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Bunny Wailer was a singer, songwriter and percussionist, born Neville O'Riley Livingston on April 10, 1947 in Kingston, Jamaica. He was founder and an original member of ska, rocksteady and reggae group The Wailers (formed 1963) along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. The young Livingston spent his earliest years in the village of Nine Mile in St. Ann Parish. It was there that he first met Bob Marley, and the two toddlers became fast friends. The boys both came from one parent families; Livingston was being brought up by his father, Marley by his mother. Later, Bunny's father Thaddeus "Toddy" Livingston lived with Bob Marley's mother Cedella Booker and had a daughter with her named Pearl Livingston. Peter Tosh had a son, Andrew Tosh, with another of Bunny's sisters, Shirley, making Andrew his nephew
Livingston was underused as a writer and lead vocalist in The Wailers compared with Marley and Tosh. When Wailers regularly changed producers during the early reggae years in the late 1960s, Livingston continued to be a key part of the group's distinctive harmonies. He sang however lead on "Dreamland" (a cover of El Tempos' My Dream Island, which soon became Bunny's signature song), "Riding High", "Brainwashing" and on one verse of the Wailers' Impressions-like "Keep On Moving", both produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry. In 1971, he recorded the original version of Pass It On
Bunny Wailer toured with the Wailers in England and the United States, but soon became reluctant to leave Jamaica. He and Tosh became more marginalized in the group as the Wailers became an international success, and attention was increasingly focused on Marley. Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh subsequently left the Wailers to pursue solo careers. They were replaced by the I Threes, a move to broaden the base of success for the Wailers in the non-Jamaican market.
After leaving the Wailers, Bunny became more focused on his spiritual faith. He identified with the Rastafari movement, as did the other Wailers. He self-produced a number of his recordings after striking out on his own. He has also written much of his own material as well as re-recording a number of cuts from the Wailers catalogue. Bunny Wailer has recorded primarily in the roots style, in keeping with his often political and spiritual messages. The album "Blackheart Man" is a good example of his roots reggae style and the dub version,Dub d*sco vol 1 equally magnificent if hard to find. "Sings the Wailers" successfully reworks many of The Wailers songs with the backing of top Jamaican musicians, Sly and Robbie. He has also had success recording in the typically apolitical, more pop dancehall style. He has outlived his contemporaries in a culture where death by violence is commonplace.
Bunny Wailer has won the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 1990, 1994 and 1996.
Bunny Wailer died on 2 March 2021.
ALBUMS WITH ORIGINAL MATERIAL
* ''Blackheart Man'' (1976) [[Island Records|Island]]/Solomonic
* ''Protest'' (1977) Island/Solomonic
* ''Struggle'' (1978) Solomonic
* ''Dubd'sco vol.1'' (1978) Solomonic
* ''In I Father's House'' (1979) Solomonic
* ''Bunny Wailer Sings the Wailers'' (1980) Island/Solomonic
* ''Dubd'sco vol.2'' (1981) Solomonic
* ''Rock 'n' Groove'' (1981) Solomonic
* ''Tribute'' (1981) Solomonic
* ''Hook Line & Sinker'' (1982) Solomonic
* ''Roots Radics Rockers Reggae'' (1983) [[Shanachie Records|Shanachie]]
* ''Live!'' (1983) Solomonic
* ''Marketplace'' (1985) Solomonic
* ''Rootsman Skanking'' (1987) Shanachie (international re-release of ''Rock And Groove'' edited version plus 3 extra tracks)
* ''Rule Dance Hall'' (1987) Shanachie
* ''Liberation'' (1989) Shanachie
* ''Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley'' (1990) Shanachie (international re-release of ''Tribute'' + 2 extra tracks)
* ''Gumption'' (1990) Shanachie
* ''The Never Ending Wailers'' (1991)
* ''Dance Massive'' (1992)
* ''Just Be Nice'' (1993) [[RAS Records|RAS]]
* ''Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary'' (1996) RAS
* ''Communication'' (2000) Solomonic/Tuff Gong
* ''World Peace'' (2003) Solomonic
* ''Rub A Dub'' (2007) Solomonic
* ''Cross Culture'' (2009) Solomonic
* ''Combinations Vol.1'' (2009) Solomonic
* ''Blackheart Man (Remastered & Extended)'' (2009) Solomonic
* ''Reincarnated Souls'' (2013), VP - 3CD + 2DVD set
Rock 'N Groove
Bunny Wailer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And number one is in the air
People dancing everywhere,
′Cause the music man is here
Reggae, boogie disco rock,
Is gonna call a shock attack
And this ya sound will never flop,
It sure has got to reach the top
Rock 'n′ groove with me
Get on now it's dancing time
Rock 'n′ groove with me
And I′ll know I'll make it fine
Rock ′n' groove with me
Get on now it′s dancing time
Rock 'n′ groove with me
And I'll know I'll make it fine
Rockers music on the ground,
Just working it all over town
The jukebox playing all night long,
Selecting this ya favorite song
Just now it′s on the radio,
(Clappin?) on the late, late show
DJ′s rocking all foot free,
It's moving on the R&B
Rock ′n' groove with me
Get on now it′s dancing time
Rock 'n′ groove with me
And I'll know I'll make it fine
Rock ′n′ groove with me
Get on now it's dancing time
Rock ′n' groove with me
And I′ll know I'll make it fine
Reggae, boogie disco rock,
Is gonna call a shock attack
And this ya sound will never flop,
It sure has got to reach the top
Just now it′s on the radio,
(Clappin?) on the late, late show
DJ's rocking all foot free,
It's moving on the R&B
Rock ′n′ groove with me
Get on now it's dancing time
Rock ′n' groove with me
And I′ll know I'll make it fine
Rock ′n' groove with me
Get on now it's dancing time
Rock ′n′ groove with me
And I'll know I′ll make it fine
The lyrics to Bunny Wailer's "Rock 'N Groove" are centered around the power of music to bring people together and create a sense of joy and unity. The song starts with the proclamation that the music is spreading out far and near, and that it's number one in the air. This sets the scene for the rest of the song, which describes people dancing everywhere and the power of the music man to move the crowd.
The lyrics refer to a variety of genres, including reggae, boogie, disco, and rock, highlighting the diverse influences that make up the music that's being celebrated. The sound is described as a "shock attack" that will never flop, and is sure to "reach the top." This reflects the optimism and confidence that the music inspires, and the belief that it can take the listener to new heights.
Throughout the song, Bunny encourages the listener to "rock 'n' groove with him" and to embrace the dancing time. He promises that if we do, we'll "make it fine," emphasizing the transformative power that music can have in our lives. Overall, these lyrics celebrate the joy and sense of community that music can create, and encourage us to let go and embrace the rhythm.
Line by Line Meaning
Spread out this ya sound is (far and near?)
The music is spreading far and wide
And number one is in the air
This music is the best
People dancing everywhere,
Everyone is dancing to the music
‘Cause the music man is here
The musician has arrived
Reggae, boogie disco rock,
A mix of different music genres
Is gonna call a shock attack
The music will be a surprise to many
And this ya sound will never flop,
The music will never fail
It sure has got to reach the top
The music is going to be successful
Rock 'n' groove with me
Dance to the beat with me
Get on now it's dancing time
It's time to start dancing
And I'll know I'll make it fine
I'll be alright
Rockers music on the ground,
The music is being played all over the place
Just working it all over town
The music is spreading throughout the town
The jukebox playing all night long,
The music is being played all night
Selecting this ya favorite song
Selecting a favorite song to play
Just now it's on the radio,
The music is now being played on the radio
(Clappin?) on the late, late show
People are clapping during a late-night performance
DJ's rocking all foot free,
The DJ is dancing with no worries
It's moving on the R&B
The music is transitioning to R&B
Writer(s): Neville Livingston
Contributed by Sophie K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@callmenoni
One of the greatest albums to ever exist ✨
@osimanmabhachi5047
Siyabonga sis ..... my brother used to play it in 1984
@truthman6550
Top 5 Reggae album of all time in my opinion
@ivanjosephmurray605
Greetings from Ireland! Bunny Bizness dem! 🙂
@dailosgarciafajardo6648
ok
@ibraheemsuleiman9465
No doubt
@dorainecampbell3942
RIP Bunny wailer god bless u and your wonderful music what you left behind! your songs will live on forever 🙏❤💛💚🇯🇲
@lawrencegreene7833
900
@bernadettegeorgeyesheisthe49
@@lawrencegreene7833 I agree 💯 his music will live on rest in peace my brother Bunny
@mattyddevine5385
@@lawrencegreene7833 za,N,az