Live! (Bob Marley and the Wailers album)
| Live! | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Live album by | ||||
| Released | 5 December 1975 | |||
| Recorded | 17 July 1975 | |||
| Venue | Lyceum Theatre, London | |||
| Genre | Reggae | |||
| Length | 45:15 | |||
| Label | Island | |||
| Producer | Bob Marley and the Wailers, Steve Smith, Chris Blackwell | |||
| Bob Marley and the Wailers chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Live! | ||||
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Live! is a 1975 album by Bob Marley and the Wailers which was recorded live in concert during July 1975 at the Lyceum Theatre, London. "No Woman, No Cry (Live '75)" was released as a single.
Background
[edit]The band's concerts at the Lyceum Theatre, London, on 17 and 18 July 1975, were recorded by Island Records employee Danny Holloway, using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio.[1][2] The tracks selected were mostly from the 17 July performance, with "Lively Up Yourself" (not played on the 17th) from the 18th.[1]
"I wasn't prepared for what I saw that night," recalled Sounds photographer Kate Simon (who shot the cover of Marley's 1978 album Kaya). "It was like seeing someone who was as good-looking as Steve McQueen, playing with a group that was peerless – as tight as anything you'd ever heard. And not only did you hear this magnificent voice, but the message was one of faith, truth and doing the right thing… To see someone who sang about principles, and did it in such a way that made even me dance, that was quite something."[3]
At the concert on the 17th, Chris Blackwell noted the audience's reaction to "No Woman, No Cry".[4]
Production was credited to Bob Marley and the Wailers, Steve Smith and Chris Blackwell.
Release
[edit]The album was released on 5 December 1975 by Island Records as a vinyl LP. In 2001 it was released on CD. In 2016 a three disc release called the "Live! Deluxe Edition", became available in vinyl and CD formats, with recordings of both the 17 July and 18 July performances.
Reception
[edit]| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   link |
| Christgau's Record Guide | A−[5] |
| Rolling Stone | link |
Reviewing Live! in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies, Robert Christgau wrote, "The rushed tempos take their toll in aura: 'Trenchtown Rock' can be far more precise, painful, and ecstatic; like most live albums this relies on obvious material. But the material is also choice, unlike most live albums it's graced by distinct sound and economical arrangements, and the tempos force both singer and the band into moments of wild, unexpected intensity. I used to think Natty Dread's 'No Woman, No Cry' was definitive."[5]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Trenchtown Rock" | Bob Marley | A-side of 1971 single | 4:23 |
| 2. | "Burnin' and Lootin'" | Bob Marley | Burnin' | 5:11 |
| 3. | "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" | Leon Cogill, Carlton Barrett | Natty Dread | 4:36 |
| 4. | "Lively Up Yourself" | Bob Marley | Natty Dread | 4:33 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5. | "No Woman, No Cry" | Vincent Ford | Natty Dread | 7:07 |
| 6. | "I Shot the Sheriff" | Bob Marley | Burnin | 5:18 |
| 7. | "Get Up, Stand Up" | Bob Marley, Peter Tosh | Burnin | 6:28 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original release | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8. | "Kinky Reggae" (bonus track) | Bob Marley | Catch a Fire | 7:35 |
Musicians
[edit]- Bob Marley and the Wailers
- Bob Marley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Carlton Barrett – drums
- Aston "Family Man" Barrett – bass
- Tyrone Downie – keyboards
- Al Anderson – lead guitar
- Alvin "Seeco" Patterson – percussion
with:
- the "I Threes": (Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths) – backing vocals (Note: Marcia Griffiths missed this tour[citation needed] because of pregnancy.)
Personnel
[edit]- Recorded at the Lyceum, London, 17 & 18 July 1975
- Live sound mixing: Dave Harper
- Live Monitor Engineer: CHIP CHASE (Eric Chipchase)
- Live recording by Rolling Stones Mobile
- Recording engineer: Steve Smith
- Mixed at: Basing Street Studios
- Mixing engineer: Phill Brown
- Many thanks to Don Taylor and Dave Harper for making everything happen.
- Bob Marley and the Wailers - produced the music
- Steve Smith & Chris Blackwell - produced the record
- Reissue supervised by Bill Levenson and Maxine Stowe with special thanks to the Marley Family and Chris Blackwell.
- Mastered from the original two track analog master tapes by Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, New York, 2001.
- Tape research by Jane Hitchin, David Lascelles, and Zoe Roberts at Universal Tape Library, London.
- LIVE! (Island ILPS 9376) was originally released 5 December 1975.
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Austria (IFPI Austria)[6] | Gold | 25,000* |
| France (SNEP)[7] | Gold | 100,000* |
| Germany (BVMI)[8] | Gold | 250,000^ |
| Netherlands (NVPI)[9] | Platinum | 100,000^ |
| Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[10] | Gold | 25,000^ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[11] | Silver | 60,000^ |
| United States (RIAA)[12] | Gold | 500,000^ |
|
* Sales figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
[edit]- ^ a b Erwin Barendregt (5 December 2020). "Bob Marley And The Wailers Live!, the best live album of all time?". apoplife.nl.
- ^ David Sinclair. "Bob Marley & The Wailers – Live!". udiscovermusic.com.
- ^ "Flashback". Classic Rock. No. 74. Christmas 2004.
- ^ David Vlado Moskowitz (2007). The Words and Music of Bob Marley. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 61. ISBN 9780275989354.
- ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 4 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ "Austrian album certifications – Bob Marley And the Wailers – Live" (in German). IFPI Austria. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "French album certifications – Bob Marley And the Wailers – Live !" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Bob Marley & the Wailers; 'Live')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "Dutch album certifications – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Live" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers. Retrieved 4 June 2019. Enter Live in the "Artiest of titel" box. Select 1979 in the drop-down menu saying "Alle jaargangen".
- ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('Live')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "British album certifications – Bob Marley And the Wailers – Live". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
- ^ "American album certifications – Bob Marley & the Wailers – Live!". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
51°30′42″N 0°07′11″W / 51.511556°N 0.11975°W
