- … 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.
No Woman No Cry
The Wailers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
'Cause, 'cause, 'cause I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
Oba, observing the hypocrites, yeah
Good friends we have, oh, good friends we've lost
Along the way, yeah
In this great future, you can't forget your past
So dry your tears, I say, yeah
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry, eh, yeah
Little darlin', don't shed no tears
No, woman, no cry
Eh, said, said, said, I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown, yeah
And then Georgie would make the fire lights, I say
A log wood burnin' through the night, yeah
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge, I say
Of which I'll share with you, yeah
My feet is my only carriage
And so I've got to push on through
But while I'm gone
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
Everything's gonna be alright
So no, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
I say, oh little, oh little, darling, don't shed no tears
No, woman, no cry, eh
No, woman, no, woman, no, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry, one more time I've got to say
Oh little, little darling, please don't shed no tears
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no, woman no cry
The lyrics to The Wailers' song "No Woman No Cry" convey a message of emotional support and resilience, emphasizing the importance of not letting sorrow overcome one's spirit. The repetition of the phrase "No woman, no cry" serves as a reassurance to a woman, possibly a romantic partner or a friend, that she doesn't need to shed tears or feel overwhelmed by her troubles. The lyrics encourage her to stay strong and remember the good times they shared together.
The song begins by reminiscing about sitting in the government yard in Trenchtown, observing the hypocrisy of society. Despite that, they met good people and made good friends. The mention of "this great future" reminds the listener not to forget their past, as it shapes who they are. The chorus repeats the phrase "No woman, no cry" to reinforce the message of emotional strength and not allowing sorrow to consume them.
The second verse reminisces about cooking cornmeal porridge in Trenchtown and highlights the simplicity of life. The line "My feet is my only carriage" suggests that even though they may have limited resources, they still have the determination to push forward and face their challenges. The song ends with the reassurance that everything is going to be alright and the plea for the woman not to shed any tears.
Overall, "No Woman No Cry" is a comforting and empowering song that urges individuals to hold onto resilience and find strength in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
No, woman, no cry
Don't worry, woman, don't cry. I'm here for you and I want you to know that everything will be okay.
'Cause, 'cause, 'cause I remember when we used to sit
Because, because, because I have fond memories of the times we spent together.
In the government yard in Trenchtown
We would often gather in the communal areas of Trenchtown, where the government housing was located.
Oba, observing the hypocrites, yeah
We would watch and notice the behavior of the hypocrites around us, not wanting to be like them.
Mingle with the good people we meet, yeah
We had the pleasure of socializing with kind-hearted individuals we encountered along the way.
Good friends we have, oh, good friends we've lost
We have had the fortune of making good friends, but sadly, we have also experienced the pain of losing some of them.
Along the way, yeah
Throughout our journey through life, we have encountered both joy and sorrow.
In this great future, you can't forget your past
As we look ahead to a bright future, it's important to remember and learn from our past experiences.
So dry your tears, I say, yeah
I urge you to wipe away your tears and find strength in knowing that we can overcome any challenges together.
Little darlin', don't shed no tears
My dear, please don't cry. I want to protect you and make sure you feel secure.
Eh, said, said, said, I remember when we used to sit
Ah, I repeatedly recollect the moments we spent together, reminiscing about them with great fondness.
And then Georgie would make the fire lights, I say
I recall how Georgie would skillfully ignite the fire, creating a warm and comforting atmosphere for all of us.
A log wood burnin' through the night, yeah
We would enjoy the sight of a log wood burning steadily throughout the night, symbolizing endurance and resilience.
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge, I say
We would prepare and share a nourishing meal of cornmeal porridge, symbolizing our bonds of unity and support.
Of which I'll share with you, yeah
I eagerly offer to share this meal with you, demonstrating my love and care for your well-being.
My feet is my only carriage
I rely on my feet to carry me forward in life, as I don't possess material possessions or extravagant means of transportation.
And so I've got to push on through
Therefore, I must persevere and continue to move forward, overcoming obstacles and facing life's challenges head-on.
But while I'm gone
However, during times when I'm not physically present by your side,
Everything's gonna be alright
Rest assured, everything will be fine. I want you to find hope and reassurance in this thought.
No, woman, no cry, eh, yeah
I repeat, woman, don't cry. I want to ease your worries and be a source of comfort for you.
Oh little, oh little, darling, don't shed no tears
Oh, my dear, my precious one, please don't cry. I want to shield you from pain and sorrow.
No, woman, no cry,
No, woman, don't cry. Your tears trouble me, and I want to bring you solace.
No, woman, no, woman, no, woman, no cry
No, woman, please don't cry. I emphasize this once again, hoping to alleviate your sadness.
No, woman, no cry, one more time I've got to say
I feel compelled to repeat once more: no, woman, don't cry. I want my message of comfort to resonate with you.
Oh little, little darling, please don't shed no tears
Oh, my beloved, please resist shedding tears. I long to protect you from heartache and offer you happiness.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Vincent Ford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@md.rayhankabirmd.rayhankab1174
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
'Cause, 'cause, 'cause I remember when we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
Oba observing the 'ypocrites
Mingle with the good people we meet
Good friends we have, oh, good friends we've lost
Along the way
In this great future, you can't forget your past
So dry your tears, I seh
No, woman, no cry
No, woman, no cry
'Ere, little darlin', don't shed no tears
No, woman, no cry
Said, said, said, I remember when-a we used to sit
In the government yard in Trenchtown
And then Georgie would make the fire lights, I seh
A log wood burnin' through the night
Then we would cook cornmeal porridge, I seh
Of which I'll share with you
My feet is my only carriage
And so I've got to push on through
But while I'm gone
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
Everything's gonna be all right
So no woman, no cry
No woman, no cry
I say, oh little oh little darling, don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry
No woman, no woman, no woman, no cry
No woman, no cry, one more time I've got to say
Oh little little darling, please don't shed no tears
No woman, no cry
No woman, no woman no cry
@sigma9425
It's weird to miss someone who died before you were even born.
@SZTANCSEK
You see, I remember. And many more died that year: Lennon, Bonham. In the 1980s, their era passed for some reason. These are eternal mysteries.
@kienanjacob9847
My brother you see..in the eyes of the world it may seem weird....but in the eyes of TRUTH....it is not weird at all my brother trust me..... time is just a created commodity... you and I are way beyond that sphere....jah bless you always my brother
@michaelross4187
No its not you met him though his music
@1stRoi
@@michaelross4187 Truth
@lindaabrahaml9455
Still listen
@candidephyfer4635
I saw this man in Rotterdam 1976. One of my most treasured memories. I am a 64 year woman. I am so grateful
@rafero420
I dont know if its even true but I love U
@andyc80
If that’s true WOW you so lucky
@kkk-bc6xo
Great experience, no doubt about it!