- … 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 โ originally as The Nitecaps โ in 1958, by five high school friends:
John Greek (27 October 1940 โ 6 October 2006) โ rhythm guitar, trumpet
Richard Dangel (1 December 1942 โ 2 December 2002) โ lead guitar
Kent Morrill (2 April 1941 โ 15 April 2011) โ keyboards, vocals
Mark Marush (15 August 1940 โ 9 August 2007) โ tenor sax
Mike Burk (b. 1942) โ 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.
Soul Almighty
The Wailers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know you're gonna like it
So let me tell you what we're gonna do
Souls almighty (uh)
Don't you know we got the rhythm
Souls almighty (oh)
We are willing
And the Mashed Potato
Do the Alligator
Let's do it together
Souls almighty
Do you dig me y'all
Souls almighty, my soul is raw
(ooh-ee yeah)
Get yourself together
In any kind of weather
Things will be mighty better
If you get it together (witness)
Souls almighty (ooh)
Don't you know we got the rhythm
Souls almighty (exactly when baby)
(You're not with him)
Get yourself, yourself together
In any kind of weather (I'll come home baby)
Things will be mighty better
If we, if we get it together
Souls, don't you know we got the rhythm
Hit it brother
Souls Almighty
O' baby, when you're not with him
Funky, Funky Chicken
And the Mashed Potato (oh)
Do the Alligator
Do it together y'all (uh)
Shocks of (mighty)
Souls and shocks, souls and shocks
We got, we got, we got the rhythm
Sing your song brother
My baby's with him, ooh
Get yourself together
In any kind of weather
Things will be mighty better
The Wailersโ song Soul Almighty is a call to action, an invitation to come together and move to the rhythm. The upbeat melody and the catchy chorus โSouls almighty, donโt you know we got the rhythmโ make it impossible to stand still. The lyrics encourage listeners to forget their troubles and focus on the music, promising that everything will be โmighty betterโ if they do. The song lists popular dance moves of the time such as the Funky Chicken, the Mashed Potato, and the Alligator, inviting everyone to join in and move together. The lyrics go beyond just dance moves, inviting listeners to come together in any weather and promising that things will be better if they do.
The song reflects the roots of The Wailersโ music, ska, reggae, and rocksteady. It was recorded in 1968 at Studio One in Kingston, Jamaica, and was produced by Coxson Dodd. The instrumentation of the song is minimalistic, with a groovy bassline and percussions that keep the rhythm flowing. Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer sing lead on the song, and their vocal harmonies create a joyful atmosphere. The song became an instant hit in Jamaica, and it later became a collectorโs item among vinyl enthusiasts.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey happy people, this here is something new
Introducing a new upbeat song to the audience
I know you're gonna like it
Confident that the audience will enjoy the new song
So let me tell you what we're gonna do
Explaining what the plan is for the song
Souls almighty (uh)
Asserting that the souls of those present are powerful and have great influence
Don't you know we got the rhythm
Reminding the audience that they have a natural sense of rhythm
Souls almighty (oh)
Reiterating the power of the present souls
We are willing
Expressing a willingness to participate in the spirit of the song
Funky, Funky Chicken (ooh)
Mentioning specific dance moves for the audience to follow
And the Mashed Potato
Mentioning another dance move for the audience to follow
Do the Alligator
Naming a third dance move for the audience to follow
Let's do it together
Encouraging the audience to dance together
Souls almighty
Reiterating the power of the present souls once again
Do you dig me y'all
Asking if the audience is following the lyrics and enjoying the song
Souls almighty, my soul is raw
Expressing how the song is making the singer feel
(ooh-ee yeah)
Adding a fun vocalization to the end of the previous line
Get yourself together
Encouraging the audience to regroup and get focused
In any kind of weather
Acknowledging that troubles may come but it's important to stay strong
Things will be mighty better
Promising that things will improve if everyone works together
If you get it together (witness)
Stating that if everyone comes together, it'll be a testament to the message of the song
Souls almighty (ooh)
Reiterating the power of the present souls one more time
(exactly when baby)
Telling the audience to pay attention to when the chorus will come in again
(You're not with him)
Suggesting that the singer wants the audience's full attention and presence
Get yourself, yourself together
Reiterating the importance of regrouping and getting focused
In any kind of weather (I'll come home baby)
Reassuring the audience that everything will be okay, and bringing in a personal connection
Things will be mighty better
Reiterating that things will improve if everyone works together
If we, if we get it together
Stressing the importance of collaboration and united effort
Souls, don't you know we got the rhythm
Reiterating for the last time the natural sense of rhythm within everyone present
Hit it brother
Encouraging the band to start playing the song
Souls Almighty
Naming the song again for emphasis
O' baby, when you're not with him
Continuing the personal connection and naming a specific addressee
Funky, Funky Chicken
Returning to the specific dance moves from earlier
And the Mashed Potato (oh)
Repeating the dance move for emphasis
Do the Alligator
Repeating the third dance move again
Do it together y'all (uh)
Encouraging everyone to dance and participate together
Shocks of (mighty)
Introducing a couple of nonsense syllables into the song
Souls and shocks, souls and shocks
Continuing with the nonsense syllables
We got, we got, we got the rhythm
Concluding the song by reaffirming the sense of rhythm within the group
Sing your song brother
Giving permission for the audience to continue singing and dancing
My baby's with him, ooh
Returning to the personal connection and sharing an emotional detail
Get yourself together
Encouraging the regrouping and focusing one last time
In any kind of weather
Repeating that times may be tough but we can get through it together
Things will be mighty better
Reiterating that things will improve if we work together
Lyrics ยฉ O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lazaro Bautista
Funny how two of my favorite Marley songs contains the word soul, soul almighty and soul rebel! Your music lives and so does the herb......
Jhonny Total fire
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Matthew Oberton
Such a sweet flowin riddem!
Sami fezzani
my father โฅ๏ธโฅ๏ธโฅ๏ธโฅ๏ธโฅ๏ธโฅ๏ธโฅ๏ธ
Sessimelia Marley
Yes I I father voice is so rejuvenating
โSupreme OverLord & Savior of Earth
Pressing single rpt.๐โฅ๏ธ๐๐๐โช
โSupreme OverLord & Savior of Earth
Put the difference of the words ahead of the Melody*"*'๐ฏ
โSupreme OverLord & Savior of Earth
XOHHHs๐โ & 5$โ๐ฑ๐
โSupreme OverLord & Savior of Earth
Welcome to War RadioVideo at your disposal FOR'(duce) an(3) hour(typo) break on this song free and clear break forwarding the message to the gitn it!B/|\๐
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