Rastaman Vibration
War audio sample
Rastaman Vibration is a reggae album by Bob Marley and the Wailers released on 30 April 1976. The album was a great success in the US, becoming the first Bob Marley release to reach the top 10 on the Billboard 200 chart (peaking at number 8), in addition to releasing Marley's most popular US single "Roots, Rock, Reggae", the only Marley single to reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking at no. 51. Synthesizers are featured prominently on this album, adding a breezy embellishment to otherwise hard-driving songs with strong elements of rock guitar. This is one of the three Wailers solo albums released in 1976, along with Blackheart Man by Bunny Wailer and Legalize It by Peter Tosh.
Song writing credits
Although the album's liner notes list multiple songwriters, including family friends and bandmembers, all songs were written by Marley. Marley was involved in a contractual dispute at the time with his former publishing company, Cayman music. Marley had not wanted his new songs to be associated with Cayman and it was speculated, including in his obituary in The Independent, that he had put them in the names of his friends and family members as a means of avoiding the contractual restrictions and to provide lasting help to family and close friends.[5]
Vincent Ford, a childhood friend from Jamaica, is the songwriter for "No Woman, No Cry" on the 1974 album Natty Dread, as well as the songs "Crazy Baldheads" (with Marley's wife Rita), "Positive Vibration" and "Roots Rock Reggae" from Rastaman Vibration, along with "Inna De Red" and "Jah Bless" with Marley's son, Stephen.[5][6]
Marley's widow and his former manager Danny Sims sued to obtain royalty and ownership rights to the songs, claiming that Marley had actually written the songs but had assigned the credit to Ford to avoid meeting commitments made in prior contracts. A 1987 court decision favored the Marley estate, which assumed full control of the songs.[6]
Track listing
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6. | "Crazy Baldhead" | Rita Marley, Vincent Ford | 3:12 |
7. | "Who the Cap Fit" | Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett | 4:43 |
8. | "Night Shift" | Bob Marley | 3:10 |
9. | "War" | Allen Cole, Carlton Barrett | 3:36 |
10. | "Rat Race" | Rita Marley | 2:50 |
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1. | "Positive Vibration" | Vincent Ford | 3:34 |
2. | "Roots, Rock, Reggae" | Vincent Ford | 3:38 |
3. | "Johnny Was" | Rita Marley | 3:48 |
4. | "Cry to Me" | Rita Marley | 2:36 |
5. | "Want More" | Aston Barrett | 4:14 |
6. | "Crazy Baldhead" | Rita Marley, Vincent Ford | 3:12 |
7. | "Who the Cap Fit" | Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett | 4:43 |
8. | "Night Shift" | Bob Marley | 3:10 |
9. | "War" | Allen Cole, Carlton Barrett | 3:36 |
10. | "Rat Race" | Rita Marley | 2:50 |
11. | "Jah Live" | Bob Marley, Lee Perry | 4:16 |
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1. | "Positive Vibration" | Vincent Ford | 3:34 |
2. | "Roots, Rock, Reggae" | Vincent Ford | 3:38 |
3. | "Johnny Was" | Rita Marley | 3:48 |
4. | "Cry to Me" | Rita Marley | 2:36 |
5. | "Want More" | Aston Barrett | 4:14 |
6. | "Crazy Baldhead" | Rita Marley, Vincent Ford | 3:12 |
7. | "Who the Cap Fit" | Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett | 4:43 |
8. | "Night Shift" | Bob Marley | 3:10 |
9. | "War" | Allen Cole, Carlton Barrett | 3:36 |
10. | "Rat Race" | Rita Marley | 2:50 |
11. | "Jah Live" (original mix) | Bob Marley, Lee Perry | 4:16 |
12. | "Concrete" (b-side of "Jah Live") | Bob Marley, Lee Perry | 4:24 |
13. | "Roots, Rock, Reggae" (unreleased single mix) | Vincent Ford | 3:38 |
14. | "Roots, Rock, Dub" (unreleased single dub mix) | Vincent Ford | 3:38 |
15. | "Want More" (unreleased alternate album mix) | Aston Barrett | 5:10 |
16. | "Crazy Baldhead" (unreleased alternate album mix) | Rita Marley, Vincent Ford | 3:08 |
17. | "War" (unreleased alternate album mix) | Allen Cole, Carlton Barrett | 4:03 |
18. | "Johnny Was" (unreleased alternate album mix) | Rita Marley | 3:41 |
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1. | "Introduction" | Bob Marley | 0:38 |
2. | "Trenchtown Rock" | Bob Marley | 4:55 |
3. | "Burnin' and Lootin'" | Bob Marley | 4:53 |
4. | "Them Belly Full (but We Hungry)" | Leon Cogill, Carlton Barrett | 4:12 |
5. | "Rebel Music (3 o'Clock Road Block)" | Aston Barrett, Hugh Peart | 5:54 |
6. | "I Shot the Sheriff" | Bob Marley | 6:27 |
7. | "Want More" | Aston Barrett | 6:55 |
8. | "No Woman, No Cry" | Vincent Ford | 5:18 |
9. | "Lively Up Yourself" | Bob Marley | 5:44 |
10. | "Roots, Rock, Reggae" | Vincent Ford | 5:32 |
11. | "Rat Race" | Rita Marley | 7:46 |
12. | "Smile Jamaica" (part one, a-side) | Bob Marley, Lee Perry | 3:18 |
13. | "Smile Jamaica" (part two, b-side) | Bob Marley, Lee Perry | 3:07 |
Charts
Personnel
Source: The Jamaica Observer[15][16]
Trivia
- On the inside of the original album jacket, to the right, is a message stating "This album jacket is great for cleaning herb." The original jacket had divots in it which made its texture bumpy.
- Belfast punk rock band Stiff Little Fingers covered "Johnny Was" on their debut album Inflammable Material, which became the first record on an independent label (Rough Trade Records) to enter the UK top twenty, entering at number 14. This cover version, though not released as a single, entered John Peel's Festive Fifty at number 15 in 1979 and continued to feature through to 1982.
- Boxer Lennox Lewis used the song "Crazy Baldhead" as his entrance song in a number of his fights.
Quote
- "It's not music right now, we're dealing with a message. Right now the music not important, we're dealing with a message. Rastaman Vibration is more like a dub kinda album and it's come without tampering y'know. Like 'War' or 'Rat Race', the music don't take you away, it's more to listen to." –Bob Marley, June 1976
References
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