Bob Marley and the Wailers

Summary

Bob Marley and the Wailers was the Jamaican reggae ensemble associated with Bob Marley's international career. Its recorded identity spans several lineups, from the earlier Wailers vocal group to the band accompanying Marley in the 1970s.

History

The Wailers formed in Kingston in 1963. After the departures of Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in the mid-1970s, the Marley-led ensemble continued with a changed instrumental and vocal lineup. International touring and records including Live! expanded its public. Later Wailers offshoots followed Marley's death in 1981.

Music and repertoire

The group's movement from ska toward roots reggae combined vocal-group practice with a prominent bass-and-drum foundation. Catch a Fire, Burnin’, Natty Dread, Exodus and Uprising document different phases. Release credits sometimes apply the later band name retrospectively, so personnel and recording date matter when comparing performances.

Selected recordings in MuGlobe:

• No Woman, No Cry — Rainbow, 4 June 1977 — Reggae.
• War / No More Trouble — Rainbow Theatre, 1977 — Roots reggae.

Members and collaborators

Marley, Tosh and Bunny Wailer were the early core. Later lineups included bassist Aston Barrett, drummer Carlton Barrett, guitarist Al Anderson and the I-Threes vocalists Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt. The ensemble changed over time; those names do not describe one fixed lineup for every recording.