He lives in the rainbowwhich captured the sound and spirit of Bob Marley at its peak, it has long been considered a classic concert film. But the show of June 4, 1977 which has long been available covers only a quarter of Bob, The Wailers and music The I Three created in a series of triumphant shows at the height of a long, hot London summer. Now the love and rebellion they aroused during the previous three nights has been first published. The power and intensity of music is unmatched. But in retrospect, the reggae prophet’s moment of triumph offers a hint of human vulnerability that would take him out of the world.
Bob Marley found 1977 to be a key year. The superstar was no stranger to living outside of Jamaica, having worked and toured the United States and Europe for months and months. But this time, Bob hadn’t chosen to move: it was a life or death decision. He and his wife Rita had been shot by intruders at their home in Kingston, Jamaica, in December 1976, an incident related to the political violence that marked the island. Although neither of them had been seriously injured, it was something close. Bob needed to leave Jamaica for a while to let things cool down.
Listen to Bob Marley’s live performances on June 1, 2, 3 and 4 on The Rainbow.
After a brief stint in Nassau, he and The Wailers moved to Chelsea, west London in January 1977, near the Island Records headquarters. As always, Marley made the most of the hand they had given him. He devoted himself to recording a series of tracks, 10 of which were converted Exodussubsequently declared by Time Magazine the best record of the 20th century. ExodusThe title was inspired in part by his flight from Jamaica, and his fervent atmosphere was influenced by the feverish London music scene of that year, which was shaking the punk rock of the peak era and considered reggae as its partner in the music revolution.
Exodus was released on June 3, 1977 and ranked worldwide. Marley and The Wailers were already on the road promoting it. The Exodus Tour opened at the Paris Pavilion on May 10, with concerts in Belgium, Sweden, West Germany, the Netherlands and Denmark, before a four-night climax at the Rainbow Theater in Finsbury Park, north London. The old cavernous cinema was a place of prestige: if you had headed this 2,800-capacity pavilion, you would have succeeded. Marley’s 1975 London showcase at the Lyceum was a breakthrough when it featured its classic Alive! album and the accompanying hit “No Woman, No Cry”. The rainbow was a step forward, and his ability to crowd greet the Rasta communicator like a conquering hero. He paid them with sets of rivets that saw deeper material standing shoulder to shoulder with hymns.
Each show was markedly different. The first night opened with disturbing live versions of the first three songs on the new album: “Natural Mystic”, “So Much Things To Say” and “Guiltiness”, but overnight they disappeared, replaced by old favorites. of the “Rebel” program. Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock), “Burnin ‘and Lootin'” and “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)”. many other songs that Bob recorded in London that would not appear on the record until the following year. Tan.. By night three, the opening number had become “Trenchtown Rock.” The Wailers, fully in tune with Marley’s mood, handled the changing list with precision. Hypnotized by “War / No More Trouble”, rocket by “Lively Up Yourself” and with a mission for a prolonged encore that reached its peak with “Exodus”, the audience of the Rainbow received a unique musical high .
Bob needed the lyrics to “No More Trouble” – he was facing his own annoyances. On June 4 he was seen at Marylebone Magistrates’ Court, where he was fined £ 50 for possession of ganja after an arrest in March. On that night’s show, he offered “War” and “Exodus” with additional poison, and the phrase “erase the transgression, free the captives” was completed with a grunting laugh instead of the final word.
But the reggae lion faced a far more critical issue than a Babylonian backlash, which could not be challenged on stage. Bob had been in pain for what was supposed to be a foot injury suffered in a football match, but a London doctor discovered melanoma cells inside the wound. This cancer would end the singer’s time on earth five years later. Bob’s triumphant residence in the Rainbow ended abruptly. A tour of the United States, his long-awaited American victory, was also suspended. But the music that Bob created in those four remarkable Rainbow nights and the love that inspired it continue with us. His presence is continuous, positive and energetic, a musician at the height of his powers.
Listen to Bob Marley’s live performances on June 1, 2, 3 and 4 on The Rainbow.
