Did you Know? Issue 4

1971: Lloyd Coxsone, dee-jay
Bob Marley was my friend. I spent a lot of time with him in Jamaica and in Britain. He had a good message to give to the people. But some people just listen to the music and miss the message. It might be that they take the bad message and reject the good one.”

1976: Iword
In 1976, by mystic revelation, young ethiopian musician Edward Sprinkle (Iword) was enlightened by the profound significance of Bob Marley and the Wailers music and went to Jamaica seek the prophet but discovered that Bob had left due to internal political strife. He found instead his ancient connection within the Rastafarian Family. This led to his meeting with the Tuff Gong on April 21, 1978 at 56 Hope Road, Kingston Jamaica the day of the One Love Concert. This began an ongoing pilgrimage to Tuff Gong Studio to record original songs, starting in October 1978. It began with the collaboration of Karl Pitterson, who was Bob Marley’s mixing engineer at the time. ”Solar Skank Seed Sowers Bank” was finished there in one evening. Karl played all of the instruments and mixed the song. After unknowingly falling asleep, in Bob Marley’s studio chair that night, Iword awoke the next morning to see Bob burning a spliff, skanking to the final mix and Bob telling him, “You no easy”. After hearing more of Iword’s songs, which he sang acapella to Bob on the steps in front of Tuff Gong Studio, Bob told Iword that he would be willing to produce the songs when the opportunity presented itself, after the Wailers next world tour. Bob was called to Zion before this was accomplished..

1978: Tommy Cowan
…the ambitious young Cowan soon decided he was ready to branch out on his own and Talent Corporation was born. Before long, Cowan was guiding the careers of Ras Michael, Zap Pow, Inner Circle, and Israel Vibration. And his sprawling Kingston yard had become, as he puts it, an “inspiration centre” for reggae performers. “Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Bob Marley would frequent the place. Bob would play football at 1C, and he released Natty Dread and One Drop there. Bunny gave us Blackheart Man to release and promote. Peter’s Babylon Queendom and Legalise It were released there as well.” Cindy Breakespeare worked in a restaurant on the premises. For a few years, 1C Oxford Road was the heart of the reggae world. Then Tommy decided to join his good friend Marley in establishing what was to become an even more famous reggae address — 56 Hope Road, a few blocks away. Cowan produced the legendary 1978 One Love Concert for Peace out of 56 Hope Road, using the sprawling colonial mansion, now converted to the Tuff Gong recording studio and reggae hangout, as its nerve centre. He toured Europe with Marley, and played a key role in organising the historic Zimbabwe Independence Concert. (from carribean beat magazine)

1979: Marley’s concert in The Bahamas
Many Bahamians fell in love with the reggae king’s colourful history, his philosophies and his music, so much so that many wanted him to perform here to get up close and personal with him, to feel his presence and to allow his music to sink into their souls. Spearheading a Nassau concert was Mrs. Beryl Hanna, the chairperson of a group known as “The Bahamas Year of the Child Commission,” which desperately needed funds to build a home for underprivileged children. The commission was hoping to raise $300,000, and the best way it thought that amount could be gained was through a concert where one of the biggest entertainers in the 70′s would perform. All of the funds were intended to go towards the children’s home as Marley accepted the invitation to come to The Bahamas and apparently to perform for free. However, once the government approved the mid-December concert, The Bahamas Christian Council, headed by the then president Rev. Dr. Phillip Rahming, spoke out against it. But leading a more serious opposition to the entertainer’s presence here was Baptist minister Rev. Simeon Hall. Rev. Hall, two weeks before the concert, wrote a letter to Mrs. Hanna expressing his disapproval of the concert and outlined his views in great detail as to why it should be scrapped. Rev Hall charged that the Jamaican artist was associated with natty dread and dread locks and feared that Bahamians would start fixing their hair in that fashion and adopt the Rastafarian faith. The commission however, rejected the reverend’s arguments saying they were unfounded and that the show would go on as planned. And so he came, landing in The Bahamas on Thursday, Dec. 14, 1979, where he was driven around in a motorcade and attended a press conference staged by the commission. Then on Saturday, Dec. 16, he made his way to the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre to excite an eagerly awaiting crowd. More than 6,000 attended the concert, believed to have raised about $60,000 of the expected $300,000. (Nassau Guardian http://sf.indymedia.org/news/2004/02/1676608.php)

1980: Chrystal Palace
When Marley came to London to play Crystal Palace Bowl in 1980, he didn’t want to do any interviews. Instead, Partridge booked the five-a-side court at Eternit Wharf Sports Centre in Fulham for four afternoons. Anybody who wanted to meet Bob had to challenge him and the Wailers to a match. ‘I remember we took all 11 Wailers up to a sports shop on the Fulham Palace Road to get some kit,’ says Partridge. ‘The shopkeepers didn’t know what had hit them.’ Over the next four days, Marley and the boys played solidly, against everyone from the Record Mirror to Eddy Grant, whose Ice Records brought a side. ‘It wasn’t an organised set of games so much as one, long freeform kickabout,’ says Partridge. A week later, Marley played Crystal Palace – which turned out to be his last ever London show (within a year he was dead). Eternit Wharf was eventually bought by Cannon Health Clubs, who’ve since turned the five-a-side hall into a swimming pool. We called them and suggested they introduce a late-night ‘reggae swim’ in Bob’s honour. They thought that was a ‘good idea’. Watch this space.

2001: My single bed
Marley flat for sale – 06/12/01 – The Chelsea apartment where Bob Marley composed his hit “I Shot The Sheriff” is available for rent. Marley stayed in the one-bed Chelsea duplex off Cheyne walk in the mid-Seventies and the flat apparently impressed him so much that he built a similar back in his villa near Kingston. (http://www.mychelsea.net/chelsea/cel…sip-shorts.htm)

Judy Mowatt
The big break started when I started working with Bob Marley and the Wailers. I remember rehearsing out of the Ward Theater. I was singing a song titled ‘Suspicious Mind,’ and I heard someone behind me harmonizing that was about two octaves up from where I was singing. When I looked around for the first time, that was Bob Marley.

Dean Frazer
- Out of all the Artists you have played with, who has been your favorite? Dean Frazer: “Well, I would have to say: Peter Tosh, you know…..I had only one chance to play with Bob Marley and that was on the Survival Album. But I played like 3 albums with Peter Tosh, I really enjoyed working with him you know. The music some how……I just got into the music, there was a lot of space there for improvisation and thought. For some reason the Wanted and Mama Africa albums there was room for work. I just enjoyed filling those spaces.

Steel Pulse
“The band’s new-found fame was secured when they supported their inspiration, Bob Marley & The Wailers, on the European leg of their ‘Kaya’ world tour in June and July 1978. The eight date tour kicked off with an incredible outdoor festival at the New Bingley Hall in Stafford and included three sold-out concerts in Paris and others in Ibiza, Rotterdam, Amsterdam and Brussels. Basil smiled broadly as he recalled the period. “It was a dream. We’d just finished the album and we had to pay £2000 to get on the tour. It was absolutely brilliant. I’ve always been a focused person so I didn’t take in the glamour aspect. When we played at Bingley Hall it was amazing. My other memories were the crowd roar in Paris, the lighters in the audience and that the weed was incredibly strong.” David Hinds remembers, “we learned a lot of discipline on that tour that rubbed off – rehearsal, execution on stage, how to tour, stability. That’s when the doors really started to open for us. To play as part of that package exposed Steel Pulse to audiences that literally were in awe of our message”. In June and July 1979 they supported Peter Tosh on a European tour, including dates in Holland, Sweden, Denmark, Italy and Switzerland. “Peter was totally different to Marley. He was more intellectual and sophisticated, his approach was quite dark. Bob was more raucous and I preferred his musicians,” recalls Basil.

Chokey, musician
We did manage to meet a cool Rasta musician,…exchanged some ideas,.. and a few cool stories. The man I met, known only as Chokey, is a guy about 47 years old. He had dreads down to his knees. He actually did gigs with the original Wailers when Bob Marley was busy doing sessions for other projects. (http://www.onlinerock.com/musicians/sumpoil/0200.html to read more)

Macka, musician
Mackaruffin- known as Macka for short, left school for his first full-time job, as a drummer with the Solid Foundation Band, the resident band at Trelaway Beach Hotel. Led by Chokey Taylor, the band was then one of the leading bands “and the highest paid one” states Macka, on the North Coast. So popular was the band, says Macka, that many other hotels wanted their services. And soon after Macka joined up Chokey raised the musicians salaries, bought new equipment, renamed the band The CHokey Taylor Swamp Band, and started playing all over the island. The band started backing some of the big names in show business, people like Sharon Forrester, ET Webster, Myrna Hague, and others. The group gained many fans. “Even Bob Marley used to come listen to us on Friday nights.” Macka recalls.

Larry Marshall, musician
“Family Man and Carly are my cousins, them mother is a Marshall, married name Barrett. Family Man play bass, Carly play the drum and Peter Tosh play guitar up at Randy’s studio on ‘She is My Woman’ and the Righteous Flames them did harmonise: Winston Jarrett, Lloyd Young and one named Junior Green; ‘Jah Fire’ do at Harry J, with Vin Gordon on trombone.”

1979: Devon Evans
Devon Evans (former drummer for the legendary reggae group Bob Marley and the Wailers) regaled the students with tales of touring with the Rolling Stones during the 1970s, and made them laugh with a story about putting makeup on Marley’s face when he fell asleep after a show.

ethiopia 1979:
The legendary Bob Marley’s legacy was celebrated on his sixtieth birthday in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The talented reggae guru had a great admiration for Ethiopia. It was during his visit to this great, enchanted land that he met and jammed with Teddy. In 1979, Marley dropped in the Ghion Imperial Hotel night club while Teddy was performing with the Dahalak band. Marley’s representatives approached the band. They mentioned that Bob Marley is in the audience and would like to join the band for a song. That song was; No woman No Cry. Teddy is receiving praise by local radio and tv shows in Washington, D.C. and Ethiopia, for his role during Marley’s visit. It was during this time that Teddy got to meet and perform with the legendary Bob Marley at the Ghion Imperial Hotel. “Now that was one of the greatest moments and the fondest memory that will linger on,” vows Teddy

singer Stix Dan
Stix Dan: Where the Rehabilitation Centre is, it’s uptown, and the University of the West Indies’ football (soccer) field was at the bottom of the Rehabilitation Centre, so they used to go down there with the House Of Dread and train and play matches and things like that. That’s my first encounter with Bob, and I remember he had this silver bug – that’s a Volkswagen – and one evening he decide to drop us back because he always see us, we were standing on the sticks. We just love watching him play football. He’d turn up with every dread and man like Chicken Mason, and various others, Skill Cole – one of his names. A lot of them call him Skill Cole, The Maestro. Plus, as a member of the organisation he perform for us as well. I’ve seen him occasionally and right up to when he pass away. He establish Tuff Gong which is on the opposite side, a few blocks down the road from where Headquarters is on Hope Road, Twelve Tribe Of Israel headquarters. So yes. He wasn’t somebody I would go in his house and discuss anything with him or down by the riverside or anything like that but in terms of where sport is concerned or the music fraternity of the organisation, or venues and meetings, you pass him, you nod, he nod back, that kind of thing.

Goldeneye
Famed as the home of Ian Fleming, who penned all his Bond novels here from a desk facing the wall so as not to be disturbed by the boggling Caribbean blues and Gauguinesque tropical beauty outside. Bob Marley bought the house from Blackwell in the 70s, said he didn’t like ‘the vibe’, and promptly flogged it back.

Dermot Hussey:
Hussey recalls how once he walked into Marley’s house at 56 Hope Road and greeted him with a slap on his back in front of his entourage. Marley reacted sharply to this perceived insult, however, sensing that a scene would have been inappropriate and given his respect for their friendship, Marley responded with banter. “Mek we beat up this brethren,” Marley said. Everyone responded with laughter. He knew no one would carry out this rhetorical challenge. With this diplomatic gesture, he was able to turn a perceived insult to his authority into a diplomatic victory, thereby establishing his control of the situation without embarrassing Hussey. Marley loved and trusted children unconditionally because he appreciated their purity and innocence. Musicologist and a music director at XFM Satellite Radio, Dermott Hussey recalls, “Marley was at his most vulnerable best and relaxed in the presence of children. He could be himself.” Hussey recounts an illustrative but poignant event at his home in the posh suburbs of Kingston. He had invited Marley to dinner and Dermott’s youngest preteen daughter had a crush on Marley and refused to come into the room with the singer. Sensing her apprehension and nervousness, Marley sent her a ginger log (a candy) to entice her into the room. Hussey recalls how amazed he was at the sight of this revolutionary exhibiting such reassuring calm in the presence of his child. This anecdotal story countered the prevailing culture that disparaged Rastafarians because of their hair and unusual appearance. They were even called “black heart men” in the community and children in particular were taught to fear them.

Perry Henzel
My first memories of Bob Marley are of a youth who used to hang out around Mortimer Planno, who used to visit him when I was doing research for the “The HarderThey Come” in Trench Town, Tenth Street I think it was, and the last time I saw him was in concert just before he died. And I saw him at pretty much every important stage in between — working with Johnny Nash and Danny Sims at Graham Heights, his first big concert with Marvin Gaye at the stadium in Kingston when Don Taylor first came onto the scene. I remember when he came to Boston and triumphed in the first big concert outside Jamaica with Peter Tosh and Bunny, tapping the power in the audience that “The Harder They Come” had built up over the eighteenth months playing continuously at the Orson Welles theater near Harvard Square. Five hundred viewers per show three times a day for a year and a half, all wanting to hear and see more of this brand new music. So the concert took off like rocket, expanding the audience for the film — the film and the concerts, bouncing a growing crowd between them in city after city, country after country, round and round the world. I remember when the Wailers first started recording at Basing Street, how great those sessions in that studio were, and how during the mixes it became so clear that Bob knew exactly what he wanted, that he was hearing it. I was on my way to see Bob when he was shot, and witnessed that greatest of all his performances when he triumphed over the people who’d tried to kill him by standing up in front of a crowd of thousands, daring them to try again. What a talent! What a life!

sangie davis
“Bob (Marley) got shot in about 1976 and he went away. Just before he got shot, he came to my house and he told me that he would like us to come together and do some collaborations in terms of writing some songs. But because he got shot, that interrupted his plans,” Davis explained. “So when he came back,” Davis continued, “I didn’t even know he was back, I was in bed one morning and my baby mother called me, ‘Sangie, Bob outside,’ and I ran outside and the first thing he said to me was, ‘Yuh get yuh driver’s licence yet?’ That time it was just the Thursday before I got my driver’s licence because I was planning to go and look a taxi job. And mi sey ‘yeah mon, a Thursday gone mi get mi driver’s licence’ and him sey,’ wah, come drive’.” That invitation by the maestro set the stage for one of reggae’s classics. “At the time he (Bob), had a yellow VW bus, so mi jus jump inna di bus and him ask mi sey if mi know weh him born, and I said no. Him sey alright, a deh wi a goh now, Nine Miles and a so mi come fi know Nine Miles. “So we were on the Mandela highway, which, at the time, was under construction. And therefore the road was rugged and rocky with the whole heap of signs. Then the thought jus came to me ‘life is one big road with lots of signs, so when yu riding through di ruts dem don’t complicate yu mind.’ “Reaching by Andrews Liver Salt factory in the Central Village area (now the headquarters of the Jamaica Red Cross), there was this big sign, Wake Up and Live (drink Andrews liver salt) and ah so the entire song just evolved. “And mi start singing wake up and live now and Bob was so excited, him sey as yuh done right da song deh mi a go sing it. The one line Bob put in is weh him sey ‘What’s the use you live big today and tomorrow you bury in casket’.” Davis wrote a number of other songs for Marley but they are yet to see the light of day, including Babylon Feel This One, She Used To Call Me Daddy and Jingling Keys. “He never got a chance to release these songs. A matter of fact, he recorded the three of them, but he only sang on Babylon Feel This One and She Used To Call Me Daddy, while I sang Jingling Keys. After that experience with the ‘Gong’, Sangie Davis in time became A&R (Artiste and Records) manager at Tuff Gong.

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