back’ on the band to pursue a solo career, as he and Jimmy gave their side of the story of his heated departure.
![[UB40]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-124503862.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Speaking on The Trawl podcast, UB40’s Robin and Jimmy claimed the fallout started when Ali failed to curtail his spending in the mid-00s. ‘What was happening was there was less and less records being sold with the rise of technology. And we were having to tighten our belts,’ Jimmy said.
![[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Season 2]](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/GettyImages-518574104.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=646)
Jimmy also said he thought Ali’s departure was a calculated decision. ‘I think he made the calculation, you know, encouraged by his girlfriend and our ex-manager, and made the calculation that maybe if he was to dump the band then he could go out and still live the same pop star life he’d been used to living for 20 years,’ he said.
