JamFest Radio Presents · Live Nuggets

Bob Marley & The Wailers Live at the Lyceum, London, July 17, 1975

The complete first night of the two London concerts that produced Live!, the record that carried roots reggae out of Kingston and into the mainstream of British and international popular music.

The Night Reggae Crossed Over

When Bob Marley & The Wailers walked onto the stage of the Lyceum Theatre in London’s West End on the evening of July 17, 1975, they were midway through the Natty Dread tour and standing at the threshold of global stardom. Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer had departed, and the band that remained was rebuilt around Marley’s voice and the formidable Barrett brothers rhythm section. What London witnessed over two sweltering summer nights has since been recognized as one of the greatest concerts in the history of reggae, and among the finest live recordings in any genre.

The house was packed well past comfort, and the crowd sang along with a fervor that startled even those who had championed Marley from the start. Island Records founder Chris Blackwell took particular note of how the audience responded to one song in that first night’s set, and that instinct would shape the recording that followed. The atmosphere marked the moment reggae stopped being regarded as a niche import and became a force in British popular culture.

The Concert Magic and the Recording

Island captured both the July 17 and July 18 performances using the Rolling Stones Mobile Studio, parked outside the theater to record straight from the stage. When the original single LP was compiled, the July 17 show supplied most of the album, with “Lively Up Yourself,” which was not played on the first night, drawn from the second. Released that December, Live! earned gold and platinum certifications across Europe and the United States.

Its centerpiece was the Lyceum reading of “No Woman, No Cry.” Slower and more spacious than the studio version on Natty Dread, it builds into a communal singalong that turned a Trenchtown reminiscence into an anthem. Issued as a single in the summer of 1975, it became the definitive version of the song and remains the recording most listeners know today.

The July 17, 1975 Setlist

Live Nuggets presents the complete first-night performance, a relentless run of roots reggae classics:

1. Trenchtown Rock
2. Burnin’ and Lootin’
3. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)
4. Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock)
5. Stir It Up
6. No Woman, No Cry
7. Natty Dread
8. Kinky Reggae
9. I Shot the Sheriff
10. Get Up, Stand Up

Behind Marley’s lead vocal and rhythm guitar stood Aston “Family Man” Barrett on bass, Carlton Barrett on drums, Tyrone Downie on keyboards, Al Anderson on lead guitar and Alvin “Seeco” Patterson on percussion, with the I Threes supplying the harmonies that gave the band its unmistakable sound. The closing “Get Up, Stand Up” stretches past ten minutes, a fitting finale for a set that moves from protest to devotion to pure celebration.

Hear the Full Show

For decades the Lyceum tapes were known only through the edited album. The Marley family and Universal Music’s UMe later issued the expanded Live! deluxe edition, presenting the complete July 17 concert alongside the full July 18 show, every song in its original running order and unedited length. Physical editions are available through the Bob Marley Official Store.

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