The Wailers

The Wailers

The Wailers are a Jamaican group from Kingston, active from 1963 to 1974, associated with ska, rocksteady, reggae and roots reggae. The classic line-up includes Junior Braithwaite, Bob Marley, Beverley Kelso, Cherry Smith, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, later joined by Aston “Family Man” Barrett and Carlton “Carly” Barrett. The group records on Tuff Gong.

History and style

Formed in Kingston in the early 1960s, The Wailers begin as a ska group before developing into a reggae band with Rastafarian themes. By 1968, they move towards the sound that becomes known as roots reggae. The group is closely identified with the trio of Marley, Tosh and Wailer, and is described as a major ’60s and ’70s Jamaican reggae band.

In 1969, the Barrett brothers become part of the group’s nucleus, with Aston “Family Man” Barrett on bass and Carlton “Carly” Barrett on drums. Their playing appears on songs including “Lively Up Yourself”, “Trenchtown Rock” and “Duppy Conqueror”. Carlton Barrett is also credited with writing Marley songs such as “War” and “Talking Blues”, and with helping develop the one-drop style in reggae.

Recordings and later line-ups

The Wailers sign to Island Records in 1971. Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh leave two years later, after which the Barrett brothers continue under the Wailers name and back Marley on Natty Dread, the album that marks Marley’s international breakthrough. After Marley’s death, later line-ups revolve around Aston Barrett, who is widely associated with the group’s continued identity.

The group also performs and records with other artists, including Sting, the Fugees, Stevie Wonder, Carlos Santana and Alpha Blondy, as well as reggae figures such as Peter Tosh, Bunny Wailer and Burning Spear. The Wailers tour widely and are described as continuing a roots-based reggae tradition.