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Natty Dread is a 1974 reggae album by Bob Marley & The Wailers.

An important transition in Marley's discography, Natty Dread was the first album released as Bob Marley & the Wailers (as opposed to The Wailers) and the first recorded without former bandmates Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer. It is also the first album recorded with the I-Threes, a female vocal trio that included Bob's wife, Rita Marley, along with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt.

Natty Dread peaked at #44 on Billboard's (North America) Black Albums chart, and at #92 on the Pop Albums chart.

Content

Natty Dread is a spiritually charged political and social statement. It opens with a blues-influenced positive celebration of skanking, reggae and sex, "Lively Up Yourself", which Marley used to open many of his concerts, in order to get the audience worked up; American R&B star Prince used it for the same purpose. "No Woman, No Cry", the second track, is probably the best known recording on the album. It is a nostalgic remembrance of growing up in the impoverished streets of Trenchtown, the ghetto of Kingston, Jamaica, and the happiness brought by the company of friends. The song has been performed by artists as diverse as Boney M. (sung by Liz Mitchell), The Fugees, Pearl Jam, Jimmy Buffett and Rancid. Songwriting credit for "No Woman, No Cry" went to V. Ford. Ford, better known as Tartar to his friends and neighbors, had been a kind friend of Marley as a child in Trenchtown. Marley claimed he would have starved to death on several occasions as a child if not for the aid of Tartar.

"Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" is a warning against allowing a nation's poor to go hungry, with the prophetic warning "a hungry mob is an angry mob" (the song is reportedly dedicated to newly-elected Democratic Socialist Michael Manley), while "Talkin' Blues" and "Revolution" go deeper into controversial political commentary. "Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)" is a reflection on the potential impact of reggae music on Jamaican society. The song was written after Marley had been stopped by a night-time police carcheck. The influence of Marley's increasing devotion to Rastafari can be heard in religious-themed songs like "So Jah S'eh", "Natty Dread" and "Lively Up Yourself", while Marley's reputation as a romantic is confirmed with smooth, seductive songs like "Bend Down Low". The title track of the album takes its title from an idealised personification of the Rastafari movement, Natty Dread.

Jazz Guitarist Charlie Hunter covered the entire album is his 1997 release of the same name. In 1975, this album was mentioned in a few audio magazines as being ready to be released on Quadraphonic 8-track tape. This unfortunately never happened. However, the Quadraphonic mixes of "Lively Up Yourself" and "No Woman No Cry" have been bootlegged from the master tapes and are available on the internet. In 2001, a re-mastered edition of Natty Dread was released by Universal Records containing a bonus track. In 2003, the album was ranked number 182 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Song writing credits

Although the album's liner notes list multiple songwriters, including family friends and bandmembers, all songs were written by Marley. Marley was involved in a contractual dispute with his former publishing company, Cayman music.

Vincent Ford, a childhood friend from Jamaica, was given writing credit for "No Woman, No Cry" on the 1974 album Natty Dread, as well the songs "Crazy Baldheads" (with Marley's wife Rita), "Positive Vibration" and "Roots Rock Reggae" from the 1976 album Rastaman Vibration, along with "Inna De Red" and "Jah Bless" with Marley's son, Stephen.

Marley had not wanted his new songs to be associated with Cayman and it had been speculated, including in his obituary in The Independent, that he had put them in the names of his close friends and family members as a means of avoiding the contractual restrictions and as a way to "provide lasting help to family and close friends".

Marley's widow and his former manager Danny Sims sued to obtain royalty and ownership rights to the songs, claiming that Marley had actually written the songs but had assigned the credit to Ford to avoid meeting commitments made in prior contracts. A 1987 court decision sided with the Marley estate, which assumed full control of the songs.

Track listing

Side one

  1. "Lively Up Yourself" (Bob Marley) – 5:11
  2. "No Woman, No Cry" (Vincent Ford) – 3:46
  3. "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" (Lecon Cogill/Carlton Barrett) – 3:13
  4. "Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)" (Aston Barrett/Hugh Peart) – 6:45

Side two

  1. "So Jah Seh" (Rita Marley/Willy Francisco) – 4:27
  2. "Natty Dread" (Rita Marley/Allen Cole) – 3:35
  3. "Bend Down Low" (Bob Marley) – 3:22
  4. "Talkin' Blues" (Lecon Cogill/Carlton Barrett) – 4:06
  5. "Revolution" (Bob Marley) – 4:23


Personnel

    * Bob Marley- lead vocals, rhythm guitar
    * Aston Barrett - bass guitar
    * Carlton Barrett - drums, percussion
    * Bernard "Touter" Harvey - piano, organ
    * Al Anderson - lead guitar
    * The I-Threes (Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths) - backing vocals
    * Sylvan Morris - engineer
    * Phil Ault - engineer
    * Chris Blackwell - producer
    * The Wailers - producers
    * Tony Wright - cover art

Released October 25, 1974
Recorded Harry J. Studios, Kingston, Jamaica, 1974
Genre Reggae, R&B
Length 38:59
Label Tuff Gong/Island
Producer Chris Blackwell and The Wailers


(https://en.wikipedia.org)

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Bill Graham (January 8, 1931 – October 25, 1991) was an American impresario and rock concert promoter from the 1960s until his death.

Death

Graham was killed in a helicopter crash near Vallejo, California on October 25, 1991, while returning home from a Huey Lewis and the News concert at the Concord Pavilion. Graham had attended the event to discuss promoting a benefit concert for the victims of the 1991 Oakland firestorm, after a large portion of the Oakland/Berkeley Hills area burned. Once he had obtained the commitment from the News to perform, he returned to his helicopter, which crashed shortly after take-off, just 20 miles from the concert site.

Flying in weather reported as low overcast, rain and gusty winds, the aircraft flew directly into a 223-foot high-voltage tower along Hwy 37, which runs between Vallejo and Marin County. Also killed in the crash was pilot Steve Kahn and Graham's girlfriend, Melissa Gold, ex-wife of author Herbert Gold.

Graham was married at one time to San Francisco artist Bonnie Lipshitz MacLean who is the mother of his son David. Bonnie was the first bookkeeper at the Fillmore and designed some of the posters for concerts Bill promoted. He would occasionally introduce Bonnie from the stage as "the world's greatest broad". He also had several long-term relationships. He was survived by his sisters and two sons, David Graham and Alex Graham, as well as his stepson, Thomas Sult.

Following his death, his company, Bill Graham Presents, was taken over by a group of employees. Graham's sons remained a core part of the new management team. The new owners sold the company to SFX Promotions, which in turn sold the company to Clear Channel Entertainment. The BGP staff did not embrace the Clear Channel name, and several members of the Graham staff eventually left the company, including former President/CEO Gregg Perloff and former Senior Vice President Sherry Wasserman, who started their own company, Another Planet Entertainment. Eventually Clear Channel separated itself from concert promotion and formed Live Nation, which is managed by many former Clear Channel executives. Live Nation is now the world's largest concert production/promotion company and is no longer legally affiliated in any way with Clear Channel.

In tribute, the San Francisco Civic Auditorium was renamed the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. On November 3, 1991, a free concert called "Laughter, Love and Music" was held at Golden Gate Park to honour Graham, Gold and Kahn. An estimated 300,000 people attended to view many of the entertainment acts Graham had supported including Santana, Grateful Dead, John Fogerty, Robin Williams, Journey (reunited), and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (reunited).  The video for the song "I'll Get By" from Eddie Money's album Right Here was dedicated to Graham. Graham's images and poster artwork still adorn the office walls at Live Nation's new San Francisco office.


(https://en.wikipedia.org)

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All right you want another hey

This concert wasn't the best musically for the dead,but it was absolutaly one of the most important I attended. The dead were just finishing up there fall tour in 91 and we were headed for Oakland coliseum. Word spread around Bill Graham died in a helicopter crash. Bill was a legend since he helped promote alot of the concert's of the sixties and seventies .He was the owner of the filmores and was considered an enemy by alot of hippie's because he was greedy. None the less he had a special place in the dead family, Jerry loved him and he no doubt helped the band through alot of hard times. Any way so the Oakland run goes as scedualed. On the last night Ken Kesey comes out during Dark Star He lay's out this heart felt rap about Bill being there for him whem Ken's son died. Also through in some poetry . There's not a dry eye in the house. This isn't even the special show yet. Thinking we had a couple months off before the winter tour we head home to San Francisco. Like a day or to after the tour we hear the Dead are going to be doing a free concert in Golden Gate Park!!!! I was like no fuckin way. Golden Gate Park is ground zero for the psychedelic movement. In the sixties the Dead and Janis and the Airplane would play free concert's there all the time. More people have gotten turned on in that park than anywhere on earth. Sure enough it was true and not only the Dead were going to be there ,but also Santana and CSNY and a bunch of other San Francisco band's that Bill helped promote. The day came and as I awoke I knew that it would be one of the most special day's of our lives. It wasn't even a question if we were going to dose Since tour had ended our tolerence was quite high. A thumbprint was in order. As we head down to the park we run into the our fluff friend. He's got 5 grams of crystal and he's dosing every body who want's(and can handle it) for free. I get very very high. Turn's out about a half a million people show up and all the old school family is there. Ken kesey, Chet Helm's and everybody from the sixties that's still alive. Leary is there with his groupies. The energy is incredible. Here I am with the people from the original movement in the original place with the original music I won't try to describe the rest of the show since it wouldn't do it justice. Afterward's we decide to walk to the ocean through the park like we read they did at the Be-in in 67. We wern't the only ones with this idea, as lots of people headed that way. As I walked through the park It really hit me. Like a Muslim who visit's Mecca or a Buddhist who visit's Bohdi or a christain who visit's Jerusalem, I was now in the holy land. Everywhere i looked I saw the original pure energy that was the summer of love. I nelt down and cried and so did my friends. I sobed tear's of pure joy as I realized how privaleged I was to be there.
For that day we were allowed to go back and feel that powerful pure energy that was there at the begining of the revolution. That energy was at every Dead show But that day it was alot more powerful .That day is imbedded in my heart forever.
 

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Ken Kesey:

"I was in D.C. and when I got the message I thought of two things:
I thought of my son going over a cliff and Bill Graham sending a thousand bucks
to put a thing on the hill that points in all directions in Oregon,
so you can always find your direction from the top of that hill.

And I thought of one more thing, it's a little heavy, but that's what it's about,
Nobody else reaches across the distance and puts your hands on your shoulders about this shit,
I mean, that's the way it's been for a long time, reaching across --
when you guys played Brokendown Palace at that gig,
I knew, Shit, This is the Grateful Dead telling me about my son.
It's as big a time as it gets and old Bill knew it, you know he knew it, he knew it.

And the other thought. The second thought, the warrior thought, the hard thought, the final thought is that we ain't many.
In any given situation there's going to be more dumb people than smart people, we ain't many.

And the second thought was this poem by e.e. cummings

A simple old poem that goes:

Buffalo Bill is defunct
Jesus he was a handsome man
He used to ride on a white horse and shoot clay pigeons
1,2,3,4,5 just like that
and what I want to know
is how do you like your blue eyed boy now, Mister Death?"

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Learyfan said:

And the other thought. The second thought, the warrior thought, the hard thought, the final thought is that we ain't many.
In any given situation there's going to be more dumb people than smart people, we ain't many.

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Learyfan said:

Listen to "Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)" again.  That should be the theme song for the Occupy Wall Street movement. 

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Learyfan said:

Bob Marley - "Revolution"

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