Bob Marley and the Wailers

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Jump straight to the main headings on this page - Bob Marley Biography : Discography - Early Recordings : Discography - Studio Albums : Discography - Live Albums : Discography - Noteworthy Compilations

Bob Marley Biography

Bob Marley was born in the country village of Nine Mile in Jamaica's St. Ann Parish. When he was 12 years old he moved to the poverty stricken Trenchtown area of Kingston where he decided that his future lay in making music. Marley worked with many musicians throughout his teenage years, including Peter McIntosh (Peter Tosh) and Neville Livingstone (Bunny Wailer). The three of them would later go on to record under the name "The Wailers".

The Wailers worked with several Jamaican producers before getting signed to Island records and achieving international acclaim. After Peter and Bunny left the group, Bob Marley continued to achieve phenomenal international success and became one of the best loved musicians of the 20th century.

Full Bob Marley Biography

Bob Marley Biography part 1 - The Early Years
Bob Marley Biography part 2 - Bob Marley's First Recordings
Bob Marley Biography part 3 - The Wailers Get Their First Big Recording Contract
Bob Marley Biography part 4 - Bob Marley and the Wailers
Bob Marley Biography part 5 - Assassination Attempt And Subsequent Exile
Bob Marley Biography part 6 - Bob Marley Explores Africa
Bob Marley Biography part 7 - Farewell to a Legend

Discography - Early Recordings

Before signing to Island Records Bob Marley did not record full length studio albums. Marley's tracks were previously issued as singles and as part of compilations. Many compilations of work from this era have been released, the most comprehensive of these are recommended below.

Berverly - Leslie Kong

Bob Marley's first record deal was with Leslie Kong's Beverly label. Marley recoded several tracks with Kong before going on to work with Coxone Dodd, Danny Simms and Lee "Scratch" Perry. Marley (with The Wailers) later went back to Leslie Kong to record several more tracks. These were released in Jamaica as a collection called "The Best of The Wailers" which is now available as a CD.

 1971 The Best of the Wailers

Studio One - Clement "Coxone" Dodd

The Wailers worked with Coxone Dodd at Studio One from 1964-1966. "One Love" at Studio One contains most of the well known recordings from these sessions and "Destiny: Rare Ska Sides From Studio One" is a compilation of lesser known tracks.

 2006 One Love at Studio One

 1999 Destiny: Rare Ska Sides From Studio One

Lee "Scratch" Perry

Many compilations have been put together of the recordings made when the Wailers were working with Lee "Scratch" Perry, the most comprehensive of these is the 6 CD collection "The Complete Upsetter Collection".

 2000 The Complete Upsetter Collection

Discography - Studio Albums

 1973 Catch a Fire

 1973 Burnin'

 1975 Natty Dread

 1976 Rastaman Vibration

 1977 Exodus

 1978 Kaya

 1979 Survival

 1980 Uprising

 1983 Confrontation

Discography - Live Albums

 1975 Live at the Lyceum

 1978 Babylon by Bus

 1991 Talkin' Blues

 2003 Live at the Roxy

Discography - Noteworthy Compilations

There are hundreds of Compilations of Bob Marley works available and the number is growing all of the time. However, the titles selected below warrant a special mention.

 1990 Legend

 1992 Songs of Freedom

 1995 Natural Mystic

 1999 Chant Down Babylon

© 2006 Jamaica Travel and Culture .com

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