| volume 3 * issue 12 * October 1999 |
this month's features: |
wailing news * new releases * wailers shorts wailers net * wailers survey * wailers reporter * back issues |
IN THE PRESENCE OF GREATNESS -Bunny Wailer recently performed a four date US tour, that included stops in Washington, D.C., Massachusetts, Louisiana, and Colorado. This month we are lucky enough to present reviews from two of these shows.
AUGUST 31, 1999 - BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS |
The first comes to us via Dan Abraham
who graciously sent us a setlist and his impressions from Bunny's Roxy
show in Boston on August 31st. The Solomonic Reggaestra started Bunny's
set off, followed by The Psalms, who performed a medley which
included "Midnight Hour" and "Bend Down Low." Bunny took the stage next
and his set included everything from his classics "Liberation," in
which the crowd sang the chorus, "Dreamland," "Rise & Shine;" to
tributes for Bob Marley and Peter Tosh on "No Woman, No Cry," which Dan
says "brought the house down," and "Legalize It." Also included in his
set were original Wailers songs done in a medley, including "Simmer
Down" and "Keep On Moving," and Bunny also threw in several new tunes
as well.Dan also let us know about Bunny's intense speeches that he interspersed between songs, saying such things as "Reggae never grow old. I-man take the roots into the new milenia." To sum up his experience, Dan says that, "He played everything I hoped to hear and then some . . . easily the best show I've ever seen!" Thanks again to Dan Abraham for sharing this with us and all of you. If you see a concert that Wailers' family related, please drop us a line and tell us about it. We like to read reviews and we're sure other fans will as well!
SEPTEMBER 5, 1999 - CRESTED BUTTE, COLORADO |
On Friday, the 3rd, Roger Steffens presented his video tribute to The Wailers, which contained some extremely rare material. The standout of this tribute had to have been the scratchy, fuzzy footage of Peter Tosh and Bob Marley from 1973 rehearsing the Impressions' "Closer Together." It was out of this universe! So unique and touching.
One
of the many highlights of the festival was most certainly Bunny
Wailer's performance two days later on the 5th. At last years show, The
Psalms didn't perform their own set, but thankfully this year they did,
and it was truly amazing, with a medley of "Midnight Hour," "Soul
Sister," and "Bend Down Low." It was a treat to see and hear such
legendary sounds as the Psalms perform live, who in the ska and
rocksteady days were known as the Gaylads.
Bunny Wailer took the stage after a moving introduction by Roger Steffens which livened up the crowd. Bunny's backing band, the Solomonic Reggaestra, are more than just a band, but are a who's-who of reggae musicians. Among them on this night were Roots Radics drummer Carl Ayton, legendary percussionist Harry T, and trumpeter Bobby Ellis, who replaced Johnny "Dizzy" Moore for the night (more on this below).
Bunny gave a fully energetic performance, dancing and jumping from beginning to end. His set included a magnificent opening version of "Rastaman Chant" with Bunny on his drum. The backing sounds of The Psalms blended perfectly with Bunny's voice, for total perfection. Among the other songs on the night were "Blackheart Man," "Rock 'N' Groove," "Cool Runnings," "Ballroom Floor," and many other incredible renditions of his classics. His loving tributes to Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and especially The Wailers, were another highlight of the night. As an encore, Bunny blessed the crowd with a brand new song "Rock Stone," from his forthcoming album. This uptempo song includes a partial interpolation of "Young, Gifted and Black," with the changed lyrics of "Strong, Gifted and Black." If this song is any indication of his new album, Bunny Wailer fans are in for a tremendous musical treat.
This concert was absolute proof that Bunny Wailer has not lost a step in either his voice or his movements, throughout his 35+ year career. If you ever have the chance of seeing Bunny live, do not miss it, we promise you will not regret it! For those of you who live in California, there are two chances coming up to see him live, lending tribute to Peter Tosh for his annual birthday celebrations (check the "1999 tour" section for more information).
Regarding Johnny "Dizzy" Moore's
absence from some recent performances with Bunny Wailer, including his
New Orleans and Crested Butte shows, he is recovering from surgery that
sidelined him from these shows. We sincerely wish him a speedy
recovery! In case you don't recognize the name, trumpeter Dizzy Moore
was a member of the Skatalites from the very beginning and just
released his solo album, entitled "Live And Love." You can read an
article from The Jamaica Observer on his surgery and some short details about his ongoing career.
OCTOBER EARTHDAYS -October once again brings about several Wailers' earthdays. Peter Tosh and Constantine "Vision" Walker were born on the same day, October 19th; Peter in 1944 and Vision in 1950. If you're reading this now, you hopefully recognize the greatness of Peter Tosh but it's likely you don't realize the significance Vision Walker played in the history of The Wailers.
Vision
replaced Bob Marley in The Wailers in 1966, while Bob went to Delaware,
but this period in the Wailers' legacy is rarely written about. With
the recent Heartbeat releases of "Destiny: Rare Ska Sides From Studio
One" and "Wailers And Friends," Vision's input into the group can more
fully be heard. Do yourself a favor, if you haven't already, and pick
up both of these discs. From the liner notes to "Destiny," Bunny Wailer
says about Vision Walker's talent, "Bob wasn't so much of the
harmonizing singer. He sings lead, so we harmonize him. But Vision now,
he can twist and turn and go into any lead and come back to harmony."
If there is one mission for our page, it is not only to bring
recognition to The Wailers as a whole, but also to all of the members
who made it such an ineffable band.
Ziggy Marley
also celebrates a birthday this month, on October 17th. Ziggy will be
31, and is coming off a well received tour with the rest of the Melody
Makers.
A SON'S TRIBUTE -Andrew Tosh is just about finished with what seems to be the longest US tour of his career, or at least the longest in many years. Andrew Tosh has livicated his career towards spreading the message of his father and as a result his live shows feature a majority of Peter Tosh songs, as well as a few originals. Once again, the very gracious Dan Abraham sent us a review and setlist from Andrew's September 19th show in Providence, Rhode Island at the MetCafe. Here are his reflections on the concert:
| Saw Andrew Sunday night in Providence. I must say that being relatively
younger cat at age 24, I was not fortunate enough to catch Peter and his
mightiest lineup Word, Sound, and Power. I got tickets to see Andrew
Tosh with the Fully Fullwood Band on Sunday night knowing that it would
be the closest I would come to WSP. When the band walked thru the doors of the MetCafe, I realized that the Fully Fullwood band WAS Word, Sound, and Power (minus Donald Kinsey, replaced by another talented reggae guitarist). Santa Davis, Fully Fullwood, Robbie Lyn, and Keith Sterling! The Fullwood band ripped thru a couple of intro songs and then they started the traditional Peter intro (the intro to Buck-In-Hamm Palace) and introduced Andrew to the stage. The Original Man, "straight from Peter Tosh backbone," trod upon stage wearing full military fatigues and dark glasses and performed the following set:
Pick Myself Up What a show. The resemblance between Peter and Andrew (vocally, physically, and stage antic-ally) is mind blowing. I honestly had to remind myself that it wasn't Peter. |
Many
thanks once again to Dan Abraham for taking the time to inform us of
what Andrew Tosh's current show is like. If you're looking to attend an
upcoming Andrew Tosh show, he is going to be at both Peter Tosh
birthday celebrations in California, for more information check the
"1999 tour" link.
In other Andrew Tosh related news, if you head over to "Him's Reggae Concert Photographs,"
you can view some great photos of Andrew Tosh's performance on
September 18th in Massachusetts, along with Michael Rose and Burning
Spear. There are many other photos of reggae artists that will surely
please you as well.
MARLEY DUETS CONTINUED -You will have to wait just a little longer than expected to pick up the Bob Marley duets album, now entitled "Bob Marley: Chant Down Babylon." The disc is now scheduled for release on November 16th on Island/Def Jam and the details are still being finalized.
Thanks to Julian Schmidt, below is a tracklisting for the release. Be sure and check out Julian's Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers page at www.melodymakers.de.
 |
1. No More Trouble (with Erykah Badu) |
This album uses the original master tapes combined with vocals and instrumentation from some of today's biggest musicians. What's really incredible about it, is that for some of the tracks Stephen Marley (the album's executive producer) has used alternate Bob Marley vocal takes, making it a must own for even the biggest Bob Marley collectors. The disc should become quite successful and hopefully further the message to new and younger generations. Stephen Marley has collected mostly rap groups for these collaborations but all conscious rap (there is such a thing!).
If
you absolutely cannot wait for the album's release, we have some good
news. As part of the soundtrack for the motion picture "The Best Man," Lauryn Hill's duet with Bob Marley on "Turn Your Lights Down Low"
is included, and will also be the first single from "Chant Down
Babylon." The soundtrack is due out on October 12th on Columbia
Records, but you can hear sound clips now in both RealAudio and .wav
formats on the official "The Best Man" website.
SUN IS(N'T) SHINING -Ever wonder how to create a top ten hit song? Simply copy an already great song!
There is a new single tearing up the English muisc charts which features classic vocals by Bob Marley. The title is "Bob Marley vs Funkstar de Luxe Remix" and the song is a house/pop updating of The Wailers' 1971 Lee Perry produced "Sun Is Shining," on the Cleopatra/Edel label.
There are a total of five remixes for the song, including the "Radio Deluxe Edit," "Funkstar Club Mix," "ATB (Andre Tannenberger) Club Mix," and a "Rainbow Mix." Danish native, Funkstar de Luxe, aka DJ Martin Otteson, does most of the production on this import-only single, which has been in the top 10 on the British music charts since its release in mid-September.
We've heard a portion of one of the remixes and it just doesn't do any justice to The Wailers, Bob Marley, or reggae. The new rhythms do not seem to fit with Bob Marley's vocals, but before you decide, you should hear it for yourself. Dotmusic.com has a RealAudio sound clip of a mix, so that you can experience it!
If you are interested in ordering the single and cannot find it anywhere near you, send an e-mail to Natty Rebel and you can order it from him!
Special thanks go out to both Matthew "Matty Dread" Smith and Marco from Italy, for providing the majority of this story!
'SONGS OF FREEDOM' IS COMING AGAIN? -
People
get ready . . . or at least those who haven't been able to purchase the
long out-of-print 1992 Bob Marley boxset. From what we understand, the "Songs Of Freedom"
four-disc set is reportedly going to be re-released on November 16th on
Chronicles, a subsidiary of Seagrams (the new owners of Island
Records).
The
reissue will not be limited edition and will be contained in a double
jewel box, rather than the tall book-like set of the original. As with
the Marley duets album, details are still sketchy, but more information
should arise in the next few months.
THE ORIGINAL IYA KARNA -
As we promised several months ago, we have a lot more information to give regarding the Iya Karna & The Wailers album. Finally, "Inkarnation" has been released on the Swedish Rub-A-Dub Records, and is quite a treat!The 14 song CD includes 10 original songs written by Iya Karna himself, and four interesting dub mixes done by Internal Dread. This release is unique in several respects. Firstly, the album of course features The Wailers Band, including Aston "Familyman" Barrett, Earl "Wya" Lindo, Earl "Chinna" Smith, and what could very well be the last recordings of Carlton "Carlie" Barrett. The album was originally recorded in 1986-87 at Tuff Gong Studios in Jamaica and produced by Familyman. The album also features the likes of Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths (two-thirds of the I-Three), trumpeter Bobby Ellis, and saxophonist Herman Marquis, among others. It is only now that the album has come to fruition!
The CD is also special in that Iya Karna's voice is so distinct, and with the equally-distinct riddims layed down by the Wailers Band, this album is definitely not one to overlook. The songs are all upful-one drop reggae, and the conscious lyrics are a fresh sound, even a decade after it was initially recorded.
Here's the tracklist:
1. Can't Find No Love | 
|
Talbum is a very strong release, but some of our most favorite cuts are "Sunny Day," which seems to represent the album, in that one can hear all of the legendary players cleary, as well as the beautiful vocals by Iya Karna. "Shackle Foot" and the nyabinghi-esque "Oh Babylon" also stand out among the already moving album. Usually with many music releases, one is lucky to get a couple of really good songs, but with "Inkarnation," every song is a standout. The vocal blending of the I-Two and Iya Karna on such songs as "Cultural Vibes" is amazing, and is something that is rarely heard these days. The album has love songs, conscious callings, and all-around great roots reggae music. If you are a fan of dub, you will also enjoy the four dub tracks which highlight The Wailers Band's talents even better.
We
truly think "Inkarnation" is an album that many people will definitely
enjoy, so if you are interested, here are a few places to find out
more. To hear RealAudio sound clips of the entire album, visit the Jammin' Reggae Archives. If you are interested in purchasing the album, send an e-mail to Tom Hofwander at Rub-A-Dub Records in Stockholm, Sweden.
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HIT ME WITH MUSIC - NEW RELEASES -
Be on the lookout for a new two-disc compilation, paying tribute to the late great Jacob Miller. VP Records has just released "Chapter A Day," a 33 song set that not only contains classic Killer Miller songs, but also several remix-duets with modern Jamaican singers.If you want to hear before you purchase the collection, the Jammin' Reggae Archives has samples of disc one (which includes the Ky-mani Marley duet) to listen to!
It looks as if the release date for Part 3 of "The Complete Bob Marley & The Wailers 1967-72"
has been pushed back until October 19th rather than in September.
October 19th, Peter Tosh's birthday, is quite a fitting day for the
set's release! The two-disc, English text version set will be released
on KOCH/JAD Records, and features 46 Wailers gems. This, along with the
other two "Complete Wailers" sets are absolutely crucial for any fan of
The Wailers and reggae in general. If you want more information on any
of the Complete Wailers releases, click on the "complete wailers" link at the left.
So now you know what to do on Peter Tosh's birthday . . . go out and pick this set up!
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WAILERS SHORTS -Just to update all those interested in the ongoing success of Dr. Alvaro Gaynicotche on the Uruguayan TV game show "Antel y Martini Preguntan." Alvaro has answered his 10th question, which has won him $10,000 so far. He's correctly answered questions such as "What was the first Meldy Makers' single?" (answer: "Children Playing In The Street"), "What was the suprise the Wailers found at the record stores in London when they were beginning the promotion tour of 'Catch A Fire'?" (answer: the "African Herbsman" LP), and "What was the Bob Marley & The Wailers' LP that reached the highest position on the Billboard charts?" (answer: "Exodus" at number 20 in 1977, even though "Legend" is Marley's bestselling album of all time).
We
wish him continued success and hopefully next month we'll have a happy
ending to report. Alvaro tells us that in Montevideo, Uruguay the sales
of Bob Marley records are increasing and adds that "The people of my
country are now more informed about the beautiful music and life of
this wonderful star!" If you can't pick up Uruguayan TV where you live,
you can watch the entire episode every Thursday via RealVideo from the Teledoce website.
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WailersNet -If you read the Bunny Wailer concert reviews at the top of the page, then you know that Bunny's drummer is Carl "Bridge" Ayton. This multi-talented drummer and producer has his very own web site, which he personally maintains! On the site you can see some pictures of Carl and also read the fascinating list of musicians and groups whom he has worked with. Among them are the Roots Radics, Andrew Tosh, Rita Marley, Gregory Isaacs, Mutabaruka, Bunny Wailer, Toots Hibbert, and many others. Please pay a visit to his site and drop him a line and tell him what you think of it.
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WAILERS SURVEY -The people have spoken (well, at least some of them) and the results from last month's Wailers Survey are in. As to the question "What did you think about VH1's Peter Tosh: Behind The Music special?," the majority of the voters responded that the show was only "average" and needed work, so it seems that a 40+ minute show is no match for the intense video bio, "Stepping Razor - The Red X Tapes." Here are the results from the poll:
This month's question asks "Will you buy the new Bob Marley "Chant Down Babylon" duets album?" We'll have these results next month as well as an all new question!
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