Ken Foote Summer Songs: UB40 And 'Can't Help Falling In Love'
(CBS11) - UB40 is an English reggae/pop band from Birmingham, England that formed in December 1978. The name "UB40" came from a British governmental form, which stood for "Unemployment Benefit, Form 40."
Since they started, they have had more than 50 singles on the UK Singles Chart and have achieved significant international success. They have been nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album four times and in 1984 were nominated for the Brit Award as Best British Group. The original members in the early years were brothers Ali Campbell (vocals) and Robin Campbell (guitar), Terence "Astro" Wilson (vocals), Norman Hassan (percussion), Michael Virtue (keyboards), Brian Travers (saxophone), Earl Falconer (bass) and James Brown (drums…not the American R&B singer of the 1960's).
In the U.S., the group charted six times on Billboard from 1984-1993. Of those six songs, four of them were in the top 10 with two #1 hits. Their first #1 hit was a Neil Diamond song, "Red Red Wine," from 1988. Their next two songs placed in the top 10 as well: "The Way You Do The Things You Do" and "Here I Am (Come And Take Me)."
Their most successful song and last one to chart was a remake of one done previously by Elvis Presley and Corey Hart (and a host of others) called "Can't Help Falling In Love," featured in the 1993 Paramount Pictures movie, "Sliver" with Sharon Stone and William Baldwin. It was a big hit for the summer of 1993: #1 for seven consecutive weeks and stayed on the chart for 23 weeks. Released on May 10, 1993, written by Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore and David Weiss and running 3:24, here are the lyrics:
Wise men say
Only fools rush in,
But I can't help falling in love with you.
Shall I stay
Would it be a sin,
If I can't help falling in love with you.
Shall I stay
Would it be a sin,
If I can't help falling in love with you.
Like a river flows
Surely to the sea
Darling so it goes
Some things are meant to be
Take my hand
Take my whole life too,
For I can't help falling in love with you
So from 1993….UB40 and "Can't Help Falling In Love".
