Peter Toshof Bob Marley and The Wailers

‘Wanted Dread and Alive’ – Peter Tosh

Peter Toshof The Wailers

October 19,1944 Tosh was born

Winston Hubert McIntosh in Grange Hill,

Jamaica.

Tosh had 9 siblings

His father left at a young age

Grew up in a rural farm parish

Tosh’s streetwise attitude formed other kingston youth. Together with Marley and Bunny, found Joe Higgs, who became their mentor .

In his adolescent years, he was raised by his aunt

He left home in his early teens and headed for the slums of Kingston, Jamaica, known as Trenchtown

During his adolescent years, there were many gangs surrounding his life

Tosh’s love and passion for music led him away from gang violence

Informal singing sessions in the Higgs back yard slowly gave way

to more serious practicing, sometimes with as many as six male

and female vocalists.

"The Wailers were not a trio at the time," Tosh recalled in Davis's

biography of Marley. "There were plenty of us, but it was designed

to be a trio. We sounded so good together that people in the

community always encourage us to go to the studio and record

Marley and Bunny Livingston, two friends who were in search of

other vocalists to form a group.

Bob and Bunny met Tosh in Trench Town. Impressed with Tosh's

guitar playing (neither of them owned an instrument), as well

as with his strong baritone voice.

With his resourcefulness, Tosh eventually secured an old guitar.

Tosh then taught Marley how to use it.

.

Under the mentorship of Joe Higgs, the Wailing Wailers, as the three boys were known, began performing publicly and eventually headed into the studio.

Their first track, "Simmer Down” , this became an island-wide ska hit.

‘Simmer Down’-The Wailers

Ska music Ska was essentially a Jamaican response to

the need for a national dance music. It combined the stylings of mento, the

American pulse of rhythm and blues, and the sentiments of Jamaican street culture.

The song playing is called ‘Fire Burning’, this is a classic example of ska.

The Wailers (reggae band), 1963-1974, consisting of Bob Marley, Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Bunny Wailer, Peter Tosh, and Cherry Smith.

After becoming The Wailers, The group went to a ‘rocksteady’ sound

Working with slower beats and lyrics, they found their Rastafarian faith

They soon started working with Lee “Scratch” Perry

Creating this collaboration, they found the

genre they were meant for, Reggae

Rasta and Rocksteady

‘Stir it up’ was recorded among many of the tracks that were created in 1967.

This track was widely known throughout Jamaica and is still known throughout America

Wailers created

‘Stir it up’- The Wailers

Stir it up little darling, stir it upCome on baby come on and stir it up little darling, stir it upIt's been a long long time since I've got you on my mindAnd now you are hereI say it's so clearTo see what we can do, honey, just me and you

Come on and stir it up, little darling, stir it upCome on baby come on and stir it up little darling, stir it upI'll push the wood, I'll blaze your fireThen I'll satisfy your heart's desireSaid I'll stir it up, yeah, ev'ry minute, yeahAll you got to do is keep it in, babyAnd stir it up, little darling, stir it upCome on and stir it up, oh, little darling, stir it up, yeah

Oh, will you quench me while I'm thirsty?Come and cool me down when I'm hot?Your recipe, darling, is so tastyAnd you sure can stir your potSo stir it up, little darling, stir it upCome on and stir it up, oh,little darling, stir it upCome on and stir it up, oh, little darling, stir it up

1974-1981, this reggae was group led by Marley.

•Bob Marley

•Peter Tosh

•Bunny Wailer

Bob Marley and the Wailers

Tosh’s Hits

Though Bob Marley's name later became synonymous with the Wailers, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer were definitely equals in the band.

Tosh’s skillful guitar playing and vocal skills were essential to the band's sound

Tosh political and religious beliefs, was an outlet for frustration over social conditions in the Third World, and a call to black people contributed many of the band's hits, including:

"400 Years" "Get Up, Stand Up” "No Sympathy“ "Stop That Train."

“Get up, Stand up” – The Wailers

Get Up, Stand Up, stand up for your right Get Up, Stand Up, don't give up the fight

For Tosh music was far more than mere entertainment--it was an expression of political and religious beliefs, an outlet for frustration over social conditions in the Third World.

Peter Tosh was known as a sarcastic and slightly angry man. In contrast to Bob Marley's idealistic look at the world, and his goal to spread the message of love, Peter Tosh saw himself as a revolutionary, and was vehement in his efforts to tear down "Babylon."

He coined his own words for many of the things which he hated, including "politricks" for politics, "s**tstem" for system, and "Crime Ministers" for Prime Ministers. It was this attitude that earned him the nickname

Tosh’s character

Tosh’s solo Peter Tosh began recording solo records while

still performing with the Wailers until 1974, when the Wailers' new record label, Island Records, refused to release his solo album. He left the band to pursue his own career on a full-time basis, and finally released his first solo record, Legalize It in 1976. He went on to release multiple hit records, though his militant attitude never found the same level of acceptance as Bob Marley's more

unifying message did.

Peter Tosh continued to record international hit records for the rest of the 1970s and early 1980s, and never relaxed his intense message of revolution. After a live concert release in 1984, Peter Tosh took a few years off, and his 1987 comeback record No Nuclear War was nominated for a Grammy Award.

‘Rise and Shine’ – The Wailers

In 1977, after tensions between various Jamaican gangs and rogue members of the Jamaican military had reached severe levels, Bob Marley decided to organize a concert called the One Love Peace Concert, and invited many of Jamaica's most famous stars to join in.

Tosh used his stage time to sing his most militant songs, and speak angrily against the government. Hugely popular with the crowd, this performance was less of a hit with the government officials who were present. Though Tosh was already a favorite target for the police, from that point on, he became a regular victim of brutality.

On September 11, 1987, an

acquaintance of Peter Tosh's,

Dennis Lobban, entered Tosh's

home with a small gang of

friends and attempted to rob him.

Claiming that he had no money

on him at the time, Tosh stalled

the gang, who stayed at his

house for several hours as

various friends dropped in.

Eventually, they lost patience and

shot Tosh and his houseguests in

the head. Tosh died instantly, as

did two of his friends, though

three others somehow survived.

Lobban was sentenced to death

for his crime, though his sentence

was later commuted and he

remains in prison in Jamaica to

this day.

Tosh’s death was quick

He lived 43 years

With his short life, he reached so many people all over the world

His death

He had 5 daughters and 5 sons His son, Andrew Tosh, carried on the music

and made his own albums

Starting out with 6 members as ‘The Wailers’, the trio then reduced to 3, and named themselves ‘Bob Marley and the Wailers’

After about 10 years, Peter Tosh went Solo and created his own music.

His music was his views on politics and being a strong Rastafarian, unlike Marley’s, which was about love and togetherness.

Conclusion

Works Cited

Clunnis, Andrew. Peter Tosh. Iration.com. Nov 2000 http://www.iration.com/wailers/november2000.html

Johnson, Anne Janette. Peter Tosh. Answers.com. http://www.answers.com/topic/peter-tosh