Update No. 35
Volume 5: Issue 3: Autumn 2005


SLOGANS AFRICA UNITE
Just as we approach the festive season, another Marley re-issue campaign appears from nowhere to put further strain on the completists finances.

Africa Unite is the title of the new compilation, belatedly released to loosely tie in with the Marley 60th birthday celebrations held back in May. The collection is based around tracks released on single which means yet another repeat of the usual Island era hits, but the expanded 2 disc limited edition will also carry earlier music recorded before the Wailers link up with Chris Blackwell.

This is the first time outside of the Songs Of Freedom box set that the hits have been packaged together with some of the earlier, raw Wailers material. While many will undoubtedly scoff at yet another Marley cash-in collection, the pairing of the pre Island music with the later material is a welcome move. Although Africa Unite entirely by-passes the Studio One years, the double disc selection may offer the newcomer a concise yet enticing introduction to Marley's career from the Wail N Soul M period onward.

The downside to this regular re-selling of Bob Marley's catalogue is that there are now more official compilations in the racks than bone-fide back catalogue albums. The aptly titled Legend started the ball rolling in 1984, clocking up multi-million sales worldwide and has sold in excess of 10 million copies in the United States alone where it regularly goes gold, easily making it one of the best selling records of all time.

2001 saw the release of One Love: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers, followed a few months later by a limited double CD edition. This collection improved on Legend in offering a wider selection from the Island recordings as well as the previoulsy un-issued I Know A Place (remix) and Who Colt The Game. Legend was re-instated as the collection of choice with a deluxe edition version in 2002. Earlier this year the 34 track Bob Marley Gold offered yet another variation on the theme.

Slogans
For Africa Unite the lure of "previously unreleased" material is once again used as a selling point. This time the bait is in the form of Slogans, a song Bob worked on around 1979 - and incidently one that Marley's lawyer Diane Jobson once sighted as her favourite Marley tune. The original studio demo has been given a new lease of life, with an entirely new backing track and the guest guitar virtuosity of one Eric Clapton.

Fortunately the new remixed version sticks close to the original reggae roots rather than the dance mixes previously favoured for much of the past decade - and the result is a lot more successful for it. Surprisingly sparse, the arrangement consists of simple drums, bass, organ and percussion with Clapton's guitar wailing throughout. Marley's lyrics have been described by Chris Blackwell as "so current, it could have been written about New Orleans."

Slogans, produced by Marley's sons Stephen and Ziggy, is a pleasant if unspectacular realisation of Bob's demo. The drumming takes great inspiration from the Wailers master of the one drop the late Carlton Barrett, giving a near-authentic backdrop for Bob's vocal. The bassline however is rather unambitious, and one cannot help wondering how this song would have sounded had Marley and his men completed the arrangement back in the day. Slogans was really a work in progress, and as nice as this new version is, it does belie it's incomplete origins.

Also included on the Africa Unite set is a mash up mix of Get Up Stand and Junior Gong's recent hit Welcome To Jamrock, and a new remix of Africa Unite itself. A series of 7" vinyl single re-issues are also promised (see below).

AFRICA UNITE (single disc edition)
Soul rebel
Lively up yourself
Trenchtown rock
Concrete jungle
I Shot The Sheriff
Get up stand up
No woman no cry (live)
Roots rock reggae
Exodus
Waiting in vain
Jamming
Is this love
Sun is shining
Could you be loved
Three little birds
Buffalo soldier
One love / people get ready
Africa unite (will.i.am remix)
Slogans (2005 recording with Eric Clapton)
Get up stand up (Ashley Beedle remix)

AFRICA UNITE (double disc edition)
Bend Down Low
Mellow Mood
Stir It Up
Caution
Soul Rebel
Small Axe
Duppy Conquerer
Soul Shakedown Party
Kaya
Keep On Moving
Sun Is Shining
Don't Rock My Boat
Screw Face
Lick Samba
Guava Jelly
Craven Choke Puppy
Lively Up Yourself
Trenchtown Rock
Concrete Jungle

I Shot The Sheriff
Get Up Stand Up
Lively Up Yourself
No Woman, No Cry
Roots Rock Reggae
Exodus
Waiting In Vain
Jamming
Is This Love
Satisfy My Soul
Sun Is Shining
Could You Be Loved
Three Little Birds
Redemption Song
Buffalo Soldier
One Love/People Get Ready
Iron Lion Zion
Africa Unite (Will I Am Remix)
Slogans
Stand Up Jamrock (Ashley Beedle Remix)


MAN TO MAN BOXSET
The third boxset from Universal chronicling the Wailers JAD period of 1967-1972 is due for release on November 21, 2005. Gathering tracks culled mainly from the Lee Perry years, Man To Man also offers the previously un-issued 1971 original version of Why Should I - previously only available as two different modern remixes in 1992.

Also contained in the sets 102 tracks are five rare acoustic recordings. Soul Rebel and Wisdom are well known from their studio versions, but Heat Of The Day, Cry On and Down By The River have never been heard outside of unofficial circles until now.

Disc 1
1. Man To Man
2. Duppy Conqueror
3. Brain Washing
4. Stand Alone
5. Don't Rock My Boat
6. No Sympathy
7. Kaya (alternate mix)
8. Memphis
9. Four Hundred Years
10. Riding High
11. Jah Is Mighty
12. Shocks Of The Mighty
13. More Axe
14. All In One (part 1)
15. All In One (part 2)
16. Nicoteen
17. Zig Zag
18. Brain Washing
19. Stand Alone (version)
20. Don't Rock My Boat (version)
21. No Sympathy (version)
22. Kaya (alternate version)
23. Memphis (version)
24. My Sympathy (Four Hundred Years version)
25. Riding High (version)
26. Axe Man
27. Don't Rock My Boat (vocal mix)

Disc 2
1. Soul Rebels
2. Put It On
3. It's Alright
4. Cornerstone
5. Soul Almighty
6. Try Me
7. Rebel's Hop
8. Long Long Winter
9. No Water
10. Reaction
11. More Axe (alternate version)
12. Shocks Of The Mighty
13. Keep On Skanking
14. Turn Me Loose
15. Soul Rebels (version)
16. Put It On (version)
17. It's Alright (version)
18. Cornerstone (version)
19. Soul Almighty (version)
20. Try Me (version)
21. Rebel's Hop (version)
22. Long Long Winter (version)
23. No Water (version)
24. Reaction (version)
25. Turn Me Loose (bongo version)

Disc 3
1. Why Should I
2. Pass It On
3. Screwface (alternate cut)
4. Feel Alright (alternate mix)
5. Comma Comma
6. Trouble Is On The Road Again
7. Tread Oh
8. Screwface (alternate mix)
9. Rhythm
10. Give Me A Ticket
11. Lovelight (alternate cut)
12. Hight Tide Or Low Tide
13. Feel Alright
14. Give Me A Ticket
15. Nice Time
16. Lonesome Feeling
17. Dance Do The Reggae
18. Oh Lord I Got To Get There
19. Reggae On Broadway
20. Mellow Skank
21. Why Should I (version)
22. Pass It On (version)
23. Tread Oh (version)
24. Nice Time (version)

Disc 4
1. Dub Feeling (FAMS mix)
2. Trouble Dub (FAMS mix)
3. Duppy Conqueror (version 4)
4. Rebel (version)
5. Second Hand (alternate cut)
6. Axe Man
7. I Like It Like That
8. Soul Rebel (version 4)
9. Keep On Moving (12" remix)
10. Keep On Moving (DJ cut)
11. Keep On Moving (dub mix)
12. Reggae On Broadway (JA mix)
13. Oh Lord I Got To Get There (JA mix)
14. Hammer (alternate mix)
15. Shocks Almighty (dub plate original)
16. Hold Onto This Feeling (dub plate pressure)
17. Man To Man (dub plate pressure)
18. Redder The Red (dub plate mix)
19. Screwface Pablo (dub plate special)
20. Man To Man (Sufferers mix)
21. Craven A (dub plate mix)
22. Cry On (JAD acoustic demo)
23. Down By The River (JAD acoustic demo)
24. Heat Of The Day (JAD acoustic demo)
25. Soul Rebel (JAD acoustic demo)
26. Wisdom (JAD acoustic demo)


MORE RE-ISSUES
To coincide with the release of 'Africa Unite: The Singles Collection', Island are releasing six individual singles, the first of which is 'No Woman, No Cry'. All six single releases are available on CD and 7" format with exclusive live b-sides. Confirmed so far are:
No Woman No Cry (live)/Duppy Conqueror (live at Leeds 1973)
I Shot The Sheriff/Trenchtown Rock
Sun Is Shining is the third single in line with full details to be confirmed.

Also in line for re-packaging are a combined CD/DVD set containing the Songs Of Freedom boxset and Rebel Music film, while the Legend Live film has just been released on the Universal Media Disc format by Sanctuary.


GONG AT THE MOBO
Damian "Junior Gong" Marley wowed the audience at the recent MOBO awards in London with an explosive performance of his worldwide hit Welcome To Jamrock. While receiving the award for Best Reggae Act of 2005, Damian was also part of the attending Marley entourage alongside Rita, Stephen and Julian that accepted the Icon award presented to Bob.

"I can't find the words, but I'm gonna try becaus it's so much things to say right now," said Rita Marley. "It's great because the legend continues, the work must continue - we must carry on, and that's what we're doing." Clearly very proud she commented on Damian's performance "My sons carry on. Did you see Junior Gong? Wow!" The show closed with an excellent performance of Could You Be Loved with Stephen singing the main lead, Julian taking the bridge and Damian adding his own style on a rap section.

Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley and Hawthorne Heights will be featured on MTV2's upcoming 10-stop $2Bill Tour. The two acts will play four separate dates before each making their final stop at New York's Nokia Theatre Times Square a day apart in early December.

The week before each concert date, a limited amount of $2 tickets will be available for purchase at local outlets. To promote the trek, Marley will be featured next week on MTV2's "Hip Hop," while Hawthorne Heights will appear on an episode of "T-Minus Roc" the week of Dec. 12.

The $2Bill series began as one-off shows featuring major artists but has grown into a tour in recent years. Previous participants include Kanye West, Beastie Boys, Snoop Dogg and Coldplay.

Here are the $2Bill tour dates for Damian Marley:

Nov 11: Anaheim, Calif. (House of Blues)
Nov 13: San Diego (4th and B)
Nov 27: Chicago (House of Blues)
Nov 30: Boston (Avalon)
Dec 3: New York (Nokia Theatre Times Square)


NEVILLE GARRICK EXHIBITION
November 5th – December 17th 2005
Opening Reception with the Artist: Saturday November 5th 6pm-10pm

When Neville Garrick returned to his native Kingston in 1973, after earning a Graphic Arts degree from UCLA, he began working as the art director at the Jamaica Daily News. One of his earliest assignments was to cover a Marvin Gaye concert at the Carib Theater in Kingston. The Wailers were the opening act and stole the show. Garrick met Marley at a post-show press party and soon the two became close friends. Garrick, eventually left the newspaper after Marley put it to him directly: “Why don’t you come work for Rasta?”

Garrick joined Marley in his crusade, touring with the Wailers and concentrating his talents on the visual side of things. He started by designing labels for Tuff Gong Records and eventually went on to design many of the Bob Marley and the Wailers album covers including Rastaman Vibration and Exodus. He became responsible for the backdrops and lighting for live shows, even joining in on percussion when the opportunity arose. The close friendship endured to the end. After Bob's passing, Garrick became more and more involved in preserving the Marley legacy. He designed a new addition to the Bob Marley Museum at 56 Hope Road in Kingston and served as executive director of the Bob Marley Foundation until 1996.

On August 6, 2005, in a ceremony marking Jamaica's 43rd year of independence from Britain, Neville Garrick received the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in honor of his contribution to Jamaican music. In addition to being a photographer, graphic artist and filmmaker, Neville is author of the book A RASTA'S PILGRIMAGE: Ethiopian Faces and Places, a Pan-African travelog and stunning meditation on the beauty and connections of Africans throughout the world.

Robert Nesta Marley, better known as Bob Marley, was a Jamaican singer, guitarist, songwriter and activist. He is the most widely known Reggae musician of all time, famous for popularizing the genre outside of Jamaica. Much of his work deals with the struggles of the impoverished and/or powerless. Bob Marley is also renowned for the way in which he spread faith through his music.

Bob Marley's music and legend have gone from strength to strength in the years since his early death in 1981, whilst also bringing him a nearly mythic status in music history. He remains enormously popular and well known all over the world, and particularly so in Africa. In 1993, Marley was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Time magazine chose Marley and the Wailers' album "Exodus" as the greatest album of the 20th century.

The photographs in this exhibition document the heyday of Marley’s career, including the famous Rastaman Vibes photos from 1974, a concert at New York’s Central Park in 1975 to his visit to Zimbabwe in 1980.

Drkrm Photo Lab, Studio & Gallery
2121 N. San Fernando Road #3 Los Angeles 90065
323-223-6867 fax 323-221-4784
E-mail drkrm@mac.com Web site http://www.drkrm.com
Gallery/Lab Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 11am-5pm


ROGER STEFFENS DISCOGRAPHY BOOK
October 25 2005 is the date Wailers fans have been waiting for for several years, as it sees the publication of Roger Steffens much anticipated discography of all things Wailers.

For the first time ever, all the recordings made by Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh have been compiled into a definitive discography which details each track-singers, musicians, engineers, producers, studios, master tape information, matrix numbers, and recording dates of each song.

The 208 page book is published by Rounder Books (ISBN: 1579401201 ), and can be pre-order from Amazon on the following link:

Roger Steffens @ Amazon

A full review of this long awaited book will appear here on the next update.


GET TOGETHER AND FEEL ALRIGHT
The messageboard at www.bobmarleymagazine.com has fast developed into the ultimate meeting place on the internet for any self respecting fan to meet and discuss all things related to Bob and the Wailers.

Thanks to a solid, and ever growing community, the exemplary work of Marco and Ivan, and of course the inspiration of Jah, it is possible for fans to discuss the music and life of Bob, Peter, Bunny and the Wailers band members, set up trades for unreleased live and demo material, and just generally meet with like minded spirits - not to mention the fantastic interviews that appear on the sites main pages .

If you haven`t registered to the forum yet, I strongly urge you to leave this page now and do so - you won`t regret it. Just don`t forget to return here once in a while!


Site compiled by Andy Clayden.


Previous Updates:

Number 34, Summer 2005

Number 33, January/March2005     Number 32, October/December 2004

Number 31, August/September 2004     Number 30, May 2004

Number 29, April 2004     Number 28, January 2004

Number 27, October/November 2003    Number 26, August/September 2003

Number 25, July 2003     Number 24, June 2003

Number 23, May 2003    Number 22, April 2003

Number 21, March 2003    Number 20, February 2003

See side links for full on-line www.wailers.co.uk archive.


Please visit these Wailers/reggae sites:

The OFFICIAL Wailers website: www.wailers.com

www.bobmarley.freeserve.co.uk     Django! Ska, Rocksteady & Reggae

http://robertnestamarley.free.fr     http://intelligentdiplomat.free.fr

www.melodymakers.de     bobmarleyshop.com

www.caceinternational.com     The Wailers News

Bob Marley Magazine     http://go.to/bobmarleyshows

www.mentomusic.com     http://membres.lycos.fr/semayat


Contact: jahlight@wailers.co.uk