The Bob Marley History Documentary ~ When Bob Marley Came To Britain (8.35pm – 9.35pm)
Bob Marley Live At The Rainbow Club (9.35pm – 10.45pm)
Bob Marley ‘Reimagined’ With ‘The Chineke! Orchestra (10.45pm – 11. 45pm)
Reggae At The BBC (11.45pm – 1.45am)
In August 2022 TheOrator.Press (TO.P) theorator.press.on.insta (New Followers Welcome) Celebrated A Great Night of Music Programme Scheduling On The BBC In Honour of Jamaican Independence Day. This February (2025) The BBC Have Done It Again. This Time On Saturday February 1st In Honour of Bob Marley’s Impending Birthday On Thursday February 6th They Aired A Series of Programmes Featuring Him And His Hits. In Addition To Airing The Three Fabulous Programmes From JA Independence Day 2022 Again, They Added In The Live Concert From The Rainbow Theatre In 1977. It Was Extra Reggae Heaven, And As Ever, An Education.
Tragically, Since The Programming In 2022, Now In February 2025, With The Re-Trumplican Attack On DEI, Such Scheduling In Certain Parts of America Possibly Would Have Been Banned.
Instead of Inclusion The New Trump Administration Want Exclusion, The Very Opposite of What Bob Marley Was About!
We Specialise In Educational Feature Pieces, Long Form, And Long Reads. Like A Linguistic Buffet We Let You Take Your Pick of The Links. Here There Are A Number of Feature Links Within This Bob Marley & Reggae Special For JA’ Independence Day 2022 To Choose From: Simply Choose As Many or As Little As You Want.
The Bob Marley Documentary: When Bob Marley Came To Britain (8.35pm – 9.35pm)
(Currently Available on BBC Iplayer)
This Great Insightful And Detailed Documentary Was First Broadcast In The Summer Lockdown (August 2020) During Jamaican Independence Month. It Tells The Story of Bob Marley’s Gradual Rise To Prominence & Stardom In The UK And How His Attitude To The Country And Sharing The Message of His Music Was Different To His Bandmates.
It Includes How He And Rock Guitarist Eric Clapton Worked With Record Producer And Founder of Island Records – Chris Blackwell), How He Came To Play A Gig To Dedicated Reggae Fans In A Little Southhampton Pub And Later Played At The More Grand Lyceum Theatre In London’s Theatreland (Which Helped To Totally Turn His Career Around), And How He Discovered Snow For The First Time.
It Also Includes Great Contributions From Music Commentators Don Letts @lettsdon, Music Journalist & Marley Biographer Chris Salewicz @chrissalewicz, Associate Professor At The University of Westminister Mykaell Riley @mykaellriley And Photographer Dennis Morris @dennismcevoymorris.
Young At Heart There Are Three Men Who Are Still Thrilled About Marley Visiting Their School (The Former Peckham Manner School) Back In The Day. Whilst He Was On A Tour of England, He Met One of Their Teacher’s At Ronnie Scotts, The Famous Jazz Bar In Soho @officialronnies. Interestingly Bob (And Fellow Musician Jonny Nash) Were Reportedly Invited To Play Under The Umbrella of The School’s “Technical Wing”. The School Has Since Been Rebuilt And Is Now The Damilola Taylor Community Centre (thedamilolatrust.co.uk)
One of The Three Former Pupils, A Light-Skinned Man (To Use A Caribbean Reference) Tells An Amazing Story About How Bob (Who Was Dual Heritage) Simply Knew, From His Own Experiences That He Too Would Be Having To Deal With ‘Colourism’ And What That Look Meant To Him. It’s Very Moving. (Sadly He Has Since Passed Away Since The August 2022 Broadcast.)
Other Fans Share Their Joy of Meeting Him Too. Because of Such An Ability To Connect With People He Was Known As A Prophet And A Peacemaker. Love, Peace And Empowerment Was The Central Message of His Music.
Bob Marley Live At The Rainbow Theatre 1977 (9.35pm – 10.45pm)
(Currently Available on BBC Iplayer)
Marley’s Goal Was To Help Create A More A More Integrated Society And Bring Greater Peace Through His Music. Both Globally And In Jamaica, Where He Famously Played Two Peace Concerts (1976 And 1978). In Relation To The Former He Played It After Surviving A Politically Motivated Assasination Attempt And With Regard To The Latter He Famously Joined The Hands of The Two Oppostion Parties On Stage.
Sadly World And National Peace Remains Elusive In Many Countries, Including Jamaica. But It Was Marley’s Efforts And Values Which Helped Make Him A Legend. Plus His Music Writing Reflected What Was In His Heart, Which Helped Make His Music Beautiful In Its Own Unique Way.
They Say ‘Only The Good Die Young’. He Was Just 36 When He Returned Home To The Heavens In May 1981 Following A Diagnosis of Cancer After Suffering A Toe Injury Which Would Not Heal, Following A Game of His Beloved Football.
The Passion, Dedication And Freedom With Which Bob Performed His Music Is Brilliantly Captured In This Recording of His Famous Live Show At The Former Rainbow Theatre In Seven Sisters June 1 – June 4th 1977. Although The Film Bob Marley: One Love (Released A Year Ago This Month) Lacked The Detail And Clarity of The Above Documentary The Cast Was Amazing Including Ben Kingsley Adir In The Lead Role As Bob Marley Who Brilliantly Captured His Unique Way of Moving Captivatingly Dynamically And Freely.
The Rainbow Theatre Live Concert 1977 Included Junior Marvin, Bob’s Lead Guitarist Putting In An Outstanding Performance (juniormarvinthelegendarywailer.com) And The iThrees (Judy Mowatt, Rita Marley And Marica Griffth) Supporting Bob With Their Numerous Neatly Choreographed Reggae Dance Routines As Backing Singers. @judymowatt_od @officialritamarley @maricagriffiths_queenofreggae.
Altogether It Was All Pretty Mesmerising And Included Some Great Classics: 1. One Could Thing About Music – When It Hits You You Feel No Pain. 2. Dance To Jah Music (A Hungry Man Is An Angry Man). 3. I Shot The Sheriff .4. Rebel Music .5. Lively Un Yourself (And Don’t Be No Drag) .6. We’re Gonna’ Chase Those Crazy Bal’ Heads Out of Town .7. War .8. Leave Them Back There On The Wall (…Junior Marvin Gave An Outstanding Performance Which Bought Him To His Knees) .9. No Woman, No Cry .10. Jammin .11. Get Up, Stand Up (In Which Bob Does A Great Call And Reply Session). 12. Exodus! @bobmarley
Bob Marley Re-Imagined With The Chineke! Orchestra (10.45pm – 11.45pm)
(Currently Available on BBC Iplayer & BBC Sounds)
Speaking About Chineke Orchestra Playing His Famous Grandfather’s Music With A Full Live Orchestra Conducted By Music Impressario ……. At Birmingham City Town Hall, Skip Marley Said At The Time of The Original Concert Back In August 2022
Recorded Live At Birmingham Town Hall On Tuesday July 26 2022 And Originally Broadcast On The BBC On Saturday July 30th That Weekend ‘Bob Marley Re-imagined With The Chineke! Orchestra‘ Presents Bob’s Music Played By Classical Musicians With A Full Orchestra. Presented By The Musical Livin’ Legend That Is Super Smooth, Stylish And Encloypedic DJ Mr Trevor Nelson @trevornelson This Musical Feast Merged A Grand Orchestra With A Special Selection of Marley’s Hits From His Album Legend (Released In 1984 Three Years After His Untimely Death Aged Just 36).
A Similar Orchestral Collaboration Was Exquisitely Presented Years Ago With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra And Reggae King John Holt. What Took This Classical & Reggae Music Collaboration To Another Level of Joy, Progress & Excellence Was Seein’ The Chineke! Orchestra @chinekeorchestra Be Central To Proceedings. Established In 2015 By Chi Chi Nwango, It Is An Inclusive Orchestra Designed To Give Black Classical Musicians & Their Allies & Supporters Opportunities They Would Not Otherwise Have.
Robert’s Grandson Skip Performed On Stage Lookin’, Soundin, And Even Movin’ Everybit Like His Grandfather @skipmarley. Birmingham Soul Legend Ruby Turner Was In The House Too @rubyturner, As Was JP Cooper@jpcooper Among Others. The Audience Were Having The Time of Their Lives. The Musical Director Christopher Cameron Was In His Element. The Energy Was Really Soulful, Joyful And Spiritual. chriscameronmusic.co.uk
- Samuel Coleridge Taylor
- Set One: Chineke! Orchestra
- African Suite (Fela Sowande)
- Set Two: Exodus- Bob Marley Re:Imagined. Chineke Orchestra! Joined By Band & Singers
- Exodus
6. Stir It Up (JW Cooper) 7.Top Rankin’ (JW Cooper) 8. Satisfy My Soul (JW Cooper) 9. Turner Your Lights Down Low (Ruby Turner) 10. I Don’t Wanna’ Wait In Vain (Ruby Turner)
11. Is This Love (Skip Marley) 12. Get Up Stand Up (Skip Marley) 13. Redeemption Song (Skip Marley) 14. One Love (Everyone) 15. I Shot The Sheriff (Everyone)
Skip Marley, Son of Cedella Marley & Grandson of Bob Marley
Reggae At The BBC (11.45 pm – 1.15 am)
(Currently Available on BBC Iplayer & BBC Sounds)
Lovers Rock Singer Janet Kay (Pictured Left) Sings Reggae Classic ‘Silly Games’ On The BBC’s Top of The Pops 1979 (Video By ‘Top of The Pops Fan’).
In November 2020 The Track Featured Prominently In The Second Episode of ‘The Small Axe TV Anthology’ (Written & Directed By ‘12 Year’s A Slave’ Oscar-Winning Director Steve McQueen). It Was Known As The ‘Lovers Rock’ Episode (And Officially Described As A ‘Romance Film’).
Susan Cadogan Performs ‘Hurts So Good’ On The BBC’s Top of The Pops (Video By ScratchTheUpsetter).
She Was Actually A Librarian At The University of West Indies! As The Saying Goes ‘It’s Always The Quiet Ones’!
The Grand Finale To The BBC’s Night of Reggae Celebrating Bob’s Impending Birthday Was A Ninety Minute Retrospective Looking At Different Reggae Artists Who’ve Performed On Different BBC Programmes Over The Years. There Were Just Under 30 In Total.
What Was Most Notable Alongside The Music Was The History Behind The Tracks And Just How Much The White Music Scene Borrows or Simply Takes From The Black Music Scene (Often With Very Little Official Recognition). How Multi-Talented Many Reggae Music Artists Are And Why The Black Community Needs To Control It’s Own Narrative In Order To Keep Breakin’ Down Certain Destructive Stereotypes. Also Notable, Sadly, Is How Many Reggae Artists Seem To Pass Prematurely (Includin’ Marley Himself Which Is Addressed In The Aforementioned Documentary – When Bob Marley Came To Britain).
Nonetheless, The Music And The Legend Live On!
One: Nicky Thomas ~ Love of The Common People, 1970. Great Track Later Covered By Paul Young 1983. Thomas Was Only 41 When He Reportedly Died of Suicide In 1990.
Two: Bob Marley & The Wailers ~ Stir It Up, 1973. The Performance of This Track On The BBC’s Music Show ‘The Old Grey Whistle Test’ Was Pivotal To Their Success.
Three: Bob Marley & The Wailers ~ Exodus, 1977. An Album of The Same Name Was Released In The Same Year By Island Records. Marley Suffered A Political Asassination Attempt In Jamaica The Year Before And So Escaped To London, Where He Wrote It Whilst Recouperatin’ Notting Hill (The Home of The Annual August Caribbean Carnival). This Brings To Mind The Insanity of Richard Curtis Makin’ A Film Called Notting Hill Not Featurin’ Any Black People At All! And Yet This Is The Same Guy Behind Comic Relief Charity That Works With Sir Lenny Henry. Go Figure!
Four : Desmond Dekker & The Aces ~ The Isrealites, 1968. This Upbeat SKA Tune Is About The Twelve Tribes of Isreal Central To The Rastafarian Interpretation of The Bible. In 1969 It Was The First Reggae Song To Reach The UK No.1 And The American Top 10 (Getting To No.9).
He Had Various Other Hits Includin’ “007 (Shanty Town)” Also Released In 1968 (Which Attracted A Big ‘Mod’ Following) And The Harder They Come (Written By Jimmy Cliff) In 1970. The Latter Went To No.2. (A Film of The Same Name Starrin’ Jimmy Cliff Was Released The Same Year.) Born In Kingston Jamaica In 1941 Dekker Died of A Heart Attack, In 2006, In Thornton Heath, Croydon).
It Was The Success of The Harder They Come That Inspired Producer Chris Blackwell’s Interest In Working With Bob Marley, As He Saw The Potential of Reggage To Go Mainstream And He Wanted A Piece of The Action As A Music Businessman.
Five: Susan Cadogan ~ Hurts So Good, 1975. Written By The Wonderfully Raucous, Outrageous And Revolutionary Songstress Millie Jackson In 1973, Cadogan’s Version Reached No.4 In 1975 After She Worked With Reggae Music Legend Lee ‘Scrath’ Perry. She Also Worked Intermittently As A Librarain At The University of The West Indies For Thirty Years.
Six: Althea & Donna, Uptown Top Ranking, 1978. A One Hit Wonder, Which Is Now A Classic. The BBC Reports That This Record Was Championed By The Late Legendary, Likeable, And Edgy Alternative Radio One DJ John Peel, Who Was Always Scoutin’ New Interestin’ Music Talent Back In The Day.
Seven: Janet Kay ~ Silly Games, 1979. Janet Entered The Guiness Book of Records As The First Black British Female Reggae Artist To Have A Recognised UK Reggae Hit (It A Reached No.2 In The Charts And Has Grown And Grown Ever Since To Become A Cultural Musical Classic) @Janet Kay.
Eight: Dennis Brown ~ Money In My Pocket (But I Just Can’t Get No Love). Bob Marley Called Dennis Brown “The Crown Prince of Reggae” And Declared Him One of His Favourite Reggae Artists. Dennis Started Out Singin’ Aged Just 9 Years Old. He Sadly Died of A Collapsed Lung Aged Just 42.
Nine: Sugar Minnot ~ Good Thing Goin’, 1981. This Is Another Reggae Classic Which Fills The Dancefloor. Sadly Minnot Died In 2010 In St Andrews Parish Jamaica University Hospital Aged Just 54, Having Had A Long History of Heart & Chest Complaints.
Ten: Gregory Issacs ~ Night Nurse. This Is A Slow Dance, Reggae Classic, Floor-Filler. Issacs Loved His Style & Fashion, Often In A Suit, Shoes And A Fedora Hat. They Called Him The Ruler. Alas He Died From Lung Cancer Aged Just 59.
The Band Included: Dennis Seaton,
Junior, Kelvin, Patrick, And Michael
Whose ‘Pass The Dutchie Video’ Was Produced By Don Letts (Opposite Right). @lettsdon @therealmusicalyouth
Musical Youth Read No.1 In 1982 With ‘Pass The Dutchie‘.
I Came Out of There A Changed Man.
Empowered. Informed. Enlightened
Don Letts On Attending Bob Marley’s Famous Lyceum Concert In 1975
Ska, Reggae, Mods & Rockers. DJ, Director, Model, Social Commentator, And The Clash Videographer (From The Early Days). Don Letts In Ever Versatile Music Attire ~ The Trusty Parker @lettsdon
Eleven: Madness ~ The Prince, 1979 @madnessband. The Nutty Boy Band of Brothers From Camden, North London, Were Inspired By The Jamaican SKA & Reggae Legend Buster Prince. It Was This Debut Performance On The BBC Which Bought Them To National Attention In The Lates 70s. They Toured With The Specials And The Selector Before Releasin’ Their First Album One Step Beyond. The Band Took Their Name From The Song “Madness” On Buster Prince’s Greatest Hits Album As Well As Actually Covering The Track Too. They Also Named Their First Album After “One Step Beyond” From The Album And Covered That Song Too.
Twelve: The Specials ~ Rudie, 1979 (On The Old Grey Whistle Test) @thespecials. This SKA Band Were Lead By Singer Jerry Darmmer Who Formed His Own Record Label Which Signed Up The Selector, The Beat And Madness.
Thirteen: UB40 ~ Ivory Madonna, @ub40official @UB40Ft Ali Campbell. The Band Members Hail From Birmingham And Are One of The World’s Most Successful, Famous, And Long Lastin’ Reggae Bands.
Fourteen: Aswad ~ African Children, 1981. Performed On The Old Grey Whistle Test. @legendaryaswad
Fiveteen: Musical Youth ~ Pass The Dutchie, 1982.
Sixteen: Burning Spear ~ Slavery Days, 1996.
Seventeen: Junior Murvin ~ Police And Thieves, 1980. It Was Written And Performed By Junior Murvin And Released By Lee Scratch Perry In 1976 In Jamaica. The Clash Did A UK ‘Punk Reggae’ Version In 1977, Which Murvin Was Not Over The Moon About Sayin’ “They Destroyed Jah Work.” His Performance On Top of The Pops Reclaimed That Work.
Again The Sex Pistols, The Police, The Clash, And The Jam Were Part of The Late 1970s Musical Revolution Seekin’ A New Style of Music, Just As The UK Reggae Scene Was Really Gainin’ Momentum. And In That Sense There Was A Loose Kind of Affinity.
As Musician, Cultural Commenatator & Model Don Letts Says, They Were Part of The Punk Movement Which Whilst “Not Physically Similar To Reggae Were Spiritually Similar” In As Much As They Were Part of A 1970s & 1980s Musical Revolution (That They Were Pushin’ Themselves). The Sex Pistols Irreverant Punk Track ‘God Save The Queen’ Was An Example of That.
Eigtheen: Black State ~ Amigo, 1980. This Song Is A Dedication To Jah (The God of Rastafarians).
Nineteen: Steel Pulse ~ Ku Klux Klan, (Members Dressed In Klan Robes). Their Music Addressed Racism & Babylon Head On. In The Same Vein That Sees Many Not Persuaded By Rappers Who Use The N-Word In Their Lyrics, Claimin’ They Are “Reclaimin” The Word, Steel Pulse Wearin’ KKK Hoods As Part of Their Performance, Was, To Use Modern Parlance ‘Not A Good Look’.
Twenty: Shabba Ranks – Twice My Age, 1993. Shabba Ranks Is Ranked High As A Dancehall King!
Twenty One: Buju Banton ~ Murderer, 1995. The Song Was Written After His Friend Was Murdered Whislt He Was Away On Tour In Japan (of All Places). Apparently Buju Means Chubby And Banton Means Respected Storyteller. Although His Lyrics Are Often Considered Controversial He Too Is Undeniably A Dancehall King.
Twenty Two: Beenie Man, Who Am I? 2002. @kingbeenieman He Is Another Dancehall Legend And In This Performance Delivers A Mash Up of Hits To The Vibe of Who Am I? Winnin A Jamaican Teeny Talent Contest Aged Just Eight, By 10 He Released His First Album, The Invincible Beenie Man: The 1o Year Old DJ Wonder. The BBC Reports That Beenie’s Uncle Was A Percussionist For Reggae Star Jimmy Cliff. The Jamaican Music Scene Is Very Often A Family Business.
“Zim Zimmer Who’s Got The Keys To My Zimmer?” Was Reportedly Written Literally After He Lost His Car Keys. His First UK Hit In 1998, It Reached No. 10 In The Top Ten of The Top 40 Music Charts.
Twenty Three: Sean Paul ~ We Will Be Burnin’, 2005 (Top of The Pops) @duttypaul. Reachin No.2. The Song Is His Most Successful UK Hit. He Is Another Dancehall King Credited For Helpin’ To Bring Jamaican Dancehall Ragga Music To The Masses.
Splendidly The BBC Reports That He Was A Jamaica Water Polo Player From Aged 13-21, Followin’ In The Footsteps of His Grandfather Who Played Waterpolo Player For Jamaica’s National Waterpolo Team. And His Parents Were Also Champion Swimmers. This Was The Most Amazin’ Story of The Night And Highlights How Important It Is To Breakdown Stereotypes: In This Case, The Notion That Black People Cannot Swim Well, Are Only Good At Certain Sports And Have No Place In High Society Events.
Sean Paul’s Classic Tune ‘Get Busy’ Also Featured In The BBC’s Strictly Come Dancin’ Last Year (Season 2021) Where Comedian @Judi Love Famously Danced To His Track With Her Italian Partner Graziano di’ Prima @grazianodiprima Whilst Performin’ The First Ever Genuine Twerk On The Glamourous Dance Talent Show
Twenty Four: Maxi Priest ~ Wild World, 1988. @therealmaxipriest Cat Stevens Wrote It. Jimmy Cliff Sang It. Maxi Got To No.1 In The US Billboard Charts (One of Only Two Reggae Songs To Reach That Position).
Twenty Five: Shaggy ~ Oh Carolina, @direalshaggy The BBC Reports That He Takes His Name Form The Scooby-Doo Character. Like Shabba Ranks He Is Also A Dancehall King. Now Most Famous For His Extra-Curricula Relationship Activites Song “It Wasn’t Me.” As Testimony To The Previously Mentioned Reggae And Punk Revolutionary Relationship Shaggy Recently Made An Album With Sting (Former Lead Singer of The Police).
Twenty Six: Chaka Demus & Pliers ~ Twist And shout, 1993. On Jools Holland Hootenanny. (Featurin’ Sly & Robbie In The Rhythm Section…And JACK RADICS). Independant Artists In Their Own Right, The Decided To Form A Duo In 1991. They Were The First Jamaican Collabortion To Achieve 3 Consecutive Top 5 Hits In The UK.
She Don’t Let Nobody (But Me) ~ 1993, Reached No.3 (From Their Album Tease Me)
Tease Me ~ July 1993, Reached No.3 (From Their Album of The Same Name ~ Tease Me).
Twist & Shout ~ New Years’s Eve, 1993. Reached No.1 January 1994. The Duo Made Their First Ever UK Appearance On Jools Holland’s First Ever New Year’s Eve Show Hootenanny. Written By Phil Medley & Bert Russell In 1961 It Has Been Covered By Many Artists Includin’ Chaka Damus & Pliers, The Isley Brothers ~ And ~ The Beatles. (Also From Their Album Tease Me)
[Murder She Wrote ~ Released 1992 (US)/1993 (International); Reached No. 27 Early 1994. Inspired By The American TV Detective Show Featuring A Glamourous Senior Female Author Who Does A Bit of Sluething And By A Faux Claim of Pregnancy ~ Where After 6~9~10 Months There Was No Baby. Taken From Their Album ‘Murder She Wrote’ It Has Become A Reggae Cult Classic] @chakademusandpliers
Twenty Seven: Jimmy Cliff ~ Many Rivers To Cross, 2008. @jimmycliff Performin’ With The Legendary Music Show Host Jools Holland On The Piano And With Paul Weller of The Jam (And Virtually The Whole Studio of Musicians Looking On In Admiration). The Depth of Soul, Quality And Emotion In This Performance Could Move A Person To Tears. In 1972 Cliff Famously Starred In The Film The Harder They Come About The Life of A Jamaican Musician. In 2003 (Some Thirty One Years Later) He Was Awarded The Order of Merit By The Jamaican Government In Recognition & In Honour of His Contribution To The Arts & Jamaican Culture. And In 2010 Musician Wycliff Jean (of The Fugees) Presented Him With His Medal When He Was Admiited To The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame. (As Pictured Below) wyclef.wun.io/bio
Bob Marley Was Also Blessed With The Order of Merit In 1981. And Marley’s Exodus Album of 1977 Was Named The Best Album of The Century By Time Magazine In 1999, As The World Faced The Turn of The Century Into A New Millenium. Time.Com @time @bobmarley
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