The Wailers - Catch a Fire (1973)

Home > Music > Bob Marley and the Wailers > Catch a Fire

This is the first of two "official" albums recorded by the "Wailers" line-up of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. The band had recorded many singles before the release of this album, some of which were re-recorded for this album (the versions heard on Catch a Fire sound significantly different to the original single versions).

The album has more of a raw and edgy sound than some of Marley's later releases and many Bob Marley purists believe that this is his best album. Many of the songs on Catch a Fire deal with issues of politics and social commentary, in particular "400 Years", "Slave Driver", "Stop The Train" and "Concrete Jungle" where the band sing about current and historic struggles faced by the Jamaican underclass. Marley takes lead vocals on most of the tracks with Peter Tosh taking over for "400 years" and "Stop That Train" (which he is also credited with writing).

These songs are complimented by more laid back, playful tracks such as "Stir It Up" and "Baby We've Got a Date".

Tracklisting - Standard Version

Two tracks "All Day and All Night" and "High Tide, Low Tide" were removed from the original release of the album but were subsequently added for the digital re-issue.

  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
10  High Tide Or Low Tide
11  All Day All Night

Tracklisting - Deluxe Edition

In 2001 a "Deluxe Edition" of "Catch a Fire" was released. This included a second disc containing the original versions of all tracks and a re-creation of the Zippo lighter packaging originally used for original vinyl version of the album (the album cover opened up like a Zippo lighter to reveal a cut-out flame).

Disc One

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

Disc Two

  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

Lineup

Bob Marley - Lead vocalist, acoustic guitar.
Peter McIntosh - Piano, organ, guitar, vocals.
Bunny Livingston - Congas, bongos, vocals.
Aston (Family Man) Barrett - Bass Guitar.
Carlton (Carly) Barrett - Drums

Additional Musicians

Rita Marley - Backing vocals
Marcia Griffiths - Backing vocals

Overdub Musicians

After Catch a Fire was recorded in Jamaica, the original tapes were sent to London and overdubbed with guest musicians commissioned by Chris Blackwell in order to make the album more accessible to the European and North American rock market.

John "Rabbit" Bundrick - Synthesizer, clavinet, organ
Wayne Perkins - lead guitar on Concrete Jungle, Stir it up and Baby We've Got a Date
Robbie Shakespeare - Bass on Concrete Jungle
Tyrone Downie - Organ on Concrete Jungle and Stir it Up
Chris Karen - Percussion
Francisco Willie Pep - Percussion
Winston Wright - Percussion






© 2006 Jamaica Travel and Culture .com

         Share