Bob Marley Live at the Rainbow

Bob Marley’s performance at the Rainbow Theatre in London, England was a series of four triumphant shows on the cusp of a long hot London summer in 1977. The June 4th show has long been available and is regarded as a classic concert film, but now the love and rebellion stirred up over the preceding three nights have been released for the first time.

1977 was a pivotal year for Bob Marley. He and his wife Rita had been shot by intruders at their Kingston, Jamaica home in December 1976, an incident connected to the political violence that scarred the island. After a brief stay in Nassau, he and The Wailers moved to Chelsea, West London in January 1977. He set about recording a number of tracks, 10 of which became Exodus, later declared by Time Magazine the best album of the 20th century.

The Exodus Tour opened at Pavillon de Paris on May 10th, taking in gigs in Belgium, Sweden, West Germany, Netherlands, and Denmark before climaxing with four nights at the Rainbow Theatre in Finsbury Park, North London. The cavernous former cinema was a prestigious venue with a capacity of 2,800. Marley’s 1975 London showcase at the Lyceum had marked a breakthrough when it delivered his classic Live! album and accompanying hit “No Woman, No Cry”. The Rainbow was a step up and its capacity crowds greeted Marley like a conquering hero.

He paid them back with riveting sets that saw deeper material standing shoulder to shoulder with anthems. The band lineup included Bob Marley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Aston Barrett on bass, Carlton Barrett on drums, Junior Marvin on lead guitar, Tyrone Downie on keyboards, Alvin Patterson on percussion and The I Threes on backing vocals