| Consequently, the performing artists got very little in the way of monetary funds. For that fact the recording artists would record for many different record labels in a month. Island released Bob Marley and The Wailers first album in Britain, "Catch A Fire," was indeed, delightfully packaged. The album cover could flip open like an old antique cigarette gas lighter which was strappingly promoted. The release of "Catch A Fire constituted the beginnings of Bob Marley’s climb to international stardom and hence, world wide recognition. The much admired Jamaican reggae poet Linton Kwesi Johnson, made a proclamation in a speech about the Catch A Fire album. He commented: "A whole new style of Jamaican music has come into being. It is of diverse characterisms compared to what has gone before, a different sound in what I can only described as International Reggae. It incorporates elements from popular music; such as rock and soul, blues and funk. April 1973 Bob Marley and The Wailers embarked on a club tour throughout the United Kingdom which cemented them as a real live group. About three months after, however, the group returned to Jamaica and Bunny Wailer was crestfallen by the hassles of the road during their club tour in the UK that he refused to take any further part in the band by deciding on not going on the tour of American. Bunny Wailer's place was taken by Joe Higgs, the guy who had originally tutored Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh when they were known as simply the Wailers in their early years before they had even dreamed of becoming great recording artists. The American tour was a rip roaring success for Bob Marley and The Wailers. |
