THE UNHEARD BOB MARLEY & THE WAILERS: “THE CAPITOL SESSION ’73” TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 3!

By Nate Todd/

A previously unheard Bob Marley and The Wailers album, The Capitol Session ‘73, is set for release on September 3 via Tuff Gong and Mercury Studios. The closed session, live performance was captured on film and will arrive in DVD, CD and vinyl formats previewed by a video of “Stir It Up.”

The early 1970s were a rollercoaster of success for the now legendary Bob Marley and The Wailers. The genre they helped create, reggae, was catching on in the U.S., and this led to the band performing with Bruce Springsteen at Max’s Kansas City in NYC and also being included on a tour with Sly & The Family Stone. For whatever reasons, however, Bob Marley and The Wailers were cut from the tour.

So the band — Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Joe Higgs, Aston Barrett, Carlton Barrett and Earl “Wya” Lindo — headed out to Hollywood where they recorded and filmed The Capitol Session ‘73 during a closed-door session at The Capitol Records Tower on October 24, 1973 with renowned producer Denny Cordell. Much of the subject matter on the album (tracklist below) highlights Bob, Peter and company’s deep involvement in the socio-political activism of the times, as press materials for the album note:

Evolving into a politically and socially charged unit after being inspired by the US Civil Rights movement, various African liberation efforts, and Rastafari, which Bob Marley and the Wailers studied from Rasta elders, their music reflected the soul and struggles of the era. Making poignant statements about life, liberty, and social justice, the sentiments are imbued in the songs, which are beautifully brought to life via Bob Marley and The Wailers: The Capitol Session ‘73.

The footage from the session was thought lost for years until a freelance researcher discovered a few frames. The discovery spurred a 20-year nationwide search to find the full performance, which has been restored and remastered.

Preview Bob Marley And The Wailers: The Capitol Session ‘73 with the video for “Stir It Up” and check out a trailer for the album below: