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THE MASSIVE ISLAND RECORDS REISSUE PROJECT - 

   If you are wondering what the difference between the two versions of "Catch A Fire" are, the overdubbed album includes lengthy slide guitar solos by Wayne Perkins on "Stir It Up," and other guest musicians who were brought on in London to give the album a more crossover sound. The Jamaican mixes will of course not have these overdubs, and will be what The Wailers originally recorded.

   Here is the tracklist and front cover for the "Catch A Fire: Deluxe Edition":

The Unreleased Jamaican Versions 1. Concrete Jungle 2. Stir It Up 3. High Tide Or Low Tide 4. Stop That Train 5. 400 Years 6. Baby We've Got A Date (Rock It Baby) 7. Midnight Ravers 8. All Day All Night 9. Slave Driver 10. No More Trouble 11. Kinky Reggae

The Released Album (Remastered) 1. Concrete Jungle 2. Slave Driver 3. 400 Years 4. Stop That Train 5. Baby We've Got A Date (Rock It Baby) 6. Stir It Up 7. Kinky Reggae 8. No More Trouble 9. Midnight Ravers

   Here is an excerpt from the liner notes to this "Deluxe Edition":

To walk into Harry J's Kingston studio one hot evening in late September 1972, the night the Wailers were recording "Slave Driver," was to be ushered into a new musical universe. Within the single-story building at 10 Roosevelt Avenue, unprecedented sounds were cutting through the ganja haze. The loose, spacious one-drop rhythm, the chattering guitar, the urgent lead vocal set against cool harmonies, the startlingly militant lyric and the pervasive sense of timelessness added up to a formula for revolution.

A few months later, "Slave Driver" appeared as one of the signature tracks of "Catch A Fire," the distinctively packaged album which introduced Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Livingston, the Barrett brothers and their new-wave reggae to the world. By the end of the decade their music had become a universal language, understood from Mali to Malibu, and Marley was being celebrated as a Third World hero, one whose art united cultural and political dimensions for a mass audience in a way that only Bob Dylan had done before. And "Catch A Fire" was where it began.

. . . Almost 30 years later the unity and integrity of the music are undiminished either by time or Blackwell's post-production work, the music and its message sounding every bit as uncompromising and imposing as they seemed back then to ears that had never heard such sounds before.

- from the liner notes by Richard Williams

   The Jamaican mixes disc has been newly remixed by Errol Brown, who was an engineer for Bob Marley & The Wailers' albums. The reissue will also feature the full essay by Richard Williams, album credit info, new photos and lyrics to the songs. Some of the other guest musicians who were involved in the recording and subsequent overdubbing were John "Rabbit" Bundrick on synthesizer, organ and clavinet; Robbie Shakespeare on bass; Tyrone Downie on organ; Wayne Perkins on lead guitar; Rita Marley and Marcia Griffiths on backing vocals; and Francisco Willie Pep, Winston Wright and Chris Karen on percussion. The "Catch A Fire: Deluxe Edition" is packaged in a deluxe digipack, with a version of the original zippo lighter cover, which was the first cover for the album. There will also be a nationwide radio and press campaign to promote the new set.

   We also have information about some of the other upcoming reissues of the Bob Marley & The Wailers' Island Records catalog.

May 2001 : "The Ultimate Bob Marley" will be released, featuring 20 tracks for sale on TV commercials, and will include one previously unreleased track.

June and July 2001 : digital remasters will be released of "Catch A Fire," "Burnin'," "Natty Dread," "Live!," "Rastaman Vibration," "Exodus," "Kaya," "Babylon By Bus," "Uprising," "Survival," and "Confrontation." The "Burnin'" reissue will include three previously unreleased bonus tracks.

September 2001 : "Exodus: Deluxe Edition" will be released, featuring the original remastered album, with bonus tracks totaling nearly 25 songs in all.

February 2002 : "Legend: Deluxe Edition," will be released on two CDs, one being the remastered original album, and the second disc offering the 1984 "Legend" 12" remixes.

April 2002 : all new digital remasters of "Legend," "Rebel Music," "Talkin' Blues," and "Natural Mystic."

Summer and fall 2002: Plans for a multi-CD set entitled "The Tuff Gong Singles," a special "Live!: Deluxe Edition," and also a multi-CD live box set.

   Quite an ambitious project, that will hopefully please Wailers' fans. You can also check out a new section on The Wailers News site called "BMW Island Reissues," found in the menu bar at the left, which will always keep you updated on the current status of the Island reissues project!

YOU MUST VISIT THE WORLD'S FIRST REGGAE MUSEUM! - 

   Since not every Jamaican music fan had the pleasure of actually living through all of the musical periods, including calypso, ska, rocksteady, reggae, dub and dancehall, this museum is the next best thing to reliving all of these musical eras. The exhibit carries the viewer through each period in chronological order, beginning with Harry Belafonte's "Calypso" album from the late 1950s as the viewer enters the exhibit. There are signs detailing the story of Jamaican music and its many artists, including a map of Trenchtown, demonstrating where the major recording studios were located, as well as where The Wailers grew up and lived. Album covers fill most of the exhibit, showcasing records from artists like The Skatalites, Prince Buster, Blues Busters, Jimmy Cliff, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jacob Miller, Ras Michael, Johnny Osbourne, Garnett Silk, and also the roots of reggae with sections devoted to Marcus Garvey and Haile Selassie I. The Haile Selassie I memorabilia with medals, photos, and even HIM's autograph, all from Jim Marshall's unbelievable archives, is yet another feature in the museum that is powerful and moving. These items do not include the entire room devoted for Wailers related items, featuring Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Bob Marley. All of the Wailers and reggae related items total over 6,000 in all, and come from Roger Steffens' archives, which barely scratches the surface of what is contained in his massive and awe inspiring collection.

   The admission to the exhibit is $10, but is worth every penny! The Wailers room alone features more articles, singles, album covers, rare photographs (including one of Bob Marley's secret trip to Ethiopia in 1978), and enough autographs from every conceivable person associated with The Wailers, to please any fan. There are entire walls devoted to the albums released by Bob Marley throughout his career, beginning with his Studio One days, through the Lee Perry days and Island periods, and everything in between. In fact, it is kind of a Wailing Wall, where the entire careers of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and The Wailers, are told through these records. Most of the albums are autographed by many of the people who worked on that particular album. One of special interest is The Wailers' "Soul Revolution Part II" album back cover, where Bunny Wailer had signed his autograph for Roger Steffens, but Lee Perry later crossed out Bunny's signature and signed his name over it. Roger then had Bunny resign the cover, where Bunny signed his name over Lee Perry's picture on the album.

   The music that plays overhead throughout the exhibition further pleases the senses, as does the viewing centers located both in the reggae and Wailers' rooms. The first viewing center, which has red, yellow and green benches to sit at, lets one view a short presentation about the birth of Jamaican music, including clips of early ska concerts with Prince Buster and Jimmy Cliff and also segments from Jeremy Marre's Roots, Rock, Reggae film with Lee Perry behind the mixing board. The second viewing center, which is found in the Wailers room, lets one view a short piece on the life of Bob Marley, including footage of Bob Marley & The Wailers' legendary performances at the 1976 Smile Jamaica concert, only days after a failed assassination attempt on Bob, and footage of the 1980 Zimbabwe Independence performance. There are also two computers with even more photographs of reggae memorabilia, and another small television playing movies like The Harder They Come. Other exhibits include a section showcasing various photographer's works, beginning with Neville Garrick's photographic journal while in Ethiopia, and of course a section containing photos and other mementos about Roger Steffens' own history. There are also other sections for the Marley children, the I-Three, reggae music from around the globe, and concert posters.

   It is hard to narrow down a few favorite items, since the entire exhibit is so special. However, the corner livicated to the late Joe Higgs is incredible! Not only can you see Joe's record covers and rare singles, but you can also see his legendary red beret. With the price of admission, anyone can take part of the exhibit home with them, in the form of photographs or video, which are both encouraged and welcomed. A beautiful and massive 96-page book can also be purchased downstairs in the giftshop, featuring photos from many of the exhibit's pieces, and can easily bring many more hours of enjoyment from continuous viewings of the book.

   There is a story behind every piece of memorabilia, so if possible try and ask one of the exhibit's curators to show you around or tell you about a certain piece. While we were there, we were lucky enough to have Roger Steffens himself show us around, as well as Big Jim Snidow, who also hosts California's "Uptown Top Ranking" reggae radio show. Both Roger and Big Jim offered numerous insights and tales behind the memorabilia, that we had never known. There is so much to see, so if you can attend, plan to stay quite a while, whether it be admiring all of the numerous columns of singles found throughout or viewing all of the reggae cover art masterpieces. The world's first reggae museum really has to be seen to be believed! The exhibit, found a short distance from the Queen Mary itself, is open daily from 10 am to 6 pm, through September 30th, 2001. Finally, there is a place for fans around the globe to visit and pay homage to the incredibly rich history of Jamaican music and its often overlooked artists. In short, we cannot recommend enough that everyone must attend, as we are still, nearly a month after seeing it, recalling items we had seen! Our pictures of the exhibit, that run throughout this story, will give you a better idea of just some of the items that are contained within, and should show you the enormous heart and effort that went into putting this museum together. You can find more information about "The World Of Reggae" exhibit at www.theworldofreggae.com.

REGGAE PARTY ABOARD THE QUEEN MARY - 

   Bunny Wailer was scheduled to perform with his band, but canceled at the last minute, stranding his band in Long Beach. However, as the night rolled on, he was not missed at all! Not only did Judy Mowatt and Marcia Griffiths perform together for a Bob Marley tribute set, but they also provided backing vocals for Ky-mani Marley. This intimate concert opened with the tremendous Skool Band playing an instrumental version of "Jammin'." Judy Mowatt then came on, backed by the Skool Band, playing her moving tribute to Bob Marley called "Joseph," followed by Marcia Griffiths entrance on the stage, singing "Stepping Out Of Babylon." Judy and Marcia then joined together for fantastic versions of "Lively Up Yourself," "Get Up Stand Up," "No Woman No Cry," "Bend Down Low," "Three Little Birds" and an incredible rendition of "Iron Lion Zion." It was during "Three Little Birds" that Marcia called on Rita Marley to come on stage, but even though Rita was in the audience, she would not go up with her I-Three mates.

   Ky-mani Marley, backed by the Skool Band and Marcia and Judy, moved the crowd with "Rebel Music," "Dear Dad," his beautiful tribute to the father he never knew, and "Turn Your Lights Down Low." It was clear that many people that night, including both Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, saw a piece of Bob Marley in Ky-mani. The talented Solomonic Reggaestra performed next, playing "Rockfort Rock" followed by the three Psalms singing "Satta Massa Gana," "Red Rose," and a blend of "Soul Sister," "Midnight Hour," and "Bend Down Low." Without a doubt, this was an unbelievable night!

   It was very interesting to see the mixture of people in attendance, where people from all walks of life watched and heard the finest in reggae, all in celebration of "The World of Reggae" exhibition and Bob Marley. During the evening, we spotted not only Rita Marley, with her bodyguard, but also Ziggy Marley with his huge entourage in the lobby. We managed to meet many great people involved in reggae music in some way. The snapshots of Marcia and Judy, Ky-mani, and the Solomonic Reggaestra, with the Psalms come courtesy of Kim Gertler, who was there that night filming for the CBC and "Much Music" in Canada, and graciously allowed us to use some stills. Many thanks to Kim! Thanks also to Roger Steffens for inviting us to be part of this magnificent night with many legends in attendance and performing.

A TRIBUTE TO THE CROWN PRINCE OF REGGAE - 

1. Love Has Found Its Way - Gibby 2. No Man Is An Island - Charmaine Bowman 3. Stay At Home - Dwight Pinkney 4. Westbound Train - Dean Fraser 5. Stop Fighting (So Early In The Morning) - Gibby 6. Money In My Pocket - Charmaine Bowman 7. Should I - Dwight Pinkney 8. Love And Hate - Carl Ayton 9. Wolves And Leopards - Gibby 10. Inseparable - Charmaine Bowman 11. Promised Land - Dwight Pinkney 12. Sitting And Watching - Skatta 13. How Could I Live - Gibby 14. Baby Don't Do It - Charmaine Bowman 15. Cassandra - Dwight Pinkney 16. Bloody City - Chinna Smith 17. Say What You're Saying - Nambo Robinson 18. No More Will I Roam - Charmaine Bowman 19. Revolution - Dwight Pinkney 20. Don't Say No - Charmaine Bowman 21. Make Haste - Gibby

   The album is not simply a note-for-note copy of Dennis Brown songs; instead the songs put Dennis's lyrics in the form of instruments, offering a completely different feel, yet still honoring the legend of Dennis Brown. The heart and soul that went into the originals is still present and not only are the players incredibly talented, but the solos on the disc, including Charmaine Bowman on "No Man Is An Island" and "Money In My Pocket," Carl Ayton's hand drum work on "Here I Come," and Gibby's guitar on "Wolves And Leopards," all show why this is no ordinary tribute album. The playing on each song is masterful, showcasing some of the finest musicians in reggae music today. Most Dennis Brown fans will probably know every lyric to these instrumental songs, but the method in which the album is set up, where a wonderful instrumental soloist takes the place of Dennis Brown's lead vocals, is a genuine treat.

   The term "instant classic" is frequently thrown around rather loosely, but this stunning album of 21 tracks, deserves this term. Hearing each featured musicians' take on these Dennis Brown classics brings new life to each song. The album is a group of legends paying tribute to another legend, and when you can hear "Chinna" Smith, Nambo Robinson, Dean Fraser, Dwight Pinkney, and the other greats all on one album, you will want to listen to the songs over and over again.

   You can find more information about this project and its many artists by visiting the following websites: Reggae Domain, Carl "Bridge" Ayton, Dwight "Brother Dee" Pinkney and Charmaine Bowman. If you are a fan of fine musicianship and outstanding roots reggae, you will want to have Reggae Domain's "Tribute To The Prince Of Reggae" in your collection!

CALIFORNIA GIVES TRIBUTE TO BOB MARLEY - 

   We were able to attend most of the second day on February 18th, but unfortunately missed Ras Michael's performance. The Wailing Souls, who had days earlier performed on national television on the Craig Kilborn show, gave a moving roots reggae set, which included "Equality" from their Grammy-nominated newest album of the same title, and other classic Wailing Souls songs. The emcee for the festival was Amlak Tafari, the former bassist for such groups as Pato Banton and others. Culture was up next, playing around 45 minutes, with another set of classic material, including "See Them A Come," "Love Shines Bright" and "International Herb." It is truly great being able to see two of the three original members of Culture in Joseph Hill and Albert Walker, still playing grooving and conscious reggae.

   Ky-mani Marley took the stage next and again showed how he is the top Marley singing today, with a mix of original songs like "Dear Dad," the beautiful "Fell In Love" and "Emperor," as well as excellent covers of his father's songs in "Turn Your Lights Down Low" and his Marley/Wailers medley consisting of "Nice Time," "Hypocrites," "Screwface," "Thank You Lord" and "War." We have said it before, but Ky-mani also has one of the tightest bands backing him, with Derrick Barnett on bass. Judy Mowatt and the Skool Band were next with a set consisting of many Bob Marley & The Wailers' covers, including "Thank You Lord," "Lively Up Yourself" and "Simmer Down." The acoustics for the entire concert in the Long Beach Arena were simply terrible, as the lyrics of every artist were near impossible to make out, but still the show was highly enjoyable.

   Marcia Griffiths and the Skool Band followed Judy Mowatt, beginning with a reggae set including "Dreamland" and then switching to a more dancehall feel with songs like "I Shall Sing" and "Fire Burning." Marcia also ended her set with a tribute to Bob Marley with "Bend Down Low," "Three Little Birds" and "Iron Lion Zion." The final song in her set was "Electric Boogie" and enabled Marcia not only to show off her dancing moves, but also call up members of the audience to dance alongside her. The legendary Toots & The Maytals were next and the set included the classic Toots' tracks, including "Pressure Drop," "Time Tough," "Bam Bam" and "54-46." The always energetic Toots never fails to put on a great show wherever he plays.

   It was after Toots' set that Roger Steffens came on stage to present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Ras Michael, who humbly accepted the award. It was really nice to see Ras Michael get the recognition from his nearly 40 years of promoting reggae and Rasta beliefs all over the world. Shaggy was up next and it was a giant disappointment! Shaggy, of course, had the crowd screaming as he played hit after hit song, which he never failed to tell the crowd where each of the songs placed on the Billboard charts. Shaggy is all show and little substance, and it is sad to see him get more recognition and applause than say Ras Michael, Toots Hibbert, Culture, and even Bunny Wailer. After a short set change and a lot of the crowd leaving, Bunny Wailer and the Solomonic Reggaestra took the stage.

   Bunny Wailer performed a standard set of his oldies, as well as tributes to both Bob and Peter. Bunny's set felt rushed, but the Solomonic Reggaestra and Psalms were solid as always. Bunny performed songs like "Blackheart Man," "Battering Down Sentence," and his version of "Dreamland." Bunny also gave extended lectures on Bob Marley's legacy and the original Wailers. He finished his set with his tribute medley to The Wailers, including "Simmer Down," "Walk The Proud Land" and "Jailhouse." During "Jailhouse," all of the house lights went on, in an attempt to shut everything down, which Bunny spoke out about in a rant. However, Bunny and the band continued on with The Wailers' tribute, in "I Stand Predominate," "The Toughest," "Hypocrites," "The Specialist" and "Keep On Moving."

   It is thanks again to Kim Gertler that we have pictures from the reggae day of the Bob Marley Days in Long Beach, California. You can also read more about the festival, including acts from February 17th and also February 19th's show in San Diego, California, from these various articles on the internet:

Shaggy Leads Marley Tribute

Bunny Wailer, Shaggy Provide Contrasts At Marley Celebration

Shaggy Leads Marathon Marley Tribute

AN ALL-STAR BOB MARLEY TRIBUTE IN FLORIDA - 

Here is the Marley "all-stars" setlist. Most notably absent is Ziggy. Stephen said that he couldn't be there because of circumstances that were out of their control (Grammy preparation?). The festival as a whole was pretty blah, but as you will see in the second half of the setlist things got historic very fast:

The Marley "All-Stars" Setlist

Kinky Reggae - (Julian sang 1st verse, Stephen 2nd, Damian 3rd)

Misty Morning - (Stephen)

Running Away - (Julian)

Crazy Baldheads - (Julian)

Me Name, Jr. Gong - (Damian)

Justice - (Damian, not to be confused with the Melody Makers song, he said it was on his new album which is forthcoming)

Kaya - (Stephen, then Damian, then a rapper from the Ghetto Youths Crew)

Ghetto Youth - (not sure of the exact name but this was the full Ghetto Youths Crew, doing the Ghetto Youths thing)

Guiltiness - (Stephen, then one of the Ghetto Youths rappers)

Rastaman Chant - (Bunny Wailer)

Heathen - (Bunny Wailer)

No Woman, No Cry - (Bunny Wailer)

Soul Rebel - (Bunny Wailer)

As It Was Written - (Stephen and Damian, must be new just kept repeating "As It Was Written")

One Love - (Mother B did the first verse then Bunny, 4 generations of reggae on the stage at one time!)

The Complete Lineup

H-Click - (NYC hip-hip, said they had Haitian roots, if they did, it didn't come out in their music)

Aisha Mike - (not far from Jennifer Lopez)

SBG and Screwface - (pretty much gangsta rap)

Problem Child - ((hip-hop) performed only one song)

T-Vice

Hootie and the Blowfish - (during the set played "War/No More Trouble")

Morgan Heritage - (at some point they went into what sounded like Capleton's "Jah Jah City," and someone (Capleton?) came on stage to sing for a short time during the track)

Dead Prez

Mother Booker - ((Bob's mom) performed only "Selassie Is The Chapel")

Pearl Livingston - ((Bob's sister) performed only "Concrete Jungle")

The Melody Makers and Ghetto Youths Crew - (minus Ziggy with guest appearances from Bunny and Mother B)

Burning Spear

I can't say too much about the line-up, other than to say until T-Vice came on, the vibe definitely wasn't in the right place. Three of the first four were hip-hop acts, which would have been alright if they were sending out the right message but SBG and Screwface were very far from it. The Marley family was in charge of all aspects of the festival, including booking and they missed it bad by booking them. I was offended to some degree with their lyrics that "everything that the white man touches is bad" and "so what if it's dirty money, i don't give a fuck" etc., etc., etc.

The festival was billed as a celebration of Bob's life and birthday, oh well no big deal in the end. Hootie and the Blowfish were a band that seemed on the surface to be out of place, but their heart was definitely in the right place and they fit in, I thought, well. T-Vice was very nice to hear and he seemed to be very appreciative. Morgan Heritage had a fierceness about them, and I thought their set was very good. They played a few tracks from their soon-to-be released album "More Teachings." I wish that I had more of their stuff, but they played maybe four or five tracks from "Don't Haffi Dread." Dead Prez pretty much went in the same vein as the other hip-hop stuff. In my opinion they shouldn't have been allowed to play since they didn't show up on time. They were supposed to play after T-Vice but they showed up about 3 hours late.

Burning Spear's set was delayed a long time because he or his band ,or both, didn't show up until 11pm. I have heard several Burning Spear shows and this one was in the lower tier. Because he showed up late the curfew cut his set short which was a pity. The highlight of the night was, as you can see from the setlist, the Marley family set, mainly the second half of the set. I was floored when Bunny walked on stage. Bunny was completely unannounced, but when I heard the drum lead-in for "Rastaman Chant" - it just seemed like he was going to be there.

   Many thanks to Todd for sharing his feelings and taking the time to write down a setlist of the festival! If you are interested in viewing some photos from this event, head over to www.sakapfet.com for plenty of pictures to satisfy your appetite.

THE LATEST FROM BRUNO BLUM - 

   Bruno Blum has also recently released his own solo album "Nuage d'Éthiopie" on his own Disques De Luxe label, which is distributed by Culture Press. The album features 22 total tracks, with 10 being dub versions. Of special interest is a track entitled "Avis Aux Amateurs," which was recorded during Bruno's "War" session with The Wailers Band in Kingston, Jamaica. This track, according to Bruno, "is based on a text by the great late nineteenth century French rebel and teenage poet Arthur Rimbaud (celebrated in the U.S.A. by Patti Smith), who moved to Harrar in Ethiopia over a century ago and lived there for the rest of his life. Over this fine original Wailers Band-played rhythm I read the letter Rimbaud wrote to his mother to explain that he loved it there and did not plan to come back. And he only came back to France to die. Forced by Emperor Menelik II, Rimbaud (who usually traded no guns and did not want to get involved) had actually found and sold to the Emperor the very guns that enabled the Ethiopians to win the famous Adwa battle (War!). Rimbaud: the original Rastaman!"

   Here is the tracklisting and cover for Bruno Blum's "Nuage d'Éthiopie":

1. Si Je Reste 2. Des Couleurs 3. Vendredi Treize Juillet 4. Au Bal Des Pompiers 5. La Martiniquaise 6. Bien Plus Érotique 7. Les Mains En L'Air 8. Sous La Douche 9. Dollar Reggae 10. De Hawaii à Orly 11. Nuage d'Éthiopie 12. Avis Aux Amateurs (lettre d'Éthiopie d'Arthur Rimbaud) Versions dub: 13. Si Je Dub 14. Dub Couleurs 15. Vendredi Dub 16. Dub Des Pompiers 17. Dub Érotique 18. Dub En L'Air 19. Dub Sous La Douche 20. Dollar Dub 21. Dub à Orly 22. Don't Get Weary (In Dub)

   The song "Si Je Reste" is a great French reggae version of The Clash's "Should I Stay Or Should I Go," and is also the first single from the album. Two of the songs, "Bien Plus Érotique" and "Sous La Douche" were "originally produced by Coxsone Dodd in Jamaica, where they were arranged and recorded at the legendary Studio One with the fine Studio One house band," Bruno told us, adding "but despite his promises Coxsone failed to release the singles so I recorded the tunes again, using the same arrangement and thus reviving the intricate rhythms created for Coxsone by virtuoso bassist Earl "Bagga" Walker." All of the songs on the album, with the exception of "Si Je Reste," are originals.

   We asked Bruno about the similarity of the album cover to Peter Tosh's "Legalize It" cover, and here is what he had to say:

The photo was taken in a hidden huge ganja field in the jungly hills of Saint Ann, near Bob's birthplace. But here in France, it is unlawful to publish such a cover. The Tosh album has a different cover here because of this, and for this same reason his imported "Honorary Citizen" box set has a special cover-up sticker to hide the real cover! The controversy around legalizing herb in France is very active as, following tolerance laws already passed in Holland, and more recently, Switzerland, nearby Belgium has decided to legalize its consumption as well. But no one wants to discuss this here because of elections coming up, and kids still go to jail for months for using herb. It is a disgrace.

Any public showing of hemp leaves or whatever else is considered as pushing drug use here, and the penalties are severe. I therefore take a big risk doing this, but I hate the hypocrisy of it all and I'm all for legalizing it of course (I don't smoke anymore anyway!).

BOB'S HOLLYWOOD STAR AN HONOR? - 

   The star, while being an honor, did not really move us in a way we thought it would. Unlike a piece of music which can be listened to and studied, the star is trampled upon by thousands of people a day, without much regard to who the person actually was. The star simply has the words "Bob Marley" with the symbol of a needle on a record, representing his music status. It is ironic that Bob Marley was given a star, when in his music, he spoke out against everything that Hollywood now represents in greed, vanity, excess, and superficiality.

   Enough of our ranting, we really want to know how you feel about Bob Marley now having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Is it an honor, or the wrong type of award to give respect to Bob Marley, and reggae/Rasta beliefs? Our Wailers Survey question for March 2001 deals with this very same question, so after reading the article, or if you already have an opinion on the topic, scroll down to the bottom of this page or on the main page of the site, to cast your vote.

   Plenty of news websites have stories covering the unveiling of the Bob Marley star on February 6th. Head over to www.whuddup.com for plenty of pictures from this opening day, including photos of the crowd and Hollywood's honorary mayor wearing a plastic marijuana leaf necklace. Both The Jamaica Gleaner and Jamaica Observer have articles detailing the Bob Marley Hollywood star. You can also visit www.raggamuffins.org, to find more information about the star and photos.

(return to this month's features)

NEW RELEASES - 

BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS IN DUB    The Delixx/Chalawa dub CD of Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Exodus" and "Uprising" albums, that we mentioned in last month's issue, are now available for purchase online at www.reggaecd.com, as well as the Natty Rebel mailorder service. Many people who have heard either of these dub albums believe that they are actually dubs that Bob Marley & The Wailers did themselves, but in fact are done by different groups altogether. If you are looking for near-authentic dubs of BMW material, then you will want to pick up the double LP on one CD "Chalawa - Exodus Dub and Delixx - Uprising in Dub," which is on the Westons label. JAMMING: BLUEGRASS CELEBRATES BOB MARLEY    Did you know Bob Marley has had an impact on the music of bluegrass? Well, get ready for an all bluegrass tribute album to Bob Marley with the new album "Jamming: Bluegrass Celebrates Bob Marley." The tribute disc, to be released on March 27th on CMH Records, features 12 tracks in all, showcasing Bob Marley & The Wailers' greatest hits done in instrumental bluegrass form. According to the release, "Lively up yourself with this Kingston-by-way-of-Kentucky tribute to the master of reggae. At its core, reggae is the roots music of Jamaican Trench Town culture and shares a common link with the displaced and disenfranchised of the Appalachian region. It is this common understanding that translates so well in these instrumental bluegrass adaptations of legendary performer Bob Marley's classic songs." Here is the tracklisting and cover: 1. Is This Love 2. Natty Dread 3. Sun Is Shining 4. No Woman, No Cry 5. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) 6. I Shot The Sheriff 7. Get Up, Stand Up 8. One Love/People Get Ready 9. Trench Town Rock 10. Waiting In Vain 11. Lively Up Yourself 12. Jamming You should be able to purchase the disc at better music stores everywhere, or online at CDnow.com and others.

SIMPLY VINYL REISSUES    If you are looking at the upcoming Bob Marley & The Wailers CD reissues, and wondering where to get quality sounding vinyl reissues of Bob Marley & The Wailers' classic catalog, have no fear. Simply Vinyl, the leader in superior quality vinyl reissues, has already released The Wailers' "Catch A Fire," and Bob Marley & The Wailers' "Natty Dread." They also have "Live!," "Rastaman Vibration," and "Exodus." Along with the many other Bob Marley & The Wailers' titles coming soon, the Simply Vinyl catalog also has Peter Tosh's "Legalize It" and "Equal Rights." These reissues are on 180 gram virgin vinyl, with 350 gram thick and durable card sleeves, to protect that crisp sounding vinyl. You can find more about these reissues at www.simplyvinyl.com, and also look for other reggae related re-releases from Simply Vinyl such as Rico's "Man From Wareika," Max Romeo's "War Inna Babylon," and many titles from the unbeatable Blood And Fire Records label. INN FRA KULDA (Bob Marley In Norwegian)    Speaking of tribute albums, the influence Bob Marley has had on Norwegian music is shown in the new "Inn fra Kulda (Bob Marley In Norwegian)" tribute disc. Last month we listed the track listing, but the disc is available now on Tylden & Co. Records. The disc features many well known Norwegian artists, of all genres, paying tribute to Bob Marley & The Wailers' greatest hits.    You can visit www.rasnas.net for biographical information on the artists, as well as photos of each of the bands paying tribute to Bob Marley.

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WAILERS SHORTS - 

I went to a great Bob Marley celebration on the third of February in Eugene, Oregon at the WOW Hall (Workmen of the World, an old wobbly hall) providing fantastic music was none other than Boom Shaka with their beautiful renditions of Marley standards, as well as a couple of new songs sung by a very inspired Lesterfari. My favorite was a 'Love' chant he did to arouse the gathered people to be in a love vibe. "Let 'Love' guide you," he said," for 'LOVE' is truly JAH." The crowd was like a family gathered to celebrate. One note was so true to Marley, little children running and playing among the adults. A love fest of a great man's earthday.

   You can find more information about Boom Shaka at their website, including tour dates, album info, and a fine subsection livicated to Peter Tosh.

   Speaking of The Wailers Band, we recently caught two of their live shows in Boulder, Colorado with the great Colorado band Judge Roughneck opening up. The rumors of Tyrone Downie playing keyboards on this latest Wailers Band tour are false, as Earl Fitzsimmons has the keyboard duties. The drummer is a musician named Drummie Zeb, not to be confused with the Aswad drummer with the same name. The Wailers Band are still touring the U.S. and are scheduled to tour Europe beginning in April. If you catch any of the upcoming Wailers Band shows, you will be able to see the core of Al Anderson on guitar, Earl "Wya" Lindo on organ, and of course Aston "Familyman" Barrett on bass, as well as several other members.

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WailersNet - 

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WAILERS SURVEY - 

Here are the complete results for February's poll:

   This month's question asks, "Does Bob Marley's Hollywood star honor him and reggae/Rastafarian beliefs?" If you have additional comments about this question, please leave them when you answer the question. We will have these results next month as well as an all new question! All responses are anonymous and thanks for taking the time to answer the survey!

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GOT THE NEWS FROM A WHISPERING TREE - 

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