It is December 1979, the International Year of the Child, and Bob Marley and the Wailers end their Survival tour by playing to a large crowd at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Complex in Nassau, Bahamas.  Much like London, Nassau was sort of a second home for Marley.  He spent one month in Nassau immediately after fleeing Jamaica in December 1976 as a result of the assassination attempt.  Bob Marley and the Wailers’ also did some recording at Chris Blackwell’s state-of-the-art recording studios in Nassau.  These studios, which are said to be the best in the world at the time, are run by Wailers’ recording engineer Karl Pitterson.

Bob Marley actually established a vacation home in the Bahamas.  Bob and Rita Marley discovered a  former governor’s mansion on a visit to Nassau, while they were recovering from an assassination attempt in Jamaica (1976). The property’s lush gardens and oceanfront location provided a respite for the Marley children to balance with life in the mountains of Jamaica.

When Rita first inquired about the property, a staff member of the previous owner warned that the house would never be sold to a Black person. This warning did not sway her. Starting in 1982, and for 16 years, Rita and the children spent holidays and summer vacations together in Nassau. In 2004, they planned to renovate the home for the growing family, but once the process started, Rita decided to turn it into a resort.

It is during the period from December 1979 through January 1980 that the band is featured in the concert film “Bob Marley and the Wailers.”  The film is released to theatres in Jamaica, and to select theatres in the US and UK.  Despite Marley’s superstar status at the time, the film is a flop and lasts only a few weeks in theatres.

Bob Marley And The Wailers
December 15, 1979

Venue: Queen Elizabeth II Sports Centre
City: Nassau
State/Province: New Providence
Country: Bahamas
Recording Source Soundboard

Band lineup:

Bob Marley, vocals, rhythm guitar
Aston Barrett, bass
Carlton Barrett, drums
Junior Marvin, lead guitar
Al Anderson, lead guitar
Tyrone Downie, keyboards
Earl “Wya” Lindo, organ
Alvin “Seeco” Patterson, percussion
Devon Evans, percussion
Glen DaCosta, saxophone
Dave Madden, trumpet
The I-Threes, backing vocals

1. “Positive Vibration”
2. “Wake Up And Live”
3. “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)”
4. “I Shot The Sheriff”
5. “Ambush In The Night”
6. “Running Away” -> “Crazy Baldhead”
7. “The Heathen”
8. “War” -> “No More Trouble”
9. “Africa Unite”
10. “One Drop”
11. “Exodus”
12. “Roots, Rock, Reggae”
13. “Jammin'”
14. “Get Up, Stand Up”
15. “Zimbabwe”
16. “No Woman, No Cry”
17. “Rat Race”
18. “Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock)”
19. “Lively Up Yourself”

DOWNLOAD FLAC AUDIO