Reggae music had been making regular appearances in the UK charts since the early 60s (Millie-My Boy Lollipop) and had even been adopted as 'our music' by the Skinhead' youth movement who copied the clothes and the dance moves of Reggae artists such as Desmond Dekker and Jimmy Cliff. However, it remained a niche music until 1973 when 'Catch A Fire' was released by Island records.
The Wailers had been around since the early 60s, changing labels several times before landing a contract with Island. It had been the practice of The Wailers to re-record their back catalogue for each label they signed to which is why 'Catch A Fire' contains a few songs from their past. It was decided to place Bob Marley to the forefront and call the band Bob Marley & The Wailers. The band went into the studio to record the album in the normal bass heavy reggae style, but producer and Island label boss Chris Blackwell decided it needed something a little extra to appeal to the white rock audience that was the Island labels stock in trade. Blackwell, without consulting the band added a synth track to the album, and when Bob and The Wailers heard about it they were not happy. However, the record proved a success with the white audience, who quickly embraced this new rockier sounding reggae. The Skinheads didn't like it and stuck with their 60s reggae, but for the world of rock a new star was born and in Bob Marley, the West Indies had produced their first and only global superstar.
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