Celebrating 40 Years of Bob Marley & The Wailers' Exodus

Celebrating 40 Years of Bob Marley & The Wailers’ Exodus

by: Mike Patti | May 16, 2017

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of Bob Marley & The Wailers‘ iconic 1977 album Exodus, the Marley family has prepared 4 separate reissues to release this June. On June 2nd, 2017 the Ziggy Marley-curated “restatement” Exodus 40 – The Movement Continues, a gold-colored vinyl of the original release and a live album version will all be available. Then on June 30th, 2017, a loaded 4-LP Super Deluxe version of Exodus will drop for the serious collector.

Bob Marley & The Wailers released Exodus on June 3, 1977, and to this day it remains one of the most beloved albums in music history. In 1999, Time magazine went as far as to name Exodus the “Best Album of the 20th Century.” Exodus, the group’s ninth studio album, was recorded in London, England and released through Island Records. The album featured a new backing band, consisting of brothers Carlton Barrett (drums) and Aston “Family Man” Barrett (bass), Tyrone Downie (keyboard), and Alvin “Seeco” Patterson (percussion). Backing vocals were provided by Bob’s wife Rita Marley, Marcia Griffiths, and Judy Mowatt, known together as the I Threes.

Ziggy Marley crafted Exodus 40 – The Movement Continues by revisiting the original sessions, finding unused and never-before-heard vocals, lyric phrasing and instrumentation. Ziggy incorporated these elements into brand-new session takes for the “restatement” album. His aim was to put the songs in a brand-new context, all the while maintaining “the utmost respect for his father’s music and message.”

There will be a number of combinations of Exodus special packages available beginning June 2nd. These include a two-CD package with the original album and the Ziggy Marley “restatement,” as well as a three-CD set which comes with the original, the “restatement,” and Exodus Live, a live recording from London’s Rainbow Theatre the week of the initial release. A limited-edition gold vinyl version will also be available, in addition to a Super Deluxe, four-LP, two-7” single vinyl version, which is scheduled to drop on June 30th.

Ziggy Marley begins a summer tour on June 12th, 2017 in San Diego, CA. On tour he is expected to mix in a number of songs from Exodus with his own impressive catalog of music. To pre-order or to find out more information on all of these impressive reissues from the Marley camp, be sure to check out the links below.