by Howard Campbell
[KINGSTON, Jamaica] – On February 6 as the world celebrates Bob Marley’s 77th birthday, there will be a public viewing of Robbie Shakespeare’s body here.
Shakespeare, who died in Florida on December 8, is best known for being a member of famed drum and bass team, Sly and Robbie. He played bass on Concrete Jungle, one of the songs that announced Marley almost 50 years ago.
Marley wrote the song which is from The Wailers’ 1973 album, Catch A Fire. Shakespeare, then only 20 years-old, sat in for his mentor, Aston “Familyman” Barrett.
Concrete Jungle
Concrete Jungle was recorded at Harry J studio in Kingston. Inspired by Marley’s years in the Kingston ghetto of Trench Town, it helped give The Wailers an International breakthrough.
“Familyman never dey ’bout (wasn’t around) so dem jus’ draft mi in. Is (It’s) a Bob Marley song wey (that) mi love, there’s something special about it, not because I play it; it jus’ capture mi,” said Shakespeare in a 2020 interview with South Florida Caribbean News.
The original Wailers lineup of Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer split in early 1974 after Tosh and Wailer left for solo careers. Marley became leader of the band that included Barrett and his brother Carly, who played drums.
Shakespeare recalls playing on one more song for Marley, who died in May, 1981 at age 36. He recorded the initial lines for Iron Lion Zion but it was scrapped “’cause dem sey mi bass too heavy.”
He also worked with Wailer on his seminal Blackheart Man album, as well as outstanding albums and songs by Tosh such as Equal Rights and Buckingham Palace.
Sly and Robbie are arguably reggae’s most successful producers. They scored hit songs for many artists including Gregory Isaacs, Dennis Brown, Black Uhuru, Junior Delgado and Sugar Minott. In addition, they played on projects by major acts such as Bob Dylan, Grace Jones and No Doubt.
