"B is for Bob" is a children's music remix album by reggae band Bob Marley, released on 23 June 2009 and is a posthumous album released after Marley's death.
The album is a collection of old songs from their previous albums Legend, Rastaman Vibration, and Burnin'.
B Is for Bob is ultimately little more than a novelty entry in the bloated catalog that is Bob Marley's, but it has its moments.
The gist here is that Ziggy Marley, Bob's oldest son and a major reggae artist in his own right, has taken a dozen of Bob's recordings and remixed (or "reimagined," as the press materials say) all but four of them to appeal to an intended audience of children.
Generally, he accomplishes this by stripping out the more pronounced reggae rhythms, lead guitar solos, and such, and giving the tunes a more sparse, primarily acoustic sheen.
In some cases, instruments (light percussion, vibes) are added as well, to bring a fuller but softer feel. Recordings that have been familiar to Marley acolytes for decades -- "Jamming," "Redemption Song," "Stir It Up," etc. -- seem strangely unfamiliar, ghosts of their former selves, yet not unappealing -- it's indeed possible that young children might well enjoy them, but were the originals so overpowering that those same kids would have been frightened by them?
And what will those children make of some of Marley's lyrics and patois kept intact ("Old pirates, yes they rob I/Sold I to the merchant ships")?
Interestingly, Ziggy has left four tunes ("Could You Be Loved," "Lively Up Yourself," "One Love," "Wake Up and Live") alone, leaving the adult wondering why he felt those were safe while some of his father's other songs needed a kid-friendly tune-up.
Tracklist
1. Three Little Birds - 3:21
Acoustic Guitar – Takeshi Akimoto
Bells – Daniel K. Mandelman*
Producer – Bob Marley & The Wailers
Producer [Additional Production] – Ziggy Marley
Recorded By, Mixed By – Fabian Cooke
Written-By – Bob Marley
2. Redemption Song - 3:48
Mixed By – Fabian Cooke
Producer [Additional Production], Remix – Ziggy Marley
Written-By – Bob Marley
3. Wake Up And Live - Pt. 1 - 4:26
Producer – Alex Sadkin, Bob Marley & The Wailers
Written-By – Anthony Davis, Bob Marley
4. Bend Down Low - 3:34
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Takeshi Akimoto
Grand Piano – Daniel K. Mandelman
Harmony Vocals [Additional] – Chloe Brendlinger, Emma Koffman, Grace Schimmel, Michaela
Brown, Sophia Hedgecock, Zion Smith
Producer – Chris Blackwell, The Wailers
Producer [Additional Production] – Ziggy Marley
Recorded By, Mixed By – Fabian Cooke
Written-By – Bob Marley
5. Lively Up Yourself - 5:12
Producer – Chris Blackwell, The Wailers
Written-By – Bob Marley
6. Jamming - 2:26
Acoustic Guitar [Lead] – Takeshi Akimoto
Percussion – Daniel K. Mandelman
Producer – Bob Marley & The Wailers
Producer [Additional Production] – Ziggy Marley
Recorded By, Mixed By – Fabian Cooke
Written-By – Bob Marley
7. Small Axe - 4:23
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Takeshi Akimoto
Harmony Vocals [Additional] – Chloe Brendlinger, Emma Koffman, Grace Schimmel, Michaela
Brown, Sophia Hedgecock, Zion Smith
Keyboards – Daniel K. Mandelman
Producer – Chris Blackwell, The Wailers
Producer [Additional Production] – Ziggy Marley
Recorded By, Mixed By – Fabian Cooke
Written-By – Bob Marley
8. One Love / People Get Ready - 2:54
Producer – Bob Marley & The Wailers
Written-By – Bob Marley, Curtis Mayfield
9. Satisfy My Soul - 4:31
Mixed By – Fabian Cooke
Producer – Bob Marley & The Wailers
Producer [Additional Production], Remix – Ziggy Marley
Written-By – Bob Marley
10. Could You Be Loved - 3:57
Producer – Bob Marley & The Wailers
Written-By – Bob Marley
11. Stir It Up - 2:55
Electric Guitar, Acoustic Guitar – Takeshi Akimoto
Grand Piano – Daniel K. Mandelman
Producer – Bob Marley, Chris Blackwell
Producer [Additional Production] – Ziggy Marley
Recorded By, Mixed By – Fabian Cooke
Written-By – Bob Marley
12. High Tide Or Low Tide - 4:42
Mixed By – Fabian Cooke
Producer – Bob Marley & The Wailers
Producer [Additional Production], Remix – Ziggy Marley
Written-By – Bob Marley
Companies, etc.
- Record Company – Universal Music
- Phonographic Copyright ℗ – Island Def Jam Music Group
- Copyright © – Island Def Jam Music Group
- Recorded At – Henson Recording Studios
- Mixed At – Henson Recording Studios
- Mixed At – Jasic Records Studio
- Mixed At – Westlake Studios
- Mastered At – Lurssen Mastering
- Designed At – Oddopolis
Credits
- A&R – Evelyn Morgan
- Art Direction – Vartan
- Artwork [Album], Design – Cedella Marley, Mariah Fox Hausman
- Chorus [Kids] – Chloe Brendlinger, Emma Koffman, Grace Schimmel, Michaela Brown, Sophia Hedgecock, Zion Smith
- Conductor [Choirmaster] – Aaron Nigel Smith
- Coordinator [Release] – Christine Jelloian
- Design – Ryan Rogers
- Engineer [Assistant] – Kevin Mills, Todd Steinhauer
- Executive-Producer – Ziggy Marley
- Mastered By – Gavin Lurssen
- Mastered By [Assisted By] – Reuben Cohen
- Photography By – Dennis Morris
- Product Manager – Jill Ettinger
Notes
Released: 23 June 2009
Recorded: 2009
Genre: Roots reggae
Length: 51:06
Label - Tuff Gong / UMG Family
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