Bob Marley charted with “No Woman, No Cry”

No Woman, No Cry Bob Marley & the Wailers

Writer(s): Bob Marley, Vincent Ford (see lyrics here) First Charted: September 27, 1975 Peak: 1 CL, 1 CO, 8 UK, 97 AU, 3 DF (Click for codes to singles charts.) Sales (in millions): 0.68 US, 0.4 UK, 1.08 world (includes US + UK) Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 343.6 video, 195.84 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: There’s an argument to be made that no artist did more for his genre than Bob Marley did for reggae. In 1975, the genre “had been bubbling out of Jamaica through white rock & roll for three years or so” TC but “was confined to…Jamaica…and a few white fans.” TC “Partly it was the politics and the Rastafarianism that put the public off reggae music at first,” TC but music critic Toby Creswell argues that Bob Marley & the Wailers’ 1975 live gig at London’s Lyceum on July 18-19 “was a turning point in the history of music.” TC Their previous tour didn’t go well because non-Jamaican audiences didn’t appreciate pure reggae, but after Marley and his band tightened their sound, they received glowing reviews and sold out shows in America. By the time they got to London, they were a huge success SF attracting an audience that was half black and half white, some who were avid followers of reggae and some who were just curious. LW Steve Smith, who co-produced the live recording, said of the first night that “the intensity and the vibe were just nuts.” TC As a result, the second night’s show was recorded. The result was what Smith asserted to be one of only three great live albums, alongside Ray Charles at Newport in 1958 and James Brown at the Apollo in 1962. TC The highlight of the show was arguably “No Woman, No Cry,” “the ultimate sing-along” TC in which Marley “merges the personal, the political and the spiritual.” LW The original studio version appeared on the 1974 Natty Dread album, but the live version released from the Lyceum album was a top-10 hit in the UK, thanks to Island Records marketing Marley “as a new breed of Third World rebel.” LW The title has been misinterpreted as “if there is no woman, there is no reason to cry,” WK but the real message is “woman, don’t cry.” WK The narrator is “leaving and reassuring here that the slum they live in won’t get her down.” SF Critic Paul Williams said, “Song in general, song in its truest form, creates a willingness to hear by its attractive qualities; it captures, holds, and reshapes the attention of its listener, through its sincerity and integrity it opens up to new truth.” PW “This transcendently beautiful song” PW “cuts clean to the heart of the matter in a few words, a few notes, a few moments of vibrant soul-stirring clarity.” PW “Vocalist/preacher Marley takes on the classic…masculine role of father, husband, elder brother, offering strength and hope to daughter/wife/sister.” PW The “humble radiant wild holy man” PW “gave us something that makes a difference in our struggle. He reminds us of the dignity of our lives.” PW In a display of his own dignity, Marley gave Vincent Ford a songwriter credit so that royalties would support his friend’s soup kitchen in Trenchtown, Jamaica. WK Resources: TC Toby Creswell (2005). 1001 Songs: The Great Songs of All Time. Pages 855-6. LW Alan Lewens (2001). Popular Song – Soundtrack of the Century. Billboard Books: New York, NY. Page 135. SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia PW Paul Williams (1993). Rock and Roll: The Best 100 Singles. New York, NY: Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc. Pages 161-2. Related Links: First posted 4/13/2021; last updated 11/24/2022.

Bob Marley & the Wailers recorded Live! At the Lyceum

Live! At the Lyceum Bob Marley & the Wailers

Recorded: July 18, 1975 Released: December 19, 1975 Peak: 90 US, 47 RB, 38 UK, 51 AU Sales (in millions): 0.5 US, -- UK, 1.5 world (includes US and UK) Genre: reggae

Tracks: Song Title (date of single release, chart peaks) Click for codes to singles charts. Trench Town Rock (11/71, --) Burnin’ and Lootin’ Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) Lively Up Yourself (1971, --) No Woman, No Cry (8/75, 8 UK) I Shot the Sheriff (2/74, --) Get Up, Stand Up (9/73, --) Single releases and chart data for original studio versions. Total Running Time: 45:15 The Players: Bob Marley (vocals, rhythm guitar) Aston “Family Man” Barrett (bass) Carlton “Carlie” Barrett (drums, percussion) Tyrone Downie (keyboards) Al Anderson (guitar) Alvin “Seeco” Patterson (percussion) Rita Marley, Judy Mowatt, Griffiths (backing vocals)

Rating: 4.412 out of 5.00 (average of 20 ratings) Quotable: “One of the most memorable concert recordings of the pop music era” – Lindsay Planer, All Music Guide Awards: (Click on award to learn more).

About the Album: This captured Marley & Company’s appearance at the Lyceum Ballroom in London “during the final U.K. leg of the Natty Dread tour. Passionate and symbiotic energies constantly cycle between the band and audience, the net result of which is one of the most memorable concert recordings of the pop music era.” AMG “With the addition of lead guitarist Al Anderson during the recording sessions for their previous long-player, Natty Dread, the Wailers took increasing strides toward a seamless transition into the consciousness of the rock music audience. Anderson's bluesy guitar runs liberate Burnin’ and Lootin’ as well as Trench Town Rock…Anderson bobs and weaves his supple-toned fretwork among the somewhat staid rhythms common to reggae.” AMG “The mutual affinity that binds Marley with his audience is evident in the roars of approval that greet the opening notes of Them Belly Full (But We Hungry), I Shot the Sheriff, and Kinky Reggae. Likewise, No Woman, No Cry elicits a group singalong as the sheer volume of the audience challenges that of the amplified musicians. With this evidence, there is no denying that Bob Marley & the Wailers were becoming the unlikeliest of pop music icons.” AMG “Additionally, Live! underscores the underrated talents of the Wailers as musicians. Older works, such as ‘Burnin’ and Lootin’’ and ‘I Shot the Sheriff’ benefit greatly from Tyrone Downie’s keyboard punctuation and the soulful backing vocals of the I-Threes.” AMG Notes: The 2001 Definitive Remasters reissue adds "Kinky Reggae," which was originally released as the B-side to "No Woman, No Cry." The track was taken from the same Lyceum performance.

Resources and Related Links: DMDB encyclopedia entry for Bob Marley AMG All Music Guide review by Lindsay Planer First posted 3/26/2008; updated 5/10/2021.