In conjunction with the upcoming biopic Bob Marley: One Love, which is based on the life of global icon, Island/UMe will be releasing a new limited edition of Bob Marley’s timeless album, Exodus, on May 24, 2024. Including an exclusive 10” LP of rare bonus tracks and an essay by Jamaican historian Herbie Miller.
Cited by Time Magazine as the Best Album of the 20th Century (“Every song is a classic, from the messages of love to the anthems of revolution”) and the BBC as the “album that defined the 20th Century,” the legacy of Exodus extends beyond genres, eras, and continents, whose impact propelled Third World culture and politics into the global spotlight.
“Exodus is a timeless document that publicly reveals the contemplations and reflections on the life of one of the 20th century’s most revered artists and revolutionaries,” Miller writes in the new liner notes. “It shows Bob’s fears and vulnerability, his steadfast commitment to making humanity as equitable and ideal as imaginable and spreading his Rastafari spirituality to the four corners of the earth.”
As depicted in a critical scene in the One Love film, this special edition will feature the original cover design of the album created by longtime Marley family friend, creative designer, and lighting director Neville Garrick. Originally conceived in the context of flight, depicting a green, gold, and red-winged migrating bird, with Marley and the Wailers enclosed in a global sphere overseen by Haile Selassie, the design was symbolic of the parting of the Red Sea. Garrick’s final and now-classic album art will adorn the back of this new package.
Released on vinyl for the first time in decades, the 10” includes dub versions of “Exodus,” “Jamming,” and “Punky Reggae Party” – the latter associated with Exodus as the B-side of “Jamming” – plus the rare “Roots,” first issued as the B-side of “Waiting In Vain.”
