BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS – BABYLON BY BUS 2LP – Nr MINT 1978 REGGAE DUB

Bob Marley & The Wailers – Babylon By Bus
(Island Records  1978  ISLD11. US Press)

Die Cut Embossed Sleeve in Nr MINT condition
– still in shrinkwrap – import cut top right corner
Inner Sleeve 1 has small splits at the sides
Inner Sleeve 2 is split down one side
Poster in Nr MINT condition

Vinyls in Nr MINT condition
(there are a few surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Robert Nesta Marley, OM (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer-songwriter, musician and guitarist who achieved international fame and acclaim, blending mostly reggae, ska and rocksteady in his compositions. Starting out in 1963 with the group the Wailers, he forged a distinctive songwriting and vocal style that would later resonate with audiences worldwide. The Wailers would go on to release some of the earliest reggae records with producer Lee “Scratch” Perry.

After the Wailers disbanded in 1974, Marley pursued a solo career upon his relocation to England that culminated in the release of the album Exodus in 1977, which established his worldwide reputation and elevated his status as one of the world’s best-selling artists of all time, with sales of more than 75 million records. Exodus stayed on the British album charts for 56 consecutive weeks. It included four UK hit singles: “Exodus”, “Waiting in Vain”, “Jamming”, and “One Love”. In 1978, he released the album Kaya, which included the hit singles “Is This Love” and “Satisfy My Soul”. The greatest hits album, Legend, was released in 1984, three years after Marley died. It subsequently became the best-selling reggae album of all time.

Diagnosed with acral lentiginous melanoma in 1977, Marley died on 11 May 1981 in Miami at age 36. He was a committed Rastafari who infused his music with a sense of spirituality. He is credited with popularising reggae music around the world and served as a symbol of Jamaican culture and identity. Marley has also evolved into a global symbol and inspired numerous items of merchandise.

Babylon By Bus is a live album released by Bob Marley & The Wailers in 1978. The tracks on this album are considered, with two exceptions, to be from the Pavillon de Paris concerts over 3 nights, 25-27 June 1978, during the Kaya Tour, though there are discrepancies in the track listing.

Like the 1973 album Catch A Fire, the first release had something of a novelty cover. The windows of the bus on the front cover were cut out, revealing part of the inner sleeve. As this was a double album, the listener had a choice of four different scenes to view through the windows.

Track listing

“Heathen”, “Lively Up Yourself” and “Concrete Jungle” were not as common as the rest of the album on the tour, with 2 of the 3 more than likely played on any given night, but not always, and were only ever all played on the same night twice: at the Pinecrest Country Club in Shelton, Connecticut, 14 June and the Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts 18 June, which was one of the longest shows ever played by the band with 22 songs, but none were played at the Paris concerts. “Rebel Music”, “Positive Vibration”, “Jamming”, “Exodus”, “War / No More Trouble” and “Punky Reggae Party” were nearly always played at some point of each concert, though were mixed up some times with other songs like “Get Up, Stand Up”, usually played with “Punky Reggae Party”, which isn’t on this album though was also played most nights. The song “Is This Love” was also not common on this tour, though was played in Paris. The track “Kinky Reggae” wasn’t played on the Kaya tour and in fact hadn’t been played since the 1976 Rastaman Vibration tour, so it’s unclear which concert this version is from.

All tracks written by Bob Marley, except where noted.

Side one

1. “Positive Vibration” (Vincent Ford) – 5:48
2. “Punky Reggae Party” (Bob Marley, Lee Perry) – 5:52
3. “Exodus” – 7:40

Side two

1. “Stir It Up” (Recorded 18 July 1975 at The Lyceum, London, England) – 5:21
2. “Rat Race” (Rita Marley) (Recorded June 1976, Hammersmith Odeon, London, England) – 3:30
3. “Concrete Jungle” – 5:40
4. “Kinky Reggae” – 4:49

Side three

1. “Lively Up Yourself” – 6:21
2. “Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock)” (Aston Barrett, Hugh Peart) – 5:22
3. “War/No More Trouble” (Alan Cole, Carlton Barrett, Bob Marley, Haile Selassie (Speech to the UN 1963) – 5:31

Side four

1. “Is This Love” – 7:30
2. “Heathen” – 4:30
3. “Jamming” – 5:44

Musicians

• Bob Marley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
• Carlton Barrett – drums
• Aston “Family Man” Barrett – bass
• Tyrone “Organ D” Downie – keyboards
• Junior Marvin – lead guitar
• Alvin “Seeco” Patterson – percussion
• Al Anderson – lead guitar
• Earl “Wire” Lindo – keyboards
• Rita Marley – backing vocals
• Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
• Judy Mowatt – backing vocals