Bob Marley’s ‘Exodus’ gets 40th anniversary reissue

This June marks the 40th anniversary of Bob Marley’s Exodus which was named the “Best Album of the 20th Century” by Time magazine in 1999. On June 30th, Exodus 40 will be released on 2 CD, 3 CD and 4 LP/2 7″ Super Deluxe Edition.

The 2 CD set contains the original album and Ziggy Marley’s restatement Exodus 40 The Movement Continues. The 3 CD and LP Super Deluxe Edition adds Exodus Live, a previously unreleased live set recorded at London’s Rainbow Theatre the week of the album’s release in 1977.

The Super Deluxe Edition also includes Punky Reggae Party LP which features a previously unreleased extended mix of “Keep On Moving,” and a pair of vinyl 7″ singles, including “Waiting in Vain” b/w “Roots” and “Smile Jamaica (Part One)” b/w “Smile Jamaica (Part Two).”

Fans who pre-order the Exodus 40 – The Movement Continues Super Deluxe edition via BobMarley.com or uDiscover.com will receive a digital download of the entire package as well as an exclusive Stephen Marley remix of the song “Exodus” with a re-imagined music bed and different lead vocalists on June 2nd in advance of the June 30th physical release date.

As part of the celebration, Ziggy Marley has revisited the original session recordings, uncovering unused and never-before-heard vocals and instrumentation, transforming these various elements into brand-new session takes.

Ziggy approached the project with the utmost respect to his father’s music and the message, Exodus 40 is his vision of how his father may access these songs today. In short, these are the songs that you know and love, but Ziggy’s mindful approach places them in a brand new context, which in a way is like listening to the album again for the first time.

Ziggy assembled an incredible roster of musicans to record a brand new music bed for “Turn Your Lights Down Low.” He brought in Brian Macleod (Sheryl Crow) on drums, Zac Rae Rhodes on keys (Death Cab For Cutie), and Dave Wilder (Macy Gray) on bass to record new instrumentation for the track. Bob’s vocals sit atop this fresh music bed, creating a new soulful experience with this iconic song. The album also features an energized remix of “Exodus.”

Exodus was Bob Marley & The Wailers’ ninth studio album and was released on June 3, 1977. The project featured a new backing band including brothers Carlton and Aston “Family Man” Barrett on drums and bass, Tyrone Downie on keyboards, Alvin “Seeco” Patterson on percussion, and the I Threes, Judy Mowatt, Marcia Griffiths and Rita Marley on backing vocals, and newest member Julian ‘Junior Marvin’ on guitar. The album was released six months after an assassination attempt was made on Bob Marley’s life in Jamaica in December, forcing him to flee to London, where Exodus was recorded.

2 CD | 3 CD | 4 LP/2 7″ Super Deluxe Edition