The Marley Family, Island Records, and UMe mark the 45th anniversary of Exodus – named the “Best Album of the 20th Century” by Time magazine in 1999 – with the digital premiere of three of the four nights from Bob Marley & the Wailers’ historic run at London’s Rainbow Theatre and a consolidated, revised digital Exodus: Deluxe Edition.
Following an assassination attempt in Kingston, Jamaica, in December 1976, Bob Marley and his band moved to London – in “exodus” from their home country – and recorded tracks for what became both the Exodus and Kaya albums. Marley’s Exodus, featuring the timeless tracks “Jamming,” “Three Little Birds,” “One Love/People Get Ready,” and the epic title song, came first, which led to early positive reviews, ten early dates around Western Europe and shows at the Rainbow Theatre in London’s Finsbury Park during release week. But an injury to Bob led to the abrupt cancellation of the rest of the Exodus tour, including expected U.S. breakthrough shows scheduled for late summer, leaving June 1-2-3-4 the final performances by the Wailers that year.
“London was one of Daddy’s favorite places to be; it’s the city where his songwriting and creativity thrived. The Exodus album and his shows at The Rainbow are incredible examples of that. I’m so excited that his fans will finally be able to hear all four shows, in their entirety, the way they were meant to be heard, for generations to come.” – Cedella Marley
A select number of tracks from each of the four nights of the Live at the Rainbow recordings have been included on previously released Deluxe Editions of Exodus, and audio and video of the full concert on June 4 was released during the year-long 75th Birthday Celebration, #Marley75, in 2020. Most of the legendary performances from the previous three nights, however, feature slightly different setlists – as well as alternate arrangements – that have never been heard until now. Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at the Rainbow: 1st June 1977 debuted June 3, the exact 45th anniversary of the original album’s release; Live at the Rainbow: 2nd June 1977 followed on June 10; and Live at the Rainbow: 3rd June 1977 concluded the series on June 17. Across the three dates are 29 previously unreleased performances combined – that’s more than ¾ of the shows.
Listen to Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at the Rainbow: 1st June 1977 now HERE.
Listen to Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at the Rainbow: 2nd June 1977 now HERE.
Listen to Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at the Rainbow: 3rd June 1977 now HERE.
To round out the 45th Anniversary celebration, a revised and newly remastered Exodus: Deluxe Edition was released on June 24. The Deluxe Edition features the ten original tracks from the album, plus 18 Singles & Sessions tracks; 13 of them are culled from two previous Deluxe Editions and adds previously unreleased tracks “Natural Mystic (Alternate Version),” and “The Heathen (Alternate Version),” and the rare 7-inch versions of “Exodus,” “Jamming” and “Punky Reggae Party,’ the original B-side to “Jamming.” In addition to the unreleased tracks, the last two cuts were previously unavailable at all streaming services. Closing the deluxe are two additional bonus tracks: the edited live versions of “So Much Things To Say” from the June 1st show, previously released on the Deluxe Edition of Exodus 40 – The Movement Continues in 2017, and “Exodus,” the finale from the Rainbow’s June 2nd set, previously featured on the album’s 2001 Deluxe Edition. Each performance is otherwise presented unedited within their respective live set. To listen to Bob Marley & the Wailers’ Exodus: Deluxe Edition, click HERE.
In other news, Bob Marley: Legacy Episode Eight – “Rebel Music” recently received the Webby Award for the outstanding Video in Music category. The Webby Awards recognize the year’s best of the internet, featuring websites, podcasts, apps, and other internet services, and the 26th Annual Webby Awards was the biggest in history, with more than 14,000 entries from over 70 countries and nearly 2 million votes cast by nearly 500,000 users. Bob Marley: Legacy, an ongoing mini-documentary series, features a collection of intimate conversations and interviews with his family, friends, and fans, woven together with his original music, remixes, and covers. Episode Eight – “Rebel Music” presents a global conversation about the importance of Bob Marley’s work as a political and social activist and explores what Bob Marley fought for, who he influenced and why. This unique YouTube series provides fans a refreshing and cinematic journey through the life, legacy, and relevance Bob Marley still holds in this present day. Bob Marley: Legacy Episodes 1-9 are available on Bob Marley’s official YouTube page. Watch Bob Marley: Legacy HERE
