RIP Bunny Wailer

[SpiderChrist]

http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Bunny_Wailer_is_dead

[Joy Nktonga]

This is really horrible news. RIP Bunny Livingston/Wailer :-(

[gib]

Someone recently introduced me to Dreamland, a beautiful song. RIP

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kz9GAcVJOs4

[SpiderChrist]

Right then. Apologies for the lack of text in my original post, Bunny's death hit me for six a bit, coming as it does after a run of shit news in the past few days. Anyway, I settled down last night to listen to his debut solo album Blackheart Man, which the man himself considered his best.

The songs on the album are regarded as the finest written by Bunny Wailer, and explore themes such as repatriation ("Dreamland"), and his arrest for marijuana possession ("Fighting Against Conviction", originally titled "Battering Down Sentence"). "This Train" is very loosely based on the American gospel standard of the same name. The album features some of Jamaica's leading musicians and also contributions from Bob Marley and Peter Tosh of The Wailers on backing vocals, and the Wailers rhythm section of Carlton and Aston Barrett on some of the tracks. The origins of the album title goes back to Wailer's childhood in the Jamaican countryside, where he grew up in the same village as his friend Bob Marley.

And so, ever so slightly stoned, I found myself in tears listening to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-uWulsF8o7k

And then I watched Fire In Babylon, the documentary about the West Indies cricket team of the 70s, and chuckled at Bunny's contributions:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFa-v_W07b0

So there you are. The last of the original Wailers has gone.

[Satchmo Distel]

There's a lovely version of Dreamland by Marcia Griffiths

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=83qRqEIwNA8

[Satchmo Distel]

I think his decision not to go with Chris Blackwell's strategy of putting Bob up front was honourable and he seems have been less resentful than Peter Tosh of Bob getting so much of the credit for the group's legacy. OTOH I am not sure if he and Rita got along well, ever.