Bob Marley (Part 3)

The Great Posthumous Cultural Ambassador of Jamaica.


Under the Bob Marley Jamaica group of companies, there are business interests in fashion; Tuff Gong’s Fashion Company,
“ Catch The Fire Clothing”, a designer clothes label, was co-founded by Cedella Marley and Rohan Marley, the brains behind the business idea, along with business partner Stefano Aldighieri, the former creative director of 7 for All Mankind and design director for Levi Strauss & Company has studio facilities in Miami, Florida, with additional offices for customer services and distribution base in Secaucus, New Jersey.

Cedella Marley

Corporate links have been established with major retailers in North America, with chin stores such as Bloomingdales, with clothes available for sale at their  New York and Los Angeles Stores. Clothes lines are also available at two other fashion chains, Atrium (NewYork) and Harry Lehr (New York) and independent retailers across America.

The web site provides the same services as the book store. On several occasions individual family members or groups of family members have established not-for-profit companies and organisations to meet various human needs inJamaicaand across the globe. Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers created the U.R.G.E (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment).

 International offices are based in America at Bob Marley Music Inc. RE: U.R.G.E, at 632 Broadway Suite 910, New York, NY10012.
The organization’s main agenda is to give financial assistance to orphanages in Jamaica and Africa, to assist different ethnic groups such as Kehilat Israel’s “Feed the Hungry” task force (a Jewish organization that provides food each month to families who live in the Turning Point Transitional Shelter in Santa Monica, CA) and to provide funds for the victims of natural disasters.
URGE teamed up with kids from a middle school in Stamford, CT, to match the funds they raised for those affected by the recent tsunami in Asia. U.R.G.E also raises funds for health issues such as AIDS/HIV, helping abandoned children with the illness. Matthew 25:40 is one such organization based in Jamaica, which also provides financial assistance to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in America. On the education front they have provided equipment and clothing for needy children in developing countries around the world through a joint effort with Nike Corporation.

The Rita Marley Foundation, another non-profit organisation founded by Rita with the main purpose of carrying on the vision of her late husband to eradicate poverty and hunger specifically in communities in less developed countries across the globe through the creation of economic investment and development funds for improvements in education and health.
The family has gone into the tourism business with the current construction and development of a resort and spa named after Bob Marley.

The whole construction project was supervised by Rita Marley to make sure that everything was in keeping with the vision of the family. The resort and spa is going to be located in Bahamian and is scheduled to be open sometime in 2006.

Rohan Marley

The Marley family is the first family in music in Jamaica, considering their cultural and economic impact on the Jamaican economy, in the wider Caribbean and worldwide. The famous American financier David Pullman, founder of the Pullman Fund, stated that he believed the Marley estate to be worth approximately $ 100 million. Since 2000, Forbes magazine has been publishing a list of the top 10 posthumous earners who were recording artists, actors and authors.
In that list, Bob Marley has made on average $10 million per year from America record sales and merchandising. No other Caribbean artist has such a diverse portfolio of business interests that still has tremendous potential and earnings globally.

 Marley is an international cultural icon. His legacy will live on for generations to come through his family, who are all passionate about maintaining his message of liberty and equality for all mankind and determined to keep his dreams, philosophies and legacy alive. Long live the rich music of Robert Nesta Marley, better known as Bob Marley, truly the King of Reggae


                                  Researched and compiled by                            
                                                   Mr K Tomlin Music Historian 
                                                  ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline2013



 

Bob Marley (Part 2)

               The Great Posthumous Cultural Ambassador of Jamaica.


After his death, the Marley family under the leadership of Rita Marley went about establishing a company to manage the intellectual property, copyrights and general merchandise of Bob Marley. The entire Marley family has worked continually with absolute clarity and focus to keep the musical vision and legacy of Bob Marley alive and well.
Tuff Gong Records was established prior to his death under a distribution agreement with Island Records under the leadership of Chris Blackwell in 1972, with the sole aim of promoting the group to international markets which he finally accomplished before he sold the label to PolyGram/Universal. Out of that distribution deal the 1984 “Legend” album achieved diamond certification on 7^thMarch 1999 for over 10 million copies sold in the USA according RIAA (Record Industry Association of America).


The Legend project is the biggest 
selling reggae album of all time.
The compilation album has sold over
14 million copies in

America with a further 25 million 
copies internationally

The album spent over 800 weeks on the Billboard Top Catalogue Album chart listings and went to number one on several occasions, the last as recently as 26^thJune 2004. In the UK the album also did very well by going to number one on the British Pop Album chart listing for 12 weeks in May 1984 and staying on the chart over 2 years, in the process selling 1.8 million copies, with a certified multiple platinum award from the BPI ( British Phonographic Industry ). One of Bob Marley & The Wailer’s songs,



  The platinum certified  album
 "Conscious Party"

“Get Up, Stand Up”, was inducted into The Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 for lasting artistic and historical significance.

Bob’s other son Ziggy Marley, along with his brother Stephen and sisters Sharon and Cedella, has brought the Marley legacy to the Hip Hop generation via The Melody Makers, in the process obtaining tremendous success with two albums produced and released by Hip Hop generation . The musical journey started with the
The album “Conscious Party” was the first recording project by the group to receive platinum certification in America and a Grammy Award for “Best Reggae Album”.

 The album “Conscious Party” (Virgin 90878) which debuted at number 23 on the Billboard Album Pop chart listings on 14th May 1988 and was certified platinum for one million copies sold in America by 27^th September 1991.         



 "One Bright Day" was the last gold 
certified album in America

The follow-up album “One Bright Day” (Virgin 91256) debuted at number 26 on the Billboard Album Pop chart listings on 26^th August 1989 and was also certified gold for half million copies eventually sold in the USA on 16^th November 1995. In addition to these two outstanding achievements, the band’s main single “Tumblin’ Down” (Virgin 99299), extracted from “Conscious Party”, and reached number one on the Billboard R&B singles chart listings for 2 weeks on 24^thDecember 1988. The track was remixed by Hank Shocklee, well-known for his successful work with Public Enemy, to give the group a more Hip Hop sound.

                                     Researched and compiled by
                                     Mr K Tomlin Music Historian
                                 ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline 2013
 

Bob Marley (Part 1)

The Great Posthumous Cultural Ambassador of Jamaica.

                                                           





The legendary Bob Marley. 
The posthumous
cultural ambassador of
 the sunny island of Jamaica

Since Bob Marley’s death on 11^th May 1981, he has become an international cultural and musical icon, representing the sunny island of Jamaica, through the Jamaican Tourist Board, with his classic song: “One Love”, which is featured on media outlets across the globe in many different languages to promote the island as a holiday destination.

Marley’s music has impacted on every cultural and ethnic group through his personal philosophy, which was based on human empowerment and emancipation from mental, physical and spiritual slavery. Economic empowerment was also part of his personal philosophy. He is a key figure in the Rastafarian religion which started in Jamaica.

Marley’s musical compositions reflect the colours of the Jamaican national flag, black, gold and green. The black signifies strength, gold symbolises the sunshine and green is a reflection of the land. The people are strong and creative, with 76.3% black, 15.1% Afro- European, 3% East Indian and Afro-East Indian, 3.2 % white and finally 1.2% Chinese and Afro – Chinese.

To honour his many achievements, the Jamaican Post Office decided to issue a Bob Marley commemorative stamp on 29^th December 1982. Then, nearly 10 years after his death, the Jamaican government decided to commemorate his birthday by proclaiming a national holiday on 1^st February 1990.

Before Marley and The Wailers developed their musical art form, they were influenced by early R&B classics recorded by legendary American artists such as Ray Charles, Sam Cooke and especially the Impressions, led at different times by Curtis Mayfield and Jerry Butler. The Impressions’ flawless harmonies seem to have had considerable impact. The output from Motown recording studios in Detroit was another major influence in the development from ska-blue beat to rock steady and finally to full blown reggae, showing the same innovation and passionate approach that Jimi Hendrix and Sly Stone exemplified and in the process creating a revolutionary sound that has made reggae commercially successful as an international musical art form.




Damian continuing his father's musical legacy

with great impact

This did not go unnoticed by music institutions such as the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS), who conduct the Grammy Award programme in USA. The organisation has now created a Reggae Awards Category. It is interesting to see that Bob’s son Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley received two Grammy awards for “Best Reggae Album” and “Best Urban/Alternative Performance” at the 48^thannual Grammy Awards . Also Damian’s mother is Cindy Breakspeare, Jamaica’s former Miss World. Damian is continuing with his father’s musical legacy with international success.


              Researched and compiled by
              Mr K Tomlin Music Historian
              ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline 2013
 

America's West Coast Music Recording Icons

                                                         ( Part 2 )
                                    
                                 


Barry White

Barry White exerted incredible influence as a cultural icon, famous all over the world for his romantic and sexual themes: many parents around the world claim that they were influenced by his songs in terms of their love making and no doubt babies have been born due to the effects of the sexually-charged lyrics of songs such as “Please take of your clothes” and “I am here to please you”. If you use your imagination, you can understand the extent of his influence on females, with his sexy, raspy bass-baritone voice, supported by lush orchestral backing. Barry White has certainly mastered the language of foreplay to a fine art. His sensuous songs concentrated on male-female relationships with great sensitivity and later influenced disco music and British soul artists such as Lisa Stansfield and Soul 11 Soul.

This album was Barry White's first gold certified
album of his career as a solo artist

Between 1973 and 1974 Barry White generated over $16 million in revenue for 20^th Century Records, from three different sources. With Love Unlimited he achieved R&B number 1 and Pop number 27 with the song “I Belong To You” from the gold album “In Heat”. From the Love Unlimited Orchestra came “Love Theme”, a gold single (for over million copies sold in the USA) taken from the gold album “Rhapsody In White”. The orchestra produced another gold album entitled “White Gold”, featuring the hit single “Satin Soul”. But the greatest achievement amongst White’s recording projects were his solo efforts, starting in 1973 with his first gold single “I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More Baby” which reached R&B number 1 and Pop number 3, from the gold album “I’ve Got So Much To Give”.

This is the third solo album that contains gold singles
 "You're The First, My Last My Everything" and
 "Can't Get Enough Your Love Babe"

The next major achievement was the gold single “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” which topped the British Pop chart and peaked at Pop number 2 and R&B number 1 in America. In 1974 White finally achieved the ultimate by going to number one on both Billboard Pop and R&B charts with another gold single “Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe” in the USA . It is interesting to note that these last two gold singles came from the same gold album entitled “Can’t Get Enough”. During that period in America Pop culture, Barry White was the only producer, songwriter and artist to have hit records from three different sources at the same time.

  White’s cultural influence became noticeable  with academic institutions such as Oxford University which invited the legendary artist to speak to their body of over 900 students organized by the Oxford Union about his “lady music” and his three decades of creative and dynamic involvement in the music industry. Barry’s voice and music has also appeared in television, movies and commercial advertisement. Compare to Bill Withers’  extensive list , White’s listing is extremely small, arranging from movies: Coonskin aka Street Fight (1975); Why Color? Voice only (1992) and television: Ally McBeal series ( cameo role appearance singing one of his hit songs).

The “Milk to the Rescue” commercial campaign in America used Love Unlimited  Orchestra to for background music with voiceover to inform us of the benefits of calcium in our health. The only major difference between the two artists is that Barry White has sold a large quantity of gold and platinum records globally with over 41 platinum albums and 106 gold albums, 10 platinum  and 20 gold singles to his credit mounting to worldwide sales in excess of 100 million at present. This is indeed remarkable for a man who achieved the American dream by using music as his transport to move from the ghetto to international success.

This was Barry White last  gold certified
solo album recording of his career
before death

Approximately 80 million baby boomers in the USA grew up listening to the powerful songs of Bill Withers and Barry White. According to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), consumers aged 40 and above purchased 36.6 percent of recorded music sold in America during 2003. The biggest selling genres were Rap and R&B, accounting for over one third of all records sold in 2003 (and 2004). Artists such as Bill Withers and Barry White have created economic sustainability in the recording industry with re-released recordings of previous hit albums and compilations, especially after 9/11, when the industry went through tremendously difficult and challenging times financially.

 On entering many five star hotels and corporate offices across the world you will hear the sound of the “Love Theme” by Love Unlimited Orchestra, creating an ambience to soothe the heavy demands of life in general. It is fascinating to see how these artists (the two BWs, Barry White and Bill Withers) have maintained their global appeal. They are indeed cultural institutions to be celebrated and respected for their outstanding achievement and impact on popular music. These men have proved once again that well written and brilliantly produced compositions will live on for generations, constantly renewing their appeal.

Researched and compiled by
Mr K Tomlin Music Historian
©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline 2013

America's West Coast Music Recording Icons

                                                   ( Part 1)

In this article we will examine the cultural, creative and corporate impact of Bill Withers and Barry White. They are two of the most successful artists from America’s west coast.

 



Bill Withers



Bill Withers is well known for the socially conscious lyrics, based on a psychology of human potential and empowerment and full of message-laden images, that characterized his hits during the 1970s. Songs such as “Lean On Me” and “Lovely Day” fit into that particular psychology, to which an electrifying and dynamic voice added a rich, pure, soulful feeling that combined a touch of Blues and R&B and which separated him from his contemporaries.

Bill Withers gold certified album 
and Billboard Hip/Hop
and R&B number one album

 

Bill is one of a list of legendary artists whose intellectual properties are used extensively used in advertisements, movies and recorded music. Core customers will have Bill Withers on their list of favourite artists to buy over the long term. His songs are used by many corporations because his recordings are felt to be especially appropriate for advertising their particular products; his output is middle of the  road,  safe and high quality with good production values and a smooth delivery that is pleasant to listen to.




This gold certified album 
contents the
classic hit single
 "Lovely Day"

When you play a track such as “Lovely Day”, it is easy to associate the song with the experience of driving a luxury sport car with the top down on a hot, sunny day in the countryside with your friends, family or partner. Or you can close your eyes and dream of enjoying a cool drink while relaxing on holiday in the Caribbean, away from the stresses of everyday life. It is very relaxing music, not dangerous but made very positive and uplifting by lyrics that are “good for the soul”.  

The list of advertisements featuring Withers’ work (this is a partial list of credits) includes:

Burger King	Frito Lay-Doritos
Campbell’s Soup	Gap
Chevrolet Truck	Hallmark Cards
Denny’s Breakfast	VISA

Movie-makers too have often seen the potential of these songs. Recent examples of their use in films include:

American Beauty	The Bodyguard
Jackie Brown	The Nephew

Notting Hill	Old School
Austin Powers-The Spy Who Shagged Me	When We Were Kings

And of course where film goes television is not far behind. A television list of credits (again a partial list) includes:

Ally McBeal	Rosie O’Donnell
Bernie Mac Show	Saturday Night Live
Motown Live	The Oprah Winfrey Show
MTV: The Real World

The Simpsons

Researched and compiled by
Mr k Tomlin Music Historian
©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline 2013



Billy Davis Jr ( Part 3)

 Recording and Advertising Executive Extraordinaire.

    

 

   

               He was one of the key architects in the development of the soul music we so love today!

The second stage of his creative career made him a very important figure in the advertising industry around the globe. On the strength of the gold record “Rescue Me” and other major hit records on Chess, Billy caught the attention of the McCann-Erickson advertising agency in New York. They made him an offer he could not refuse and so in 1969 the agency hired him as jingles songwriter. Davis first major assignment at the agency was to help Coca-Cola develop an international brand across all the markets where the company was trading, based on the old advertising campaign slogan “It’s the Real Thing”.

Davis was assigned to create several songs with songwriter Roger Cook and creative director Billy Backer, who was responsible for The Coca-Cola Company account. The actual recording session occurred in London, England, with the New Seekers, a British recording group. Out of the studio session a song was born that would impact people around the global for generations and established Coca-Cola as a major leader in the soft drink market for a long period. The song was titled “I’d Like to Buy The World a Coke and Keep it Company”.

With his creative skills, he was able plant into people’s subconscious minds a song that was easy to remember and enjoyable to listen to, with a special appeal to young people, which helped to increase sales levels for Coca-Cola international. The basic message of the ad was that Coca-Cola had a strong bond helping people to connect to each other regardless of race or colour. 

 The advertising campaign became so successful that it appeared in a variety of languages to match the ever-increasing global demand. Davis rewrote the song as “I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing (In Perfect Harmony)”, as recorded by the Hillside Singers and the New Seekers. The single version performed by the New Seekers entered the American Pop chart in the top ten listing and achieved platinum level sales for over two million plus copies sold. According to many surveys conducted in the  United States, this commercial was the best of all time and the sheet music continues to sell thirty years after it was originally recorded and written.

Other successful jingles followed: “It's The Real Thing”, “Have a Coke and a Smile”, “Coke Is It” and “Things Go Better with Coke”. Other ads were created for Nescafé, Miller Beers, Sony and Nabisco. The Miller Beers’ popular jingle was; “If You’ve Got the Time”, which was also a successful advertising campaign in North America.

Before Davis retired from the advertising industry, he achieved the position of senior vice-president and musical director at McCann-Erickson and became one of the most successful black executives in the world of advertising. Davis’s song writing approach to jingles, completely revolutionized the advertising industry and brought products into our subconscious minds, creating brand images that spread globally regardless of race and culture. Billy Davis stated in an interview published in the Detroit Free Press on 24^th April 1983:

            “Using music in a commercial is a great aid to recall. It will help you remember the commercial and the product. Music allows you to add emotional content.”

                          Researched and compiled by
                          Mr K Tomlin Music Historian  
                          ©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline 2013
 


Billy Davis ( Part 2 )

  Recording and Advertising Executive Extraordinaire.

                                              

            He was one of the key architects in the development of the soul music we so love today!

Davis Jr decided to move to Chicago in 1962 in search of greener pastures where he could further develop the creative skills he had acquired while working in the Detroit Soul scene during the mid-1950s to the early 1960s.

 

In a typically brilliant move, Leonard Chess, with a growing interest in the Soul market which was dominated mainly by Motown and Stax at the time and well aware of the strength of Billy Davis’s previous success with Berry Gordy, decided to offer him a contract to develop a strong R&B division at Chess, in line with Motown and Stax.

 

With Davis present in the creative role as producer, songwriter and arranger in the Chess organisation, the opportunity arose to create a more soulful sound and to move the label away from the Blues-dominated sound of the label up to then. He persuaded Leonard Chess to hire musicians with a Jazz background and arrangers for long term session work. Maurice White once said about Billy:

“He taught me how to break down a song and build it up again”.

 

 

 

 

Maurice White

The co-founder and musical architect of Earth, Wind &  Fire    

                         

 

The knowledge White obtained from Davis during recording sessions was the foundation that helped him become a formidable band leader, record producer, record label owner and songwriter.

The production skills Davis developed whilst working with Berry Gordy’s sister Gwen Gordy’s Anna label in Detroit can be heard on such classic tracks as “All I Could Do Was Cry” by Etta James, “Rescue Me” by Fontella Bass and on many other tracks. On “Rescue Me”, which was produced live in the studio, you can hear the Motown influence, but with a Chicago soul sound put into the mix. Billy Davis spent seven years at Chess and also held the position of repertoire director.

Davis Jr greatest achievement was to produced the first and only number-one R&B and Soul hit on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles Chart for a female artist at Chess  Records The single “Rescue Me”, recorded by Fontella Bass, which arrived at the R&B summit on the 30^th October 1965. “Rescue Me” typified the new Chess: built on a bed-rock of Satterfield’s bass and White’s drums, powered by Gene Barge’s horn section, and propelled by the call-and-response of singer and background vocalists.

This record became a hit in several major Europe markets including the UK. You can hear this single on movie soundtracks and it has been used in marketing campaigns across the USA and in Europe.


Researched and compiled by
 Mr K Tomlin Music Historian  
©RCM Music/Signaturesoundsonline 2013