It is July 1973, and The Wailers depart Jamaica for Boston to play 5 nights at Paul’s Mall, and then on to New York City to play 14 shows at Max’s Kansas City. They will be supporting a local boy from New Jersey named Bruce Springsteen.
It is Island runner Lee Jaffe, a 22 year old white kid fresh out of Penn State University, who is responsible for smuggling the Wailers into the U.S., through Toronto, so that they could play their famous gig with Bruce Springsteen at Max’s. It is also Jaffe who is responsible for scoring the band’s herb, booking them at the Chelsea Hotel, and introducing Bob to “a fair Danish princess” named Mooskie who is Bob’s inseparable lover for that week in New York.
They are staying at the famed Hotel Chelsea, also known as the Chelsea Hotel, or simply the Chelsea. It is a historic New York City hotel and landmark, known primarily for its history of notable residents. Located at 222 West 23rd Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea, the 250-unithotel has been the home of numerous writers, musicians, artists, and actors, including Bob Dylan, Virgil Thomson, Charles Bukowski, Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Jobriath, and Larry Rivers. The Chelsea is probably best known as the hotel where Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols kills his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon on October 12, 1978.
I am in receipt of the hotel receipt for Bob’s stay at The Chelsea. It was donated for the blog by my friend and former Wailers member Lee Jaffe.
The Wailers play a total of 14 shows at Upstairs Max’s Kansas City from July 18-23, 1973.
I have also included a very rare print review of the Wailers’ run at Max’s Kansas City, written by Ian Dove and published in the New York Times on July 23, 1973.
I have also included a review written by Sam Sutherland and published in the September 1973 issue of Bilboard magazine.
It is interesting to note that the author of the review states unapologetically that The Wailers “neatly eclipse” Springsteen’s performance. In fact, the entire review is all about The Wailers, with very little mention of Springsteen. Not to take anything away from Bruce, he is without a doubt one of the premiere talents in rock and has had tremendous staying power in such a fickle industry. His fans are as crazy about him as we are about Bob and The Wailers.
Here is a review of the show written by Lorraine O’Grady for The Village Voice, however, the piece was rejected because the musicians were unknowns at the time…
LEGENDARY REGGAE 
Hi,
in 1973 I was signed to United Artists Records as a recording artist, and Island Records as a songwriter. one day I got a call from Chris Blackwell of Island Records asking me if I would look after a group he had coming to New York called Bob Marley and the Wailers – did I know them he asked. I’m English, and at that time most of us were familiar with Ska, and later Reggae, so yes, I knew of Bob Marley.
So for those few days I hung out with them and went to Max’s for the gigs. I thought Bob was a real gentleman and I liked him enormously. my only regret is that I didn’t get a photo of us together.
I was actually there at one of those shows on the invitation by the bartender/manager to drop off my Hendrix show package for a possible gig. I wasn’t too familiar with reggae or Marley & while talking to the bartender, I noticed that most of the people were mingling downstairs waiting for the Springsteen show but swaying to the music while talking. The music was so hypnotic I thought it must be some kind of Afro-beat until the bartender told me it was Jamaican. Making my way upstairs I noticed that the audience was mainly the band’s entourage with a few couples. I checked out some of the set, then went back downstairs to talk some more to the bartender.
I didn’t get the gig, but my life was changed by being in the presence of a true prophet & I haven’t been the same since~!
Hi do you know who took the photos at Max’s? Thanks!