"King / Food for Thought" is the debut single by British reggae band

UB40 UB40 are an English reggae and pop band, formed in December 1978 in Birmingham, England. The band has had more than 50 singles in the UK Singles Chart, and has also achieved considerable international success. They have been nominated for the ...

. It was released as a

double A-side The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company ...

in early 1980 and reached number four on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and number one in New Zealand. "King" is a song written about

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

Larkin, Colin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British writer and entrepreneur. He founded, and was the editor-in-chief of, the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music'', described by ''The Times'' as "the standard against which all others must be judged". Along wit ...

(2011). ''

Encyclopedia of Popular Music ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music'' is an encyclopedia created in 1989 by Colin Larkin. It is the "modern man's" equivalent of the '' Grove Dictionary of Music'', which Larkin describes in less than flattering terms.''The Times'', ''The Kno ...

''
p. 3605
questioning the lost direction of the deceased leader's followers and the state of mourning of a nation after his death. According to Robin Campbell, the lyrics of "Food for Thought" relate to "the hypocrisy of Christmas, the fact that there are starving people in Africa and here we are all sat around eating our Christmas dinner and praising the Lord"."How I wrote... 'Food For Thought' by UB40's Robin Campbell"
''Songwriting'', 15 September 2013 Campbell regards the song as a Christmas song. The original single version of "Food for Thought" is slightly shorter compared to the ''

Signing Off ''Signing Off'' is the debut album by British reggae band UB40, released in the UK on 29 August 1980 by Dudley-based independent label Graduate Records. It was an immediate success in their home country, reaching number 2 on the UK albums chart, ...

'' album version, with the album version including a break using a synthesiser reverb (an early example of their mixing techniques that can be found on their album '' Present Arms in Dub''). "King / Food for Thought" was the first release of a new record label, Graduate Records, a company based, like the band, in Birmingham."UB40 – Strength in Numbers"
by

Chris Salewicz Chris Salewicz ( ) is a journalist, broadcaster and novelist who lives in London. He was as a senior features writer for the ''New Musical Express'' from 1975 to 1981, where under tutelage of editor Neil Spencer he and other journalists were ...

, ''

SPIN Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'', June 1985, pp. 60–61 It was the first single to reach the UK top 10 without the backing of a major record company.

Charts

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References

1980 songs 1980 debut singles UB40 songs Number-one singles in New Zealand British Christmas songs UK Independent Singles Chart number-one singles {{1980s-single-stub

Charts

Certifications

See also

References