Bob Marley And The Wailers - 1975 Natty Dread Tour, Album History and Comments
At the time of its release in 1974, Natty Dread was the Wailers' best production, making the album a must-have for reggae fans.
Lyrically, Marley passionately communicates radical ideas without compromise, shaped by his increasing conviction in Rastafari.
A wide range of themes cross this album: the resilience of the human spirit in 'Lively Up Yourself'
The testament of brotherhood and love in 'No Woman No Cry'
The need for social change in 'Them Belly Full', 'Talkin' Blues' and 'Revolution.'
Natty Dread was the first album released as Bob Marley & the Wailers (as opposed to The Wailers)
and the first recorded without former bandmates Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston.
It is also the first album recorded with the I-Threes, a female vocal trio that included Bob's wife, Rita Marley, along with Marcia Griffith and Judy Mowatt.
"No Woman, No Cry", the second track, is probably Marley's best known recording. It is an ode to childhood (it is not intended to be a misogynistic anthem, as some have interpreted it),
a time before romantic and sexual relationships ruined friendships
Songwriting credit for "No Woman, No Cry" went to V. Ford.
Ford, better known as Tartar to his friends and neighbors, had been a kind friend of Marley as a child in Trench Town, the ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica.
Marley claimed he would have starved to death on several occasions as a child if not for the aid of Tartar.
Natty Dread peaked at n°44 on Billboard's (North America) Black Albums chart, and at n°92 on the Pop Albums chart
The live album "Live!" , Recorded in July 1975 at the Lyceum Ballroom in London, captures a period in Bob's career when his music and message were beginning to reach a broader audience.
In an era when live performance determined the status of a music group, it was no small feat that Bob Marley and The Wailers were able
to express the energy from their live shows on an album.
Bob Marley : Guitar, Guitar (Rhythm), Vocals
Rita Marley : Vocals
Judy Mowatt : Vocals
Junior Hanson : Guitar
Marcia Griffiths :Vocals
Phil Ault : Engineer
Aston Barrett : Bass, Guitar, Guitar (Bass)
Carlton "Carlie" Barrett : Percussion, Drums, Executive Producer
Bernard Touter Harvey : Organ, Piano
Earl Lindo : Keyboards
Alvin Patterson : Percussion
Al Anderson : Guitar
Chris Blackwell : Producer
Barry Diament : Remastering
Rob Fraboni :Remastering
Phil Ault : Engineer
Earl Lindo : Keyboards
Dennis Morris : Photography
Sylvan Morris : Engineer
Bob Marley & the Wailers : Producer, Performer
Tony Wright : Artwork
Sid Bucknor: mixes
Recorded at Harry J,Kingston, JA and Basing Street ,London, UK,and Island Studios ,Hammersmith, UK
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