Bob Marley: Songs of Freedom by Chris Salewicz and Adrian Boot
Title: Bob Marley Songs of Freedom
Author: Chris Salewicz, Photographer: Adrian Boot (Executive Editor and Introduction by Rita Marley)
ISBNs: (All four English editions) UK Hardcover 074751853x, UK Paperback 0747523568, U.S. Hardcover 067085784x,
U.S. Paperback 0140241131
Year Published: 1995 (1998 second U.S. edition)
Pages: 288
Published in 1995 by Viking Penguin in the U.S. and Bloomsbury in the UK, Songs of Freedom is the authorized biography of Bob Marley. It’s really two types of biographies in one, half text by the seasoned Chris Salewitcz and half photos through the amazing lens of Adrian Boot. It’s a coffee table biography that goes way beyond your average coffee table book. Since it contains a nice condensed history of Bob and his musical output, along with numerous photos of memorabilia, handwritten lyrics and Boot’s photos, this a favorite book of many Marley fans. It is indeed, a top 5 must have Bob Marley & The Wailers book. Fortunately for many, there has been editions published in five different languages. UNLESS, you know of any additional edition not listed here. If you know of one please contact the Midnight Raver or myself.
This is basically, the official Island Records/Marley family biography of Bob. The original publication was on the heels of a photo exhibit by Adrian Boot. It also coincided with the Island Records release of ‘Natural Mystic, Legend 2’ album. Boot was an official photographer of Bob’s and because of that access to the Gong, we get treated with dozens and dozens of incredible photos. The book opens with the funeral of Bob (the end) and moves from there through his career, Rastafari, Island output, Peter Tosh, touring and ends up at the final Madison Square Gardens shows and the final show in Pittsburgh. Through interviews with dozens of people who were closely associated with Bob, we get first hand accounts of history. So we got that going for us, which is nice.
All foreign editions were published in a hardcover format. In fact, it’s the same dust jacket, boards and gilt for all seven hardcover editions from around the world. It’s appears as if they were all printed by the same company at the same time for each publisher. The only difference is the language on the cover and text. In addition, the French edition changed the title to ‘legend rasta’ and the German edition added the subtitle ‘Die Bildbiographie’ . The second U.S. edition was published in a trade paperback format and is the only edition to feature a different cover. Although the cover of the UK paperback edition did add a peculiar small rectangle palm tree picture and added the blurb (‘The definitive account of the great man’s life.’ Q Magazine), to the bottom of the cover.
The foreign additional editions are:
Japan: Published in 1995 by Blues Interaction, ISBN: 4938339153
Netherlands: Published by Gravenhage in 1995. ISBN: 9055010782
Germany: Published by Wilhelm Heyne Verlag GmbH in 1995. ISBN: 3453087054
France: Published by Seuil in 1995 and 1998. ISBN: 2020218291
There were so many copies of this book printed that it is very easy and inexpensive to find an English edition. Check amazon.com, ebay, used book stores etc. and copies will turn up. At least in the U.S. The most common edition I see for sale would be the Penguin paperback copy which many times sells for under $5.00 U.S..
Chris Salewitcz has been documenting reggae and pop culture for over three decades. He authored several music books including a biography of The Clash’s Joe Strummer. Most reggae lovers know him for his writings for the NME and/or his books such as his recent Marley biography ‘Bob Marley the Untold Story’, ‘Rude Boy: Once Upon a Time in Jamaica’ or for most, the book we are profiling, Songs of Freedom. Chris also wrote another, difficult to find, Marley book published in 1998 titled ‘Rock Lives: Bob Marley’.
Adrian Boot is a distinguished photographer whose work has appeared in many Bob Marley books, Rolling Stone magazine and the photo exhibits that have displayed his photos and stories. He was the official Island photographer for Bob and captured many historic photos before and after Bob’s passing.
Chris and Adrian also worked together on the ‘Reggae Explosion: The Story of Jamaican Music’ book which was published in 2001. Of which one edition featured Marley on the cover and therefor appears in the Complete Annotated Bibliography.
Photo Gallery (click on next photo to see additional pics)
LEGENDARY REGGAE 