Homegrown

Homegrown is the sixteenth studio album by English reggae band UB40, released on 3 November 2003 through Virgin Records and DEP International. The follow-up to Cover Up (2001), the album was produced by UB40 at DEP International Studios in Birmingham. Described by Robin Campbell as an old-fashioned UB40 record, Homegrown features both love songs and political numbers. As with Cover Up, its use of programmed rhythms was the cause of musical differences in the band and was later criticised by frontman Ali Campbell. On release, Homegrown reached number 49 on the UK Albums Chart, their lowest charting album to date, and number 16 in the Netherlands. Music critics highlighted the album's darker songs. The album's single, a cover of the traditional spiritual "Swing Low", was recorded as the official anthem of the England national rugby union team's participation in the 2003 Rugby World Cup. After the England's team victory in the World Cup final, it reached number 15 on the UK Singles Chart, providing the album's biggest boost. UB40 toured in promotion of Homegrown in 2003 and released the live DVD Homegrown in Holland in 2004. Recording and composition Homegrown was produced by UB40 and recorded at DEP International Studios in Birmingham, with co-production from Charlie Skarbek on one song, and mastered by Tim Young at London's Metropolis Studios. It was the follow-up to Cover Up (2001), although in the intervening time, the group had released UB40 Present the Fathers of Reggae (2002), an album of collaborations. Homegrown includes numerous political songs and several love songs, and was referred to by band member Robin Campbell as an "old-fashioned UB40 album". As with Cover Up, the tracks on Homegrown incorporate computer-generated rhythms. According to band members Ali and Robin Campbell, this was insisted on by bandmates Jimmy Brown and Earl Falconer. Ali criticises the decision for making the albums sound uninspired and later lamented that UB40 had "stopped recording as a band and that had an impact on the sound." He regretted that band members' ego clashes and musical differences disrupted the recording and believed that both records "suffered from our approach not just to production but actually recording. Our music is organic and has to be treated as such".