The Wailers Spark Up Interest In Reggae With Catch a Fire

1973

The Wailers, led by Bob Marley, release their fifth studio album, Catch a Fire. The first album on their new label, Island Records, it makes Marley and the Wailers international recording stars and brings reggae music to the forefront.

The motivation for the album is desperation. It is not desperation for fame: the band was stranded in England. Marley and his bandmates Peter Tosh and Lee Perry were left there after their tour with fellow reggae singer, Johnny Nash, came to an abrupt halt. Nash and co-founder of JoDa Records, Danny Sims, bolted back to the US after getting word that sales of their 1972 hit, "I Can See Clearly Now," had begun to drop. With no money for the airfare back to Kingston, Marley visits Chris Blackwell at his London music studio. Blackwell was born in England but grew up in Jamaica and already knew about the Wailers. After hearing about Marley's dilemma, he fronts the band 8,000 pounds under the condition that they record an album for his Island label. Blackwell reworks the band's sound, adds background vocals, and creates the reggae-rock sound that becomes the hallmark of the Wailers. The sixth track of the album, "Stir it Up," is an ode that Marley had written for his wife, Rita, in 1967. Nash recorded the song the previous year, taking it to #12 in America and #13 in the UK. The memorable original album cover is designed to look like a giant Zippo lighter. Opening the cover reveals the inner workings of the lighter, complete with blazing wick. This cover is scrapped after the first 20,000 printings due to cost concerns and is replaced by something less subtle: a photo of Marley puffing away on a joint.