The 2011 Bob Marley lecture on the UWI, Mona campus last Friday, perhaps marked first time in the history of the event put on annually by the Institute of Caribbean Studies, that a standing ovation was given to a presenter.

Earning this special honour was Dr Matthew J Smith, senior lecturer of the Department of History and Archaeology.

This distinction came after his presentation titled Bob Marley and the Wailers Live! — performance and politics in the touring history of the Wailers. At the end of which, the audience of one of the best attended lectures of the long-running series, rose to its feet in approval of an extraordinary performance for approximately an hour by Smith.

Coming a few years after one eminent lecturer suggested that it was Bob Marley’s love songs like, Is This Love (That I’m feeling), Turn You Light Down Low and Waiting in Vain, why he is so highly acclaimed. And even when compared with another presenter of more recent vintage, expressing the often repeated viewpoint, that his success was due to the fact that Marley was packaged and marketed as a rock artiste to the fans in Europe, Smith’s discourse — in which he noted that it was Marley’s performances which sold him to the world — was the most detailed and convincing to date.

Tracing the Wailers’ performances from the first to the last, locally, and internationally, the young academic reminded his audience that in May 1974, the Wailers opened two shows for Marvin Gaye, the first at the Carib Theatre on May 21, 1974, and this was seen by many people as a turning point for the Wailers.

“The Wailers now fully embraced Rastafari, their lyrics, appearance — the dread image that they conveyed on stage — was crucial to how they came across to the audience. The first appearance since signed to Island and after two consecutive tours on the road. Not only that, but each of the Wailers had their own singles out. Bob Marley had Roadblock which later become Rebel Music, Peter Tosh had Mawga Dog and Bunny Wailer has Arab Oil Weapon. So it was a really important time for the Wailers, individually and collectively,” Smith noted.

Added he, “By the time they performed the second Marvin Gaye show two days later at the National Stadium, it was clear that it was a different Wailers that which people knew from the 1960s.”

He then showed clips from what he said is the only video of that performance available in Jamaica. According to Smith, the late Don Taylor was so enthralled with the Wailers’ performance he approached Marley and asked him if he could become his manager and Bob said yes. And at that point in time, Bob Marley and the Wailers International career began to change.

Smith went on to explain that the Natty Dread album broke Bob Marley into the international music scene after Don Taylor organised a six-week tour to support this album.

He went on to give an amusing anecdote of the approach taken by Don Taylor to market Bob Marley. “He would book them into venues that were too small to hold the fans. In that way people would be outside still wanting tickets. With that the word of mouth of missing the Wailers’ show would spread and build a momentum for them.”

Smith also noted that with the separation of Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer , and the formation of the I-Three for the Natty Dread tour which reflected the music Bob was recording at the time and was a huge success.

“But there were also really important changes in the way in which the Wailers presented themselves. For in 1974 to 1975, they didn’t really do many international shows. Because, with Bunny and Peter decided not to go overseas, Bob now began to put together a new kind of package, one that would reflect the music he recorded at that time. Natty Dread, Bellyful, Roadblock etc…

“The I-Three joined Bob on an extended version of the Wailers NattyDread Tour in 1975. It was a huge, huge success for Bob Marley. As a matter of fact, Eric Clapton already performed I Shot the Sheriff. There was a word of mouth around Bob Marley around that period. But it is the performances were what really sold Bob Marley on the international Market in 1975.

The reviews of the concerts were universally impressive. Bob was compared to Bob Dylan. And he was also called the Mick Jagger of reggae… Reviews noted that Bob Marley was a soul rebel, a ghetto fighter, an underground poet, a vagabond prince of Kingston. One report likened him to John Coltrane, Ray Charles, the Beatles all together for the first time. And the Wailers were called the best black band in the whole world.”

After highlighting disciplinary rigours and the drive of Bob Marley, Smith declared, “But of course what all of this meant, was that the breakthrough of Bob Marley and the Wailers in that summer of 1975, also was a turning point for reggae music. The international success that he they achieved with that album, made many people back home in Jamaica proud of them. But, also see the potential for reggae music.”