Dude, Where's My Tape?

Just the other day, an old friend called me out of the blue and confessed his part in the fate of my UB40 "Can't Help Falling in Love" cassette single that vanished during my junior year of high school. Of course, he didn't call only for that — he wanted a favor, the douchebag — but, for some reason or another, those U.K. kings of interpretive covers came up, and the truth came out. Seems my repeated playing of the reggaefied Elvis song drove my friend the douchebag nuts during that particular winter break, and while I was inside paying for gas one afternoon, he pitched the cassette out the passenger window and into traffic, where it surely died a grizzly death. Ironically enough, my "Red, Red Wine" single met a similar fate one year earlier (drowned rather than run over). Long story short: UB40 is great in small doses — like a one-night-only concert engagement!

UB40 plays at 7 p.m. Monday, April 17, at Revolution, 200 W. Broward Blvd., Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $27.50. Call 954-727-0950.