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Bunny Wailer and The Wailers
In 1963, Bunny Wailer made his first debut at Sir Coxsone's Studio One with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh as a group called the Wailing Wailers. He was commonly credited as Bunny Livingston at that time.
After graduating Studio One in 1966, they formed their own independent label called Wail'N Soul'M and basically handled their career themselves. Later, they renamed the group and the famous Wailers embarked. Their prolific recordings were produced with Lee Parry and it undoubtedly led them to achieve a major breakthrough in Jamaican music industry and establish a world well known label Tuff Gong.
In 1973, after signing with Island Records, [Catch A Fire] album was released by the label CEO Chris Blackwell for the international market. Soon, the group became a Reggae superstar icon and toured all over the world. However, Bunny Wailer returned to Jamaica because he was pining for the lifestyle of his home country.
After returning to Jamaica, he started his solo career and released some recordings from his Solomonic imprint periodically. Island Records released his debut sophomore [Blackheart Man] album and he gained the recognition internationally as a solo artist. Although his Solomonic imprint continued until around 1990, many artists from 70's faced much difficulty to carry on their career during the period of the digital revolution, which occurred 1985. However; as a pioneer of the Jamaican music industry, It was not hard task for him to create the shockwave to young Dancehall listeners with his song 'Rule Dancehall' in 1987. Truly, he is the original member of The Wailers who has been leading the Jamaican music scene.
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| Dub Store Records Wail N Soul M / Solomonic Selection |
"My music is classically reggae. Seen? Every song has its own message. It have fe have the music to fit the song. Well I try to do that..." Bunny Wailer
Neville 'Bunny Wailer' Livingston, last surviving member of the original Wailers, is, to use a much overused and abused term, a living legend. In 1974, just as Bob Marley & The Wailers were on the brink of international fame, Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh left the group. This single minded determination to avoid the obvious would first shape and then ultimately define their solo careers. After the collapse of their Wail N Soul M label in the late sixties the trio had established Tuff Gong and Bob Marley's records with the new Wailers would continue to be released on the label. Peter Tosh's solo recordings were released on Intel Diplo H.I.M. (Intelligent Diplomat For His Imperial Majesty) and Bunny's were issued on the Solomonic label (as a mark of respect to the dynasty of Emperor Haile Selassie I) demonstrating their unwavering commitment to the Rastafarian faith.
Bunny had sung lead on a number of Wailers releases at Studio One including the ska into rocksteady classics 'Let Him Go (Rude Boy Get Bail)' and 'I Stand Predominate'. He continued to do so after leaving Brentford Road in 1966 when the Wailing Wailers established their short lived, artistically successful but economically disastrous, Wail N Soul M label. The Wailers then moved on to work with Lee 'Scratch' Perry, The Upsetter, and, once again Bunny sang lead on some of their most memorable songs including his adaptation of 'Dreamland'. When the Wailers were signed to Chris Blackwell's Island label Bunny came through with 'Pass It On' and 'Hallelujah Time' but it was not until he began recording for Solomonic that he was able to fully explore his own vision and his own highly individual artistic direction.
The early releases on Solomonic were not easy to locate at the time of first release and have become the stuff of legend over the ensuing thirty five years. They are now highly prized (and consequently highly priced) collectors items. Up until Dub Store Records' remarkable coup in licensing this selection for re-release none were available on any format. |
| Harry Hawks 2009 August, London |
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DSR-NL7-001
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DSR-NL7-002
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DSR-NL7-003
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DSR-NL7-004
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DSR-NL7-006
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DSR-NL7-007
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DSR-NL12-001
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DSR-NL12-002
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