Universal Music Recordings announces 50th Anniversary editions of Bob Marley And The Wailers’ ‘CATCH A FIRE’

CATCH A FIRE, Bob Marley And The Wailers‘ seminal first release on Island Records, universally regarded as the album which put reggae music on the global stage, is being re-issued via Universal Music Recordings on 3rd November 2023 to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of its original release in 1973.

CATCH A FIRE is the fifth studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers and was the first to be released by Island Records UK. The album originally had a limited release and was credited to The Wailers. Housed in a memorable sleeve, in the shape of a Zippo lighter designed by graphic artists Rod Dyer and Bob Weiner, CATCH A FIRE’s future versions would feature the classic portrait of Marley smoking a “spliff”,  taken by Esther Anderson. From then on, the artist credit was Bob Marley and The Wailers.

“Slave Driver”, one of the most powerful tracks on the album, will be released as a single, accompanied by remarkable live performance footage recently unearthed from the legendary Edmonton show in England, in 1973.

Fans will also be able to enjoy an ensemble of videos over the next few months to mark the release of the 50th anniversary editions in November.

CATCH A FIRE will be available on two special formats; a 3 x Vinyl LP + 12” set, a 3 CD set, as well as Digitally across all platforms.

LP1/CD1 features the full final studio recording, LP2/ CD2 is the 10-song live album, “Live From The Paris Theatre London”, while LP3/CD3, entitled Sessions, features alternative, extended and instrumental Jamaican versions of the original album tracks.

The additional 12”, available with the vinyl offering, and also included on CD3, features 3 classic tracks, Slave Driver, Get Up, Stand Up and Stop That Train, recorded live at the Wailer’s legendary performance at the Sundown Theatre in the village of Edmonton, North London. These historic recordings have only previously been available as a bootleg.

The reverse side of the 12” has an etched image of the iconic Zippo lighter illustration.

Both LP & CD packages will include a book comprised of classic images of Marley, from photo shoots with long time collaborators Adrian Boot, Arthur Gorson, who shot images of Bob for 2 weeks in Jamaica, Dennis Morris, and Neville Garrick.

The packages will also include press clippings from the era while brand new sleeve notes have been written by renowned music journalist and author, Chris Salewicz. The formats will utilise both iconic sleeve designs, the original famous Zippo lighter illustration & the later version with Bob smoking a spliff.

The D2C offering will be a LTD run pressed on coloured vinyl.

FULL TRACKLISTING:

3xLP+12″

LP1 – Studio Album

1. Concrete Jungle
2. Slave Driver
3. 400 Years
4. Stop That Train
5. Baby We’ve Got A Date (Rock It Baby)
6. Stir It Up
7. Kinky Reggae
8. No More Trouble
9. Midnight Ravers

LP2 – Paris Theatre London / 24th May 1973

1. Rastaman Chant
2. Slave Driver
3. Stop That Train
4. No More Trouble
5. 400 Years
6. Midnight Ravers
7. Stir it Up
8. Concrete Jungle
9. Get Up, Stand Up
10. Kinky Reggae

LP3 – Sessions

1. Slave Driver (Jamaican Extended Version)
2. 400 Years (Jamaican Extended Version)
3. High Tide Or Low Tide (Jamaican Alternate Version)
4. Stir It Up (Jamaican Alternate Version)
5. No More Trouble (Jamaican Extended Instrumental)
6. Stir It Up (Jamaican Extra Organ Version)
7. No More Trouble (Jamaican Extended Version)
8. Stop That Train (Working Mono Version)

12″ – Edmonton Sundown May 1973

1. Slave Driver (The Sundown Theatre in Edmonton, England. May 1973)
2. Get Up, Stand Up (The Sundown Theatre in Edmonton, England. May 1973)
3. Stop That Train (The Sundown Theatre in Edmonton, England. May 1973)

3CD

CD1 – Studio Album

1. Concrete Jungle
2. Slave Driver
3. 400 Years
4. Stop That Train
5. Baby We’ve Got A Date (Rock It Baby)
6. Stir It Up
7. Kinky Reggae
8. No More Trouble
9. Midnight Ravers

CD2 – Paris Theatre London / 24th May 1973

1. Rastaman Chant
2. Slave Driver
3. Stop That Train
4. No More Trouble
5. 400 Years
6. Midnight Ravers
7. Stir it Up
8. Concrete Jungle
9. Get Up, Stand Up
10. Kinky Reggae

CD3 – Sessions + Edmonton Sundown May 1973

1. Slave Driver (Jamaican Extended Version)
2. 400 Years (Jamaican Extended Version)
3. High Tide Or Low Tide (Jamaican Alternate Version)
4. Stir It Up (Jamaican Alternate Version)
5. No More Trouble (Jamaican Extended Instrumental)
6. Stir It Up (Jamaican Extra Organ Version)
7. No More Trouble (Jamaican Extended Version)
8. Stop That Train (Working Mono Version)
9. Slave Driver (The Sundown Theater in Edmonton, England. May, 1973)
10. Get Up, Stand Up (The Sundown Theater in Edmonton, England. May, 1973)
11. Stop That Train (The Sundown Theater in Edmonton, England. May, 1973)