- … Read Full Bio ↴There are or have been - at least - two bands named The Wailers:
- The legendary Jamaican reggae band (founded as a ska group 1963, and became a Rastafarian reggae band in 1968), renamed Bob Marley & The Wailers in 1974, which are still active led by bassist Aston Barrett after Marley's death in 1981.
- The Fabulous Wailers, a rock and roll and garage band from the USA, active 1958-1969, first led by John Greek, replaced in 1960 by Rockin' Robin Roberts.
1) Bob Marley & The Wailers have together sold in excess of 255 million albums worldwide. Since they are extraordinary popular also in poor countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America with big markets for pirate copies the total amounts of albums sold has been estimated to over 1 billion. In England alone, they've notched up over 20 chart hits, including seven Top 10 entries. In USA on the other hand, Bob Marley & The Wailers reached superstar status only after Marley's death, with the album Legend , focusing on the person Bob Marley but not on the band. Outside of their groundbreaking work with Marley, the Wailers have also played or performed with international acts like Sting, the Fugees, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana, and Alpha Blondy, as well as reggae legends such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer, and Burning Spear. As the greatest living exponents of Jamaica's reggae tradition, the Wailers have completed innumerable other tours, playing to an estimated 24 million people across the globe. They have also been the first reggae band to tour new territories on many occasions, including Africa and the Far East.
Their nucleus formed in 1969, when the vocalist group "The Wailers" (formed 1963 by Bob Marley, Bunny Wailer, and Peter Tosh) requited the talented Barrett brothers: bassist Aston "Family Man" and drummer Carlton (writer of well-known Marley songs like "War" and "Talking Blues", 'sound-maker' of more Marley songs, developer of the one drop style in reggae music) played on hits such as Lively Up Yourself, Trenchtown Rock, Duppy Conqueror, and many more besides. Inspired by Rastafari and their ambitions of reaching an international audience, this is the line-up that pioneered roots rock reggae, and signed to Island Records in 1971. Bunny and Peter left two years later. It was at this point that the in-demand Barrett brothers - whose rhythms also underpinned innumerable seventies' reggae hits by other acts - assumed the title of Wailers, and backed Marley on the group's international breakthrough album, Natty Dread. Under Family Man's musical leadership, they then partnered Bob Marley on the succession of hit singles and albums that made him a global icon, winner of several Lifetime Achievement awards, and Jamaica's best-loved musical superstar.
Drummer Carlton "Carlie" Barrett was murdered 1987, leaving his brother as the main beneficiary of the Wailers' mantle. Subsequent line-ups have revolved around Family Man, who is widely regarded as one of the world's greatest bass players. Modest and unassuming, he was present on all of those unforgettable performances by Bob Marley & The Wailers from the seventies. Family Man continues to be the main axis of the current Wailers - a group that's one of the last, great reggae institutions, yet which refuses to live off past glories. That's because Family Man represents tried and trusted roots authenticity and, along with the Wailers, injects fresh excitement into a show that continues to attract enthusiastic audiences from around the world.
2) The Fabulous Wailers were an American rock band from Tacoma, Washington. Formed around 1958, they are often considered the first garage rock group. They performed a hybrid of saxophone-driven rhythm and blues and Chuck Berry rock and roll.
Five 45s (four released in 1959, including Tall Cool One, and one in 1960) and an LP release, The Fabulous Wailers (released December 1959 on Golden Crest Records), put the Wailers on the national scene. Their 1961 cover of Louie Louie, which they recorded as a backing band for singer Rockin' Roberts, was the first to use the trademark 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2-3 riff. Their version inspired other groups from the Seattle area, most notably the The Kingsmen of Portland, Oregon, to record the same song. The Fabulous Wailers' influence established the Pacific Northwest area as a center for musical innovation and the home of a long string of regional favorites playing a kind of raunchy, amateur, yet passionate, form of rock and roll, such as The Sonics, with whom they exchanged various band members and who recorded on The Wailers own Etiquette Records label.
They became popular around the United States Pacific Northwest around the late 1950s and the start of the 1960s, performing saxophone-driven R&B and Chuck Berry rock and roll. Their biggest hit was "Tall Cool One", first released in 1959, and they have been credited as being "one of the very first, if not the first, of the American garage bands."
The group was formed – originally as The Nitecaps – in 1958, by five high school friends:
John Greek (27 October 1940 – 6 October 2006) – rhythm guitar, trumpet
Richard Dangel (1 December 1942 – 2 December 2002) – lead guitar
Kent Morrill (2 April 1941 – 15 April 2011) – keyboards, vocals
Mark Marush (15 August 1940 – 9 August 2007) – tenor sax
Mike Burk (b. 1942) – drums
In late 1958, the group recorded a demo of an instrumental written by Dangel, Morrill and Greek, which found its way to Clark Galehouse of New York based Golden Crest Records. He liked the track and had it re-recorded by the band in Lakewood in February 1959; its title "Tall Cool One" was apparently suggested by Morrill's mother. Released as a single, it reached # 36 on the Billboard Hot 100 and # 24 on the R&B chart. The band made the cross-country trip to New York to record an LP, The Fabulous Wailers, which was released in December 1959 and featured two vocals by Morrill as well as instrumentals. They also appeared on Dick Clark's nationally televised American Bandstand, and toured the east coast. A second instrumental from their first recording session, "Mau-Mau", made # 68 on the Billboard pop chart, but their third single, "Wailin'", failed to make the chart.
The band decided to return to the Northwest, rather than staying in New York as their record label wished, and they were dropped from their contract. Around the same time, they added lead vocalist "Rockin' Robin" Roberts (Lawrence Fewell Roberts II), a charismatic frontman who had previously been the singer with rival Tacoma band the Bluenotes. John Greek left the group in acrimonious circumstances, and was replaced by bassist John "Buck" Ormsby (Seattle, October 29, 1941 - October 29, 2016). Ormsby, Morrill and Roberts then formed Etiquette Records and, in 1961, the label released its first single, a cover version of Richard Berry's "Louie Louie". For contractual reasons the single was credited to Roberts, but was performed by the whole band. Their recording became a local hit and was distributed nationally by Imperial Records, but did not make the national chart. However, its style, with its trademark 1-2-3, 1-2, 1-2-3 riff, inspired other groups from the Seattle area, most notably the Kingsmen of Portland, Oregon, to record the same song.
The Wailers continued to perform locally and, according to Morrill, one of their biggest fans was the young Jimi Hendrix, then starting to perform guitar. The band performed both with and without Roberts, who studied at the University of Washington, the University of Puget Sound, and Oregon State University, eventually achieving a masters degree in biochemistry. They also occasionally featured teenage girl singer Gail Harris, notably on the live album The Fabulous Wailers at the Castle, recorded in 1961, which has been described as "undoubtedly one of the most influential albums in Seattle rock & roll history." In all, the band recorded and released four albums on their own Etiquette label between 1962 and 1966, as well as a succession of singles. They also helped instigate the recording career of The Sonics, whose first two albums were issued by the label, and helped begin Jini Dellaccio's career as a rock'n'roll photographer when they hired her to shoot cover photos for their album Wailers, Wailers, Everywhere.
Mark Marush left The Wailers in 1962 and was replaced by Ron Gardner, who also handled lead vocals; Dangel and Burk left in 1964 and were replaced by guitarist Neil Andersson and drummer Dave Roland respectively. Continuing to perform live as well as recording, the band added a trio of girl backing singers, known as the Marshans. Also in 1964, "Tall Cool One" was re-promoted by the Golden Crest label, and again made the Billboard pop chart, this time peaking at # 38. In 1965 Roberts made his final recordings with the group, and, in 1967, guitarist Neil Andersson was replaced by Denny Weaver. Roberts was killed, aged 27, in a car crash in late 1967.
The band split up in 1969, by which time Kent Morrill was the only remaining original member. Morrill, Dangel and Ormsby, with other musicians, reunited as The Wailers for occasional concerts from the 1970s onwards. In 1979, they joined with Burk, Gardner, and Gail Harris to play a reunion show.
Later activities
Ormsby re-established the Etiquette label in the mid-1980s, and issued a Wailers compilation, The Boys from Tacoma, in 1993. The Wailers' song, "Out of Our Tree", was featured in the 1998 CD version of the Nuggets: Original Artyfacts From the First Psychedelic Era collection. Several of the Wailers' tunes were also covered by The Ventures, and the two bands released an album together, Two Car Garage, in 2009 to celebrate their 50 years in existence.
Ron Gardner died in 1992. Richard Dangel died of an aneurysm in 2002. John Greek died in 2006, Mark Marush in 2007, and Kent Morrill died of cancer on 15 April 2011. Buck Ormsby died in 2016.
Fire Fire
The Wailers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna tell you one thing about me. And what I want
When I wake up I dont want the same as you
No I want my self, in a different kind a way
Dont you know what Im trying to say to you, right now
I like the way we look like. The way we think. Our body just fires me up
Cause Im gay, And I love it. Why should I feel ashamed
Do you wanna send me to the white men? Do you wanna see me bleeding out?
Arent we finish now, with all that crap about men and women
Im gonna win this fight. Im gonna show you that Im nice too
I do the same thing like you. I feel love
When I was younger. I feelt I was a whole differnt kind of creature than you
I didnt understand that there was more people like me out there
I Felt that I was wrong, and I need to fix it
Then I became strong, and I said it to all my friends around me
And that was great! But a little bit scary
One step closer, to the biginning of my real life
Suddenly I went proud. And I won. Come on, sing along!
Put that fire on me
Cause we are gay, And We love it. Why should we feel ashamed
Do you wanna send us to the white men? Do you wanna see us bleeding out?
Arent we finish now, with all that crap about men and women
We gonna win this fight. We gonna show you that Were nice too
We do the same thing like you. We feel love
Cause we are gay, And We love it. Why should we feel ashamed
Do you wanna send us to the white men? Do you wanna see us bleeding out?
Arent we finish now, with all that crap about men and women
We gonna win this fight. We gonna show you that Were nice too
We do the same thing like you. We feel love
Put that fire on me
Put that fire on me
Put that fire on me
Put that fire on me
Put that fire on me
The lyrics of The Wailers' song "Fire Fire" express a powerful message of self-acceptance and pride in one's identity as a gay individual. The singer wants to show the world, and specifically those who may hold prejudiced views, that being gay is normal and that they are just like everyone else. The lyrics emphasize the desire for understanding and acceptance, rejecting the notion of feeling ashamed or being treated unfairly because of their sexual orientation.
The song highlights the internal struggle the singer faced as they tried to navigate their own path and come to terms with their identity. They express the feeling of being different from others and not fully understanding that there are others like them. However, as they grew stronger and opened up to their friends, they found support and empowerment.
The chorus of the song, which repeats throughout, emphasizes the pride and determination of the LGBTQ+ community. It challenges prejudices and discrimination, asserting that they deserve the same love and respect as anyone else, regardless of their sexual orientation.
Overall, "Fire Fire" delivers a message of resilience, self-acceptance, and the desire for equality and understanding for the LGBTQ+ community.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna show the world that Im normal too. That Im one of you, look like you
I want to demonstrate that I am just like everyone else, that I belong and appear similar to you.
I wanna tell you one thing about me. And what I want
I want to express something important about myself and communicate my desires.
When I wake up I dont want the same as you
When I start my day, I don't desire the same things as you.
No I want my self, in a different kind a way
Rather, I aspire to be true to myself in a unique manner.
Dont you know what Im trying to say to you, right now
Do you not understand the message I am attempting to convey to you at this moment?
I like the way we look like. The way we think. Our body just fires me up
I admire our appearance, mindset, and our very being fills me with enthusiasm.
Oh hey, put that fire on me
Hey, ignite that passionate spirit within me.
Cause Im gay, And I love it. Why should I feel ashamed
Because I am homosexual, and I take delight in it. Why should I experience shame?
Do you wanna send me to the white men? Do you wanna see me bleeding out?
Are you trying to harm me or discriminate against me because of my sexual orientation? Do you desire to witness my suffering?
Arent we finish now, with all that crap about men and women
Aren't we done with the nonsense and prejudice directed towards individuals based on their gender?
Im gonna win this fight. Im gonna show you that Im nice too
I am determined to triumph in this battle and demonstrate that I am a kind and good-hearted person as well.
I do the same thing like you. I feel love
I engage in the same activities as you do, and I experience love.
When I was younger. I feelt I was a whole differnt kind of creature than you
During my younger years, I perceived myself as an entirely distinct being compared to you.
I didnt understand that there was more people like me out there
I did not grasp the fact that there were others who shared my identity out in the world.
I Felt that I was wrong, and I need to fix it
I believed there was something inherently flawed about myself and felt the need to rectify it.
Then I became strong, and I said it to all my friends around me
Then I gained strength and courage, and I openly revealed my truth to all the friends surrounding me.
And that was great! But a little bit scary
That experience was wonderful, yet it also carried a slight sense of fear.
One step closer, to the biginning of my real life
Taking one step closer towards the start of my authentic existence.
Suddenly I went proud. And I won. Come on, sing along!
Suddenly, I felt a surge of pride, and I emerged victorious. Join in and sing along!
Cause we are gay, And We love it. Why should we feel ashamed
Because we are homosexual and we find joy in it. Why should we experience shame?
Do you wanna send us to the white men? Do you wanna see us bleeding out?
Are you trying to harm us or discriminate against us because of our sexual orientation? Do you desire to witness our suffering?
Arent we finish now, with all that crap about men and women
Aren't we done with the nonsense and prejudice directed towards individuals based on their gender?
We gonna win this fight. We gonna show you that Were nice too
We are going to emerge victorious in this struggle and prove that we are also kind and good-hearted individuals.
We do the same thing like you. We feel love
We engage in the same activities as you do, and we experience love.
Put that fire on me
Ignite that passionate spirit within me.
Put that fire on me
Ignite that passionate spirit within me.
Put that fire on me
Ignite that passionate spirit within me.
Put that fire on me
Ignite that passionate spirit within me.
Put that fire on me
Ignite that passionate spirit within me.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Glenn Tore Anundsen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@tame1999
Somebody gotta turn this tune into a riddim quick.
@mikebiketrike
HEY CAN ANY ONE TELL ME IF THIS SONG APPEARED IN ANY MOVIES OR VIDEO GAMES OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.. I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS SONG MAGICALLY GOT STUCK IN MY HEAD FOR 4 YEARS.. I'M VERY CONFUSED.. I'M VERY HAPPY I FOUND THE SONG BECAUSE NOW I KNOW IT EXISTS! I THOUGHT I MADE IT UP IN MY HEAD BAHAH
@TerryTrapAlot
Babylon burning 🔥
@becketmariner
2023 everything is on fire! just like 2020-2021-2022... years get hotter and hotter...
@DBos74
Babylon burnin': they have no water. Rocksteady!
@clebous
It's not Peter Tosh who sings this song It's Bunny Wailer
@mariomarley30091988
Who you gonna run to, who you run to, ain't have no mercy...
@lovejahrasta
nice , very nice!!! queimem a babilonia!!! FYA
@kostakisacab13
Babylon is falling down...peace
@kostakisacab13
Yeah man, long time......hope everything is upfull and right...respect....chant down babylon