BOB MARLEY
KING OF REGGAE MUSIC

On Bob's 58th birthday - February 6, 2003 - this was originally broadcast on
KDHX, 88.1 FM. It was a one hour tribute to the King of reggae music.

Here's the transcript:

INTRO:
BOB MARLEY, KING OF REGGAE MUSIC is a part of the Great American Music series, a production of the Magnolia Avenue studios of KDHX, St. Louis Community Radio.

"JAMMIN" 12" mix

Greetings, this is Professor Skank, and I'd like to welcome you to "Bob Marley - King Of Reggae Music." Marley was a Jamaican superstar, but he was much more - he was an international figure, whose timeless and magical music crossed all boundaries.

This tune bubblin under is the 12" mix of "Jammin," Marley's major hit from his 1977 release entitled "Exodus," an album which TIME magazine proclaimed as the best of the 20th century. Stay with us please, as today's program will focus on one of the most influential artists of our time, Bob Marley.

Robert Nesta Marley was born 58 years ago today on February 6, 1945, in Nine Miles, in the parish of St. Ann, Jamaica. His father, whom he barely knew, was a white Jamaican in his early fifties - while his mother was a 19 year-old black woman from the ghetto.

As a youth, many said the charismatic Marley was destined for greatness. At the age of 3, he was reported to have psychic powers, as he was known to read the palms of friends and family.

In the early '60s, Marley and his mother moved to the capital city of Kingston, settling into the poor neighborhood known as Trenchtown. Fascinated by the sounds which could be picked up from American radio stations, Marley grew up with a passion for music, and in 1961, when he was just 16, he cut his first record, called "Judge Not."

SIMMER DOWN

The Wailers soon ruled the Jamaican charts. In fact, by the end of 1965, they had 5 tunes in the top 10 at the same time. Their major influences during that period were soul and R&B bands from the U.S. Check out their 1965 version of the Contours hit, "Do You Love Me." They called it "Playboy."

PLAYBOY
FUSSING AND FIGHTING VERSION

In 1966, Bob Marley planned a brief move to America, following his mother and her new husband to Wilmington, Delaware. Before he left, though, on February 10th, he married Rita Anderson. He then moved to the U.S. for eight months, where among other jobs, he worked the night shift at a Chrysler plant.

In the 1920’s, Marcus Garvey - the powerful Jamaican speaker who led an international movement of several million blacks with a goal of African repatriation - had predicted that the crowning of a black king in Africa would be the signal that the day of deliverance had arrived. In 1930, Ras Tafari Makonnen was crowned the emperor of Ethiopia, and took the new name Haile Selassie. Early followers of Garvey believed that this was the sign that he had predicted, and the beginnings of a new cultural and spiritual liberation movement, known as Rastafari, were formed.

Marley was in Delaware on April 21st when Emperor Selassie visited Jamaica. He heard many heartfelt testimonials about the visit and soon after returning to Jamaica, Marley underwent a spiritual change. He became increasingly drawn toward Rastafari, began to grow his dreadlocks, and started to reflect his new beliefs in his music. One of his rarest and most haunting songs addresses this, over the rhythm of the old classic American ballad "Crying In The Chapel," in a nyabhingi, or slow drumbeat style. From 1968 - "Selassie Is The Chapel."

SELASSIE IS THE CHAPEL

In 1971, Bob Marley was in Sweden, working with singer Johnny Nash - helping to write a film score which was never released. The following clip is part of a passionate demo, though, from a Swedish hotel room where the 26-year-old Marley was previewing some tunes for Nash.

STIR IT UP
I'M HURTING INSIDE

Around this same time, Bob Marley began what many say was his most prolific period. Marley and the Wailers began working with the hottest producer on the island - Lee "Scratch" Perry - and together with some of Perry's studio musicians they created some of the Wailer’s greatest music. Here's two in a row, starting with "Small Axe."

SMALL AXE
TRENCHTOWN ROCK
TRENCHTOWN ROCK VERSION

After leaving Perry, The Wailers persuaded his studio drum and bass team, the incomparable Carlton Barrett and his brother Family Man, to join their band. In 1972, The Wailers then signed to Chris Blackwell's Island Records, which had re-released several of their singles in England in the 1960s. Blackwell took a chance and gave The Wailers some money to make an album. It was unheard of at the time. Reggae music during that period was released only on 45's and compilations. No one had ever made a full-length record. But Blackwell trusted The Wailers and they repaid him with an outstanding creation.

Blackwell decided to add rock guitar overdubs, with the Wailers' blessings, to give the sound more of an international appeal. He also marketed the group like he did the rock bands on his label and he began to push Marley as the front man.

That first album, entitled "Catch A Fire," was an underground hit and showed the world that there was some very serious - and crucial - music emanating from Jamaica.

MID-POINT I.D.
You're listening to "Bob Marley - King Of Reggae Music" a part of the Great American Music Series, a production of KDHX, St. Louis.

CONCRETE JUNGLE

The original recordings of "Catch A Fire" are now readily available. Here's the opening tune from that disc - the original Jamaican version, without overdubs, of "Concrete Jungle."

In 1973, The Wailers opened for Bruce Springsteen at New York's Max's Kansas City. They also toured briefly with Sly and the Family Stone, but were kicked off after only 4 dates because they weren't connecting to Sly's "disco-mod" audience. Their 2nd Island album, "Burnin," included new versions of older tunes such as “Small Axe” and “Put It On”, premiered the classic “Get Up Stand Up,” and also had the song which Eric Clapton made into a #1 hit - "I Shot The Sheriff." Here's the original version.

I SHOT THE SHERIFF

NO WOMAN NO CRY

After some extremely successful tours and a crucial live album, Bob Marley was a legendary international performer. He released "Rastaman Vibration" in 1976 and it reached #8 on the U.S. Billboard charts. Among its 10 tracks, was a monumental Haile Selassie speech that Marley put to music. It's one of his greatest tunes ever. He called it "War." (:20)

WAR
SCREWFACE DUB

A never-solved assassination attempt on Bob Marley's life occurred at his home in Kingston on December 3, 1976. Although he was slightly injured, he still played at the "Smile Jamaica" concert in front of over 80,000 fans. Marley gave an ominous and electrifying performance only two nights after the gunmen came to kill him. In fact, he performed with a bullet in his arm, and his wife sang with a bullet lodged between her skullbone and brain. Soon after the show, however, he left Jamaica and moved to England. As was mentioned at the outset, "Exodus," recorded in the UK in 1977, was voted by TIME magazine as the best album of the 20th Century. From that oustanding disc, this is "The Heathen."

THE HEATHEN
I KNOW A PLACE DUB

In 1978, Bob Marley was asked to end his exile and return to his war-torn Jamaica to headline the "One Love Peace Concert." He accepted, and on April 22nd, gave an unforgettable performance. His crowning moment, though, was when he coerced opposition leaders Edward Seaga and Michael Manley on stage, then proceeded to raise their bonded hands together in a display of peace and unity. It was a landmark accomplishment and showed both Marley's amazing power and commitment. For his actions, he was awarded the United Nation's Peace Medal.

After releasing "Kaya," then "Babylon By Bus" - a double live album - Marley produced possibly his strongest disc, the politically-charged "Survival" in 1979. The next year, Marley spent almost one quarter of a million dollars to finance his band's trip to Africa to headline Zimbabwe's 1980 independence celebrations. From "Survival," here is Marley’s classic freedom fighter anthem, "Zimbabwe."

ZIMBABWE
ONE LOVE DUB

Jamaica gave him a state funeral as well as awarding him its third highest honor, the Order Of Merit. They also declared today's date February 6th, as Bob Marley Day.

Several of his talented children - most notably Ziggy Marley - help to carry on his great heritage.

There have also been many posthumous releases, most notably the greatest hits package "Legend," which continues to be the best selling reggae record of all time. Marley was even elected to the Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame, in 1994.

It's time to close this special program down in just a moment with "Redemption Song," the timeless finale from "Uprising," Bob Marley's last studio release from 1980. Even though he's been gone for almost 22 years now, his songs - the hypnotic, engaging rhythms and strong, provocative lyrics - will be with us forever. Robert Nesta Marley remains the undisputed King Of Reggae, and his legacy will continue to entertain, as well as inspire, generations to come. Happy Birthday, Bob.

REDEMPTION SONG

CLOSING
Great American Music is a production of the Magnolia Avenue Studios of KDHX, St. Louis. It is funded, in part, by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Regional Arts Commission and the generous support of our listeners.

This program, "Bob Marley - King Of Reggae Music," was written and produced by yours truly, Professor Skank, with a special thank you to noted Marley historian, Roger Steffens. For KDHX, the executive producer is Beverly Hacker, the editor and engineer is Andy Coco.

For Great American Music, this has been Professor Skank.