Audio of Bob Marley & The Wailers’ June 1, 1977 concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London has been released today via The Marley Family, Island Records and UMe for the first time to mark the 45th anniversary of the group’s Exodus album. The show was the opening night of a historic four-concert run that wound up ending the Exodus tour. Live At The Rainbow: 1st June 1977 will be followed by Live At The Rainbow: 2nd June 1977 on June 10 and Live At The Rainbow: 3rd June 1977 on June 17 with a revised and newly remastered Exodus: Deluxe Edition due on June 24.
Over three-quarters of the material from the first three nights of the run was unreleased until this month’s series of digital premieres. Audio and video from Bob Marley & The Wailers’ June 4, 1977 concert at the Rainbow Theatre in London was issued in 2020 to celebrate the late reggae icon’s 75th birthday. Each night features a slightly different setlist and alternate arrangements.
Marley expected to continue the Exodus tour later that summer but Bob suffered an injury that led to the cancelation of trek. Thus, the Rainbow shows were the band’s final concerts of 1977. Bob’s band for the run featured Aston “Familyman” Barrett on bass, Carlton Barrett on drums, Tyrone Downie on keyboards, Julian “Junior” Marvin on guitar and Alvin “Seeco” Patterson on percussion. Additionally, backing vocalists the I Threes consisting of Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths and Bob Marley’s widow, Rita Marley, were on stage.
“London was one of Daddy’s favorite places to be; it’s the city where his songwriting and creativity thrived,” noted Bob Marley’s daughter, Cedella Marley, in a statement. “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.”
Live At The Rainbow: 1st June 1977 features a nine-song main set and three-song encore. Exodus was well-represented with performances of “Guiltiness,” “Natural Mystic,” “So Much Things To Say,” “The Heathen,” “Jamming” and its title track. The show also saw the band play such classics as “I Shot The Sheriff,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “Lively Up Yourself” and “Get Up, Stand Up.”
Listen to Live At The Rainbow: 1st June 1977 below:
Live At The Rainbow: 1st June 1977 Tracklist
- Natural Mystic (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 5:10 *
- So Much Things To Say (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 6:14
- Guiltiness (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 7:27 *
- The Heathen (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 8:06
- I Shot the Sheriff (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 5:32
- War/No More Trouble (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 9:55
- Positive Vibration (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 5:32*
- No Woman, No Cry (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 6:06
- Lively Up Yourself (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 14:09
- Jamming (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 7:56
- Get Up, Stand Up (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 8:15
- Exodus (Live at the Rainbow, June 1, 1977) 16:18
All tracks PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED except * issued on Exodus 40 – The Movement Continues: Deluxe Edition
