Undeniably, the eternal quality contained in music is the ability to merge sound and sight and literally freeze time. Today’s song takes us back to a time and place where one legendary artist did just that. The significance of the moment remains 46 years later. The message shines through in one line.
Let’s get together and feel alright”
‘One Love’ is truly a multi-layered song by ‘Bob Marley and Wailers. It was recorded by Bob Marley and his group the Wailers way back in 1965. The significance of this piece is in its blending of the classic Curtis Mayfield song ‘People Get Ready’.
It’s not too often that an original is so obviously propelled by the cover version embedded within the track, but the Wailers managed this effectively in this piece, and the message carries on six decades later.
Continuing with the evolution, in 1970, The Wailing Wailers created a medley called ‘All in One’ which gathered a handful of the reggae group’s early island ska hits. In 1973, ‘All in One’ led off side two of the album ‘African Herbsman’ which was released on Island Records.
This period signified the culmination of a three-year transition that saw Bob Marley and the Wailers evolve from the leaders of the Jamaican reggae movement to getting notice in the important North American and European markets. Time spent in England from 1970 to 1973 was marked by a strong bond with Johnny Nash (see ‘I Can See Clearly Now’) and the introduction to Chris Blackwell of the aforementioned Island Records. Enjoy this footage of Bob Marley & The Wailers performing on ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ in 1973. This features Bunny Wailer on backing vocals and percussion and the great Peter Tosh on lead guitar. I still count the opportunity of seeing Peter Tosh live at the 1983 Police Picnic as one of my all time greatest concert thrills.
Famously, in the United States, Bob Marley’s 1973 tour saw him play on a double bill with an up- and-coming performer from New Jersey…Bruce Springsteen.
Imagine!
Getting back to today’s feature song, through the years ‘One Love’ became a constant in the Bob Marley catalogue. What became the most famous recording was released in 1977 when Bob Marley and the Wailers released the classic album ‘Exodus’. Notably, this release included the modified ‘One Love’/’People Get Ready’ monicker. The title gave partial credit to Curtis Mayfield in order to avoid any lawsuit issues. The 1965 original never included a credit to Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions because Jamaican copyright laws did not enforce such acknowledgements. As Bob Marley and the Wailers’ popularity grew, adhering to these legalities became essential. Although ‘One Love’ remains one of Bob Marley’s biggest hits, it was not released as a single until 1984 when Island Records released the posthumous greatest hits collection known as ‘Legend’.
Curiously the message within the song belied everything that was going on in Bob Marley’s world at the time, but he remained steadfast in his message.
First, here are the lyrics to what has become best known as ‘One Love’.
One love! One heart!
Let’s get together and feel alright
Hear the children crying (One love!)
Hear the children crying (One heart!)
Saying, “Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel alright.”
Saying, “Let’s get together and feel alright.” Wo wo-wo wo-wo!
Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (One love!)
There is one question I’d really love to ask (One heart!)
Is there a place for the hopeless sinner
Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own beliefs?
One love! What about the one heart? One heart!
What about the—Let’s get together and feel alright
As it was in the beginning (One love!)
So shall it be in the end (One heart!)
Alright!
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel alright
Let’s get together and feel alright
One more thing!
Let’s get together to fight this holy Armageddon (One love!)
So when the man comes there will be no, no doom (one song!)
Have pity on those whose chances grows thinner
There is no hiding place from the Father of Creation
Singing!
One love! What about the one heart? One heart!
What about the—Let’s all get together and feel alright
I’m pleading to mankind! (One love!)
Oh, Lord! (One heart) Wo-ooh
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel alright
Let’s get together and feel alright
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel alright
Let’s get together and feel alright
This song continues to move people in countless ways but during the conception of ‘One Love/People Get Ready’ and ‘Exodus’ things in Jamaica were turbulent and Bob Marley found himself as a central figure in the chaos.
In early December of 1976, Bob and Rita Marley were at their home in Kingston, Jamaica when they became the objects of a politically motivated assassination attempt. Although Bob Marley was careful to appear politically neutral, he was perceived to be a supporter of Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and his democratic socialist People’s National Party. In order to calm a divided nation, Bob Marley pledged to perform at a concert for unity which was being promoted as the ‘Smile Concert’. This outraged a faction of Jamaicans who did not accept this act as a symbol of national cohesion. On December 3, seven armed men stormed the property. Marley’s wife Rita who was in her car, was shot in the head, having just returned home from an outing. Inside the house Bob Marley was shot in the chest and arm. Two others who happened to be in the home at the time were also shot. Manager, Don Taylor was shot in the legs and upper body, and band employee Louis Griffiths received leg wounds. All four shooting victims miraculously survived.
Ironically, the Marley’s lived on Hope Road in Kingston Jamaica.
Incredibly, just two days after this act of violence, Marley performed at the ‘Smile Jamaica’ concert. Here is footage from that concert.
Note the defiance in the opening of the show.
Until the philosophy which hold one race
Superior and another inferior
Is finally
And permanently
Discredited
And abandoned
Everywhere is war
Me say war
That until there are no longer
First-class and second-class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man’s skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes
Me say war
That until the basic human rights
Are equally guaranteed to all
Without regard to race
Dis a war
That until that day
The dream of lasting peace
World citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion to be pursued
But never attained
Now everywhere is war
War
And until the ignoble and unhappy regime
That hold our brothers in Angola
In Mozambique
South Africa
Sub-human bondage
Have been toppled
Utterly destroyed
Well, everywhere is war
Me say war
War in the east
War in the west
War up north
War down south
War, war
Rumors of war
And until that day
The African continent
Will not know peace
We Africans will fight, we find it necessary
And we know we shall win
As we are confident
In the victory
Of good over evil
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil
Good over evil, yeah!
Good over evil
Good over evil, yeah!”
This IS the Bob Marley legend.
Immediately following the show, he and some of his band mates fled to England.
During their time in exile, Bob Marley and the Wailers worked together to create ‘Exodus’ between January and early April of 1977. Many consider this to be Bob Marley and the Wailers’ opus. The album is characterized by a music that has a pleasing groove with its eclectic combination of instrumentation. The sound is nicely balanced with a series of thematic pieces that speak to the need for positive change on a global level related to religion, sexuality and politics. Through the music Bob Marley and the Wailers offered a message of hope. ‘Exodus’ is a musical masterpiece.
Almost a year after the release of ‘Exodus’ Bob Marley was approached by an unlikely source. This speaks to the origin of the ‘One Love Peace Concert’.
As noted, Jamaica was mired in a political civil war in the early ‘70s. Prime Minister Michael Manley was a proponent of a socialist agenda whose primary goal was to redistribute wealth and nationalize the country’s export industries. Much to the consternation of certain political interests, this agenda was thought to have deterred foreign investment, which resulted in a financial downturn. Enter the contrary point of view represented by Edward Seaga who became the leader of the Jamaica Labour Party in 1974. In order to protect themselves, both politicians hired local gangsters to create an intimidating flank, while promoting their political movement. This only stirred emotions and widen the chasm. As the tensions rose, many were jailed and in an example of true irony, two kingpins in the gangster protection plan found themselves in a Jamaican jail cell together. Claudius ‘Claudie’ Massop represented Seaga and Aston ‘Bucky’ Marshall was part of Team Manley. It was while residing in this cell that the pair recognized that their efforts to escalate the violence and divide the people was not sustainable, so they conceived an idea for a concert that would see music unite the country. It would be a national celebration. As they developed the plan, they recognized that the only way this event would create the intended response with the necessary magnitude, would be if they talked Bob Marley into returning home from his period of exile. Upon his release from priso, Claudie Massop headed to England to talk Bob Marley into coming home. As we all know, Bob Marley agreed to headline the show that would feature 16 of Jamaica’s best reggae acts.
The ‘One Love Peace Concert’ which occurred on this day in 1978 attracted over 32,000 attendees. It was held at the National Stadium in Kingston. Because of the deteriorating state of the country, the media promoted the event as a ‘Third World Woodstock’ and as the beneficiaries were identified it became clear that the effort was required in order to affix a band-aid to a nation in despair. Proceeds went to provide “much needed sanitary facilities and housing for the ‘sufferahs’ in West Kingston.”
Here is an excerpt from the show.
One of the most significant moments occurred while Bob Marley and the Wailers performed ‘Jamming’. Here is Bob Marley’s monologue.
Just let me tell you something (yeah), to make everything come true, we gotta be together. (Yeah, yeah, yeah) and through the spirit of the Most High, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie I, we’re inviting a few leading people of the slaves to shake hands…To show the people that you love them right, to show the people that you gonna unite, show the people that you’re over bright, show the people that everything is all right. Watch, watch, watch, what you’re doing, because I wanna send a message right out there. I mean, I’m not so good at talking but I hope you understand what I’m trying to say. Well, I’m trying to say, could we have, could we have, up here onstage here the presence of Mr. Michael Manley and Mr. Edward Seaga. I just want to shake hands and show the people that we’re gonna make it right, we’re gonna unite, we’re gonna make it right, we’ve got to unite. The moon is right over my head, and I give my love instead. The moon was right above my head, and I give my love instead.”
Here is another rousing rendition of ‘Jamming’. Just listen to the guitar work by Junior Marvin and the backing vocals from Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt.
Everything is captured in these lyrics.
Ain’t no rules, ain’t no vow, we can do it anyhow:
I’n’I will see you through,
‘Cos everyday we pay the price with a little sacrifice,
Jammin’ till the jam is through.We’re jammin’
To think that jammin’ was a thing of the past;
We’re jammin’,
And I hope this jam is gonna last.No bullet can stop us now, we neither beg nor we won’t bow;
Neither can be bought nor sold.
We all defend the right; Jah – Jah children must unite:
Your life is worth much more than gold.”
This was the message of the day, and momentarily at least, the people bought in, but as always, greater forces were at work.
One good thing about music
When it hits you (You feel no pain)
Whoa, whoa I say one good thing about music
When it hits you (You feel no pain)
Hit me with music, hit me with music, now”
Before we move on to the tributes and cover versions of ‘One Love/People Get Ready’ this Fan Made Tribute to Bob Marley was created to honour Bob Marley on the launch of a new limited-edition Ben & Jerry’s ice cream called ‘Satisfy My Bowl’. Proceeds from the sale of the ice cream went on to support the ‘I Love Foundation’ and Partners for Youth Empowerment who joined forces to create a new youth empowerment camp for underserved children in Jamaica.
Back in 2004, Mark Johnson, a Grammy Award winning producer and engineer was walking through a New York subway when he encountered two monks playing music. Not only was he captured by their obvious talent, but he was captivated by how a few hundred other people were also moved by their performance. People literally stopped their day to witness their unique interpretation of several well-known songs.
I was in a subway in New York on my way to work, and I heard these two monks playing music. They were painted head to toe, all white, wearing robes. One was playing a nylon guitar, and the other was singing in a language I didn’t understand. There were about 200 people who stopped to watch, didn’t even get on the train. Some had tears in their eyes. And it occurred to me that here is a group of people that would normally run by each other, but instead they’re coming together. And it’s the music that brought them together.”
This moment inspired Johnson to create a documentary called ‘Playing for Change: A Cinematic Discovery of Street Musicians.’
One year later, three thousand miles away in Santa Monica, California, Mark Johnson recorded and filmed a street musician named Roger Ridley singing ‘Stand by Me’. In this moment he came up with the idea of taking this recording to several of his industry friends and add musicians from all over the world to it. The goal was to “connect, inspire and change the world through music.”
In late 2008, the first ‘Playing for Change’ video was released. It was ‘Stand by Me’ and it went viral.
Since that time ‘Playing for Change’ has featured countless other classic songs and during that time they have far surpassed the one billon page view mark.
The second song in this chain of inspiring music was ‘One Love/People Get Ready’.
Here is Keb’ Mo’ and Manu Chao offering Bob Marley’s words and wisdom. Any time spent with Keb’ Mo is quality time.
In 2012, Richard Cheese released his acclaimed ‘Back in Black Tie’ album. Always fun and truly unique. The Las Vegas lounge act translates in a completely different way.
One of the many favourites Ted Tocks Covers has discovered over the years is a phenomenal collective from Toronto, Ontario called Choir! Choir! Choir! Here, in 2013, they perform with La-Nai Gabriel and share the unifying message that Bob Marley offered nearly 50 years earlier.
Let’s get together and feel alright.”
That invitation will never get old.
Here is Bob and Rita’s son Ziggy Marley, performing before a massive crowd in Odra, Poland at the Pol’And’ Rock Festival. The message is truly universal. Even as evil surrounds the people of this nation, they take to this venue and gather to embrace the spirit of Ziggy Marley’s father and the seed he planted in 1965. From one musical seed…
The final cover version is from Grace Amarilis. This video from 2022 was made possible by the Marley Family in conjunction with Ben & Jerry’s and Tongal. Bob Marley fans were invited to create their own videos and submit. One part love and two parts harmony. Grace was a 2022 contest winner. I just love the groove, and the pure adulation that shines through in her delivery, and in the video footage.
Before we move through this day, please take a moment to enjoy this essential extended version of ‘One Love’. Many people contend that they could listen to Bob Marley and the Wailers forever, and this release allows you to spend just a little more time with this classic song.
In the song ‘One Love’ the message becomes clear; that Bob Marley had no room for hypocrisy in politics or religion. He made it his mission to expose those who pretended to adhere to religious, doctrine while exploiting the masses for their own gain.
This is where Bob Marley added the lines from Curtis Mayfield’s ‘People Get Ready’.
Is there a place for the hopeless sinner
Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own beliefs?”
This is the intersection where Bob Marley’s message and Ted Tocks Covers mission connect.
Music is my religion.
Ted Tocks Covers 