Q1: Did Neil Diamond resent UB40 for changing his song?
A1: Not at all. Neil Diamond has repeatedly called UB40’s cover one of his favorite interpretations of his catalog. He was grateful for both the substantial songwriting royalties and the track's extended shelf life, eventually performing the reggae-style arrangement during his own live concerts.
Q2: Why was Astro’s reggae verse removed from the 1984 US radio release?
A2: American mainstream pop radio in the early 1980s was notoriously conservative toward rap and Jamaican toasting. A&M Records cut Astro’s middle section down to produce a standard three-minute pop edit. It was only when Phoenix station KZZP aired the complete album version in 1988 that American audiences embraced the full performance.
Q3: Did Tony Tribe write the reggae bassline used by UB40?
A3: Tony Tribe's 1969 Trojan Records single established the uptempo rocksteady bounce and syncopated beat that UB40 copied. However, because Tribe merely covered Diamond's 1967 ballad without claiming songwriting rights, all composition royalties stayed with Neil Diamond.
