For the LGBT arts organization in Washington, D.C., see One in Ten (organization).
One in Ten
single
ArtistUB40
AlbumPresent Arms
A-sidePresent Arms in Dub
Released31 July 1981
GenreReggae
WriterUB40
LabelDEP International
Producer
Prev year1980
TitleOne in Ten
Title 2Present Arms in Dub
Next year1982

"One in Ten" is a song by British reggae band UB40, released in July 1981 by DEP International as a single from their second album, Present Arms (1981). It became the band's fourth top-ten hit, peaking at number seven on the UK Singles Chart.[1]

Background and release

The song title refers to the approximately 10% of the local workforce claiming unemployment benefit in the band's home region of West Midlands in the summer of 1981 when the song was recorded and released.[2] It is a protest against the then-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a time when there was rising unemployment and inequality in the UK.[3] The song also highlights the inequalities in the UK and around the world, referencing poverty, hunger, suicide, drug addiction and homelessness.

"One in Ten" was released in the UK as a double A-side single with "Present Arms in Dub", a dub version of the Present Arms title track which was included on the dub remix album Present Arms in Dub. Elsewhere, in Europe, "One in Ten" was released as the sole A-side with a different B-side, "Sardonicus", taken from Present Arms. In Australia, "Wildcat", also from the album, was released as the B-side.[4]

Charts

Chart (1981)Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[5]87
UK Independent Singles (MRIB)[6]1

808 State version

One in Ten
single
Artist808 State and UB40
AlbumGorgeous
B-sideOne in Ten (UB40 Vocal)
Released30 November 1992
Genre
Writer
  • UB40
  • 808 State
LabelZTT
Producer808 State

In November 1992, British electronic group 808 State released a remix of "One in Ten" as a single from their fourth album, Gorgeous (1993). It became the group's sixth and penultimate top-twenty hit in the UK, peaking at number 17.[7]

Background and release

808 State's remix has been described as one of the first popular mash-ups, in this case taking the original UB40 recording and superimposing elements, mainly the vocals and saxophone, onto a track recorded by 808 State.[8][9] Mash-ups had been growing in popularity since the beginning of the 1990s with Beats International's "Dub Be Good to Me" in 1990 and "You Got the Love" in 1991 by the Source featuring Candi Staton, both of which had huge chart success. The remix of "One in Ten" came about after record label ZTT Records wanted the group to record a song with vocals on so it would gain more airplay.[8]

The single was originally set for release in the UK and Europe in October 1992 with the ZTT Records catalogue number ZANG 35; however, it was withdrawn before release due to incorrect copyright crediting. It received its release with the catalogue number ZANG 39 at the end of November.[10] "One in Ten" also saw a release in the US on Tommy Boy Records.[10]

Track listings

  • 7": ZTT / ZANG 39
  1. "One in Ten" (808 7") – 2:40
  2. "One in Ten" (UB40 Vocal) – 4:00
  • 12": ZTT / ZANG 39T
  1. "One in Ten" (808 Original Mix) – 4:16
  2. "One in Ten" (Fast Fon Mix) – 3:58
  3. "One in Ten" (808 7") – 2:40
  • 12": ZTT / ZANG 39TX
  1. "One in Ten" (UB40 Vocal) – 4:00
  2. "One in Ten" (UB40 Instrumental) – 5:00
  • 12": Tommy Boy / TB 553 (US)
  1. "One in Ten" (808 Original Mix) – 4:16
  2. "One in Ten" (Fast Fon Mix) – 3:58
  3. "One in Ten" (UB40 Vocal) – 4:00
  4. "One in Ten" (UB40 Instrumental) – 5:00
  • CD: ZTT / ZANG 39CD & Tommy Boy / TBCD 553 (US)
  1. "One in Ten" (808 7") – 2:40
  2. "One in Ten" (808 Original Mix) – 4:16
  3. "One in Ten" (Fast Fon Mix) – 3:58
  4. "One in Ten" (UB40 Vocal) – 4:00
  5. "One in Ten" (UB40 Instrumental) – 5:00

Charts

Chart (1992–93)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[11]135
UK Airplay (Music Week)[12]21
UK Dance (Music Week)[13]4
UK Club Chart (Music Week)[14]33

References

  1. ^ UK
  2. ^ Gall, Caroline (2009-08-12). "One in Ten - a statistic, a reminder". BBC West Midlands News. Retrieved 2013-06-13.
  3. ^ Robinson, Joe (2013-04-08). "Margaret Thatcher's Musical Legacy: 5 Iron Lady Protest Songs". Diffuser.fm. Retrieved 2023-06-27.
  4. ^ "UB 40 - One In Ten". Discogs. 2 September 1981. Retrieved 2023-06-28.
  5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. Illustrated ed. St. Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 316. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. N.B. The Kent Report chart was licensed by ARIA between mid 1983 and 19 June 1988.
  6. ^ Lazell, Barry (1997). "UB40". Indie Hits 1980–1989: The Complete U.K. Independent Charts (Singles & Albums). Cherry Red Books. ISBN 0-95172-069-4. Archived from the original on 20 April 2004. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  7. ^ UK808
  8. ^ "Music Interview: Graham Massey, 808 State". Yorkshire Evening Post. 19 March 2010. Archived from the original on 10 April 2010. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  9. ^ Humberstone, Nigel (October 1992). "Art Of The State (SOS Oct 1992)". Sound on Sound. Vol. 7, no. 12. pp. 30–36.
  10. ^ "One in ten | Discography | Zang Tuum Tumb and all that". www.zttaat.com. Retrieved 2023-07-14.
  11. ^ "Bubbling Down Under Week commencing 22 February 1993". Bubbling Down Under. Retrieved 28 February 2025.
  12. ^ "Top 50 Airplay Chart". Music Week. 26 December 1992. p. 18. Retrieved 11 November 2025.
  13. ^ "Top 60 Dance Singles". Music Week. 12 December 1992. p. 20. Retrieved 7 October 2025.
  14. ^ "The Record Mirror Club Chart". Music Week, in Record Mirror (Dance Update Supplemental Insert). 7 November 1992. p. 6. Retrieved 1 October 2025.