Survival (Bob Marley and the Wailers album)

1979 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Survival

Studio album by

Bob Marley and the Wailers

Released| 2 October 1979
Recorded| January–February 1979
Studio| Tuff Gong Recording Studio, Kingston, Jamaica
Genre| Reggae
Length| 38:02 (original)
44:25 (2001 remastered)
Label| Island/Tuff Gong
Producer| Bob Marley & The Wailers, Alex Sadkin
Bob Marley and the Wailers chronology
| Babylon by Bus
(1978)  | Survival
(1979)  | Uprising
(1980)

|
|

Singles from  Survival

1. "So Much Trouble in the World"
Released: 1979
2. "Survival"
Released: 1979
3. "Zimbabwe"
Released: 1979

Survival is the eleventh studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1979.

Survival is an album with an outwardly militant theme. Some critics speculate that this was due in part to criticism Marley received for the laid-back atmosphere of his previous release, Kaya, which seemed to sidetrack the urgency of his message.[1] In the song "Africa Unite", Marley proclaims Pan-African solidarity. The song "Zimbabwe" is a hymn dedicated to then white-dominated Rhodesia. The song was performed at Zimbabwe's Independence Celebration in 1980, just after the official declaration of Zimbabwe's independence.

Survival was originally to be called Black Survival to underscore the urgency of African unity, but the name was shortened to prevent misinterpretations of the album's theme.[1] The album was partially censored in South Africa because of their apartheid regime.[2]

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [3]
Christgau's Record Guide| B[4]
Smash Hits| 5/10[5]
A sample of "Zimbabwe"

## Track listing

[edit]

### Original Tuff Gong LP

[edit]

All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where noted.

Side oneNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "So Much Trouble in the World"| 4:00
2.| "Zimbabwe"| 3:51
3.| "Top Rankin'"| 3:10
4.| "Babylon System"| 4:21
5.| "Survival"| 3:53

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

6.| "Africa Unite"|  | 2:54
7.| "One Drop"|  | 3:51
8.| "Ride Natty Ride"|  | 3:50
9.| "Ambush in the Night"|  | 3:12
10.| "Wake Up and Live"| Bob Marley, Anthony Davis| 4:58

### Original Island Records LP

[edit]

All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where noted.

ILPS 9542 (1979)
Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Wake Up and Live"| Bob Marley, Anthony Davis| 4:58
2.| "Africa Unite"|  | 2:54
3.| "One Drop"|  | 3:51
4.| "Ride Natty Ride"|  | 3:50
5.| "Ambush in the Night"|  | 3:12

Side twoNo.| Title| Length

|
|

6.| "So Much Trouble in the World"| 4:00
7.| "Zimbabwe"| 3:51
8.| "Top Rankin'"| 3:10
9.| "Babylon System"| 4:21
10.| "Survival"| 3:53

### Tuff Gong cassette

[edit]

All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where noted.

Jamaican pressing 7910 DP (circa 1984)
Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Wake Up and Live"| Bob Marley, Anthony Davis| 4:58
2.| "One Drop"|  | 3:51
3.| "Ride Natty Ride"|  | 3:50
4.| "Ambush in the Night"|  | 3:12
5.| "Top Rankin'"|  | 3:10

Side twoNo.| Title| Length

|
|

6.| "Africa Unite"| 2:54
7.| "So Much Trouble in the World"| 4:00
8.| "Zimbabwe"| 3:51
9.| "Babylon System"| 4:21
10.| "Survival"| 3:53

### Island Records LP re-issue

[edit]

All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where noted. Issued by Island Records with a Tuff Gong disc label. Track list revised, all tracks on side A move to side B and vice versa.

ILPS 9542 (i) or ILPM 9542 (1986)
Side oneNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "So Much Trouble in the World" (Bob Marley)| 4:00
2.| "Zimbabwe"| 3:50
3.| "Top Rankin'"| 3:10
4.| "Babylon System"| 4:36
5.| "Survival"| 4:00

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

6.| "Africa Unite"|  | 2:50
7.| "One Drop"|  | 3:50
8.| "Ride Natty Ride"|  | 3:50
9.| "Ambush in the Night"|  | 3:10
10.| "Wake Up and Live"| Bob Marley, Anthony Davis| 5:10

### The Definitive Remastered edition (2001)

[edit]

All tracks are written by Bob Marley, except where noted.

Current CD versionNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "So Much Trouble in the World"|  | 4:00
2.| "Zimbabwe"|  | 3:51
3.| "Top Rankin'"|  | 3:10
4.| "Babylon System"|  | 4:21
5.| "Survival"|  | 3:53
6.| "Africa Unite"|  | 2:54
7.| "One Drop"|  | 3:51
8.| "Ride Natty Ride"|  | 3:50
9.| "Ambush in the Night"|  | 3:12
10.| "Wake Up and Live"| Bob Marley, Anthony Davis| 4:58
11.| "Ride Natty Ride" (12-inch mix)|  | 6:23
Total length:| 44:25

## Front cover

[edit]

The album's front cover depicts 48 African flags and one Oceanian flag. Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe Rhodesia at the time of the album's release) is represented by two political flags instead of a national flag.

Kenya |  People's Republic of Angola |  Ivory Coast |  Ethiopian Empire |  Chad |  Egypt |  Ghana

|
|
|
|
|
|

Senegal |  Sierra Leone |  Federal Republic of Cameroon |  Tunisia |  Niger | Second Nigerian Republic |  Guinea
Gambia |  Somali Democratic Republic |  Upper Volta |  Zaire |  Guinea-Bissau |  Liberia |  Swaziland
Democratic Republic of Madagascar |  Togo |  People's Republic of Mozambique |  Central African Empire |  Zimbabwe African People's Union |  Seychelles |  Zambia
Lesotho |  Second Republic of Uganda |  Algeria |  Mali | Democratic Republic of Sudan |  Botswana |  Morocco
People's Republic of the Congo |  Tanzania[a] |  Burundi |  Zimbabwe African National Union |  Mauritius (1968–1992) | Republic of Mauritania (1960–1978) |  Gabon
People's Republic of Benin |  Equatorial Guinea |  Papua New Guinea |  Malawi |  São Tomé and Príncipe |  Djibouti |  Rwandese Republic

Four states already sovereign by the time of the album's release didn't have their flags featured in its cover art, though they were featured in a poster that came with the album:[6]

* Cape Verde
* State of the Comoros
* Libya Jamahiriya
* Namibia

Two non-sovereign regions that didn't have their flags included in the cover art are also featured on the poster:

* Réunion[b]
* Western Sahara[c]

Two nations' flags are grayed-out and are represented by numbers rather than names on the poster.[7]

* South Africa
* Zimbabwe Rhodesia

The album's title appears in white (City typeface) with the Brookes slave ship engraving in the background.

1. ^ The flag is shown upside-down on the front cover and bears a darker shade of blue. The flag is correctly oriented on the poster.
2. ^ The flag used is a rectangular version of the flag of the Minister of Overseas France.[7]
3. ^ No flag is shown. Instead is a gray box with the text "TERRITORY IN DISPUTE (NO FLAG AT PRESENT)".[7]

## Personnel

[edit]

### Musicians

[edit]

* Bob Marley – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, percussion
* Aston "Family Man" Barrett – bass, rhythm guitar, percussion
* Carlton Barrett – drums, percussion
* Tyrone "Organ D" Downie – keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
* Alvin "Seeco" Patterson – percussion
* Junior Marvin – lead guitar, backing vocals
* Earl "Wire" Lindo – keyboards
* Al Anderson – lead guitar
* Rita Marley – backing vocals
* Marcia Griffiths – backing vocals
* Judy Mowatt – backing vocals
* Carlton "Santa" Davis – drums on "Africa Unite"
* Mikey "Boo" Richards – drums on "Wake Up And Live"
* Val Douglas – bass on "Wake Up and Live"
* Earl "Chinna" Smith – rhythm guitar and percussion on "One Drop"
* Headley Bennett – alto saxophone
* Ronald "Nambo" Robinson – trombone
* Melba Liston – trombone
* Luther Francois – trombone
* Junior "Chico" Chin – trumpet
* Jackie Willacy – trumpet
* Micky Hanson – trumpet
* Lee Jaffe – harmonica[8]

### Production

[edit]

* Producers – Bob Marley & The Wailers, Alex Sadkin
* Mastering – Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound, NYC

## Charts

[edit]

Chart performance for Survival Chart (1979)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[9] | 32
Norwegian Albums Chart[10] | 10
New Zealand Albums Chart[11] | 14
Swedish Albums Chart[12] | 17
UK Albums Chart[13] | 20
US Billboard Top LPs & Tape | 70
US Top Soul LPs (Billboard)  | 32

## Certifications

[edit]

Certifications for Survival Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

Canada (Music Canada)[14] | Gold  | 50,000^
France (SNEP)[15] | Gold  | 100,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[16] | Platinum  | 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] | Silver  | 60,000*

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Tribute to Bob Marley The Daily Star.
2. ^ "Survival". Bob Marley. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
3. ^ Planer, Lindsay. "Review: Survival Bonus Track". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 July 2009.
4. ^ Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: M". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved 4 March 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
5. ^ Starr, Red. "Albums". Smash Hits (1–14 November 1979): 29.
6. ^ "Bob Marley's Survival: An Album for Zimbabwe!". 2 October 2020. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
7. ^ a b c Hardwig, Florian (25 October 2020). "Bob Marley & the Wailers – Survival album art". Fonts In Use. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
8. ^ Roger Steffens and Leroy Pierson, Bob Marley and the Wailers: The Definitive Discography (Cambridge, MA: Rounder, 2005)
9. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992: 23 years of hit singles & albums from the top 100 charts. St Ives, N.S.W, Australia: Australian Chart Book. p. 192\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
10. ^ Steffen Hung. "Norwegian charts portal". norwegiancharts.com. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
11. ^ Steffen Hung. "New Zealand charts portal". charts.nz. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
12. ^ Steffen Hung. "Swedish Charts Portal". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
13. ^ "Bob Marley & the Wailers | Artist". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
14. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Survival". Music Canada. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
15. ^ "French album certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Survival" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
16. ^ Sólo Éxitos 1959–2002 Año A Año: Certificados 1979–1990 (in Spanish), Iberautor Promociones Culturales, 2005, ISBN 8480486392, retrieved 25 April 2018
17. ^ "British album certifications – Bob Marley & The Wailers – Survival". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 4 June 2019.

* v
* t
* e

Bob Marley and the Wailers

* Bob Marley
* Peter Tosh
* Bunny Wailer

* Other vocalists: Junior Braithwaite
* Cherry Smith
* Beverley Kelso
* Constantine "Vision" Walker
* Rita Marley
* Marcia Griffiths
* Judy Mowatt

* Musicians: Aston "Family Man" Barrett
* Carlton Barrett
* Earl Lindo
* Tyrone Downie
* Alvin "Seeco" Patterson
* Al Anderson
* Earl "Chinna" Smith
* Donald Kinsey
* Junior Marvin

Studio albums|

* The Wailing Wailers (1965)
* Soul Rebels (1970)
* Soul Revolution Part II (1971)
* The Best of the Wailers (1971)
* Catch a Fire (1973)
* Burnin' (1973)
* Natty Dread (1974)
* Rastaman Vibration (1976)
* Exodus (1977)
* Kaya (1978)
* Survival (1979)
* Uprising (1980)
* Confrontation (1983)

Compilations|

* African Herbsman (1973)
* Rasta Revolution (1974)
* Legend (1984)
* Bob, Peter, Bunny & Rita (1985)
* Rebel Music (1986)
* Natural Mystic: The Legend Lives On (1995)
* 21 Winners: The Best of Bob Marley and the Wailers (1997)
* One Love: The Very Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers (2001)
* Gold (2005)

Live albums|

* Live! (1975)
* Babylon by Bus (1978)
* Talkin' Blues (1991)
* Live at the Roxy (2003)
* Live Forever: September 23, 1980 • Stanley Theatre • Pittsburgh, PA (2011)
* Easy Skanking in Boston '78 (2015)

Remix albums|

* Chances Are (1981)
* Chant Down Babylon (1999)
* B Is for Bob (2009)

Box sets|

* Songs of Freedom (1992)
* The Complete Bob Marley & the Wailers 1967–1972 (1997–2002)

Singles|

* "Judge Not"
* "Simmer Down"
* "Guava Jelly"
* "Stir It Up"
* "Get Up, Stand Up"
* "I Shot the Sheriff"
* "No Woman, No Cry (Live '75)"
* "Jah Live"
* "Exodus"
* "Waiting in Vain"
* "Jamming"/"Punky Reggae Party"
* "Is This Love"
* "Satisfy My Soul"
* "So Much Trouble in the World"
* "Could You Be Loved"
* "Redemption Song"
* "Three Little Birds"
* "Forever Loving Jah"
* "Buffalo Soldier"
* "One Love/People Get Ready"
* "Iron Lion Zion"
* "Sun Is Shining"
* "Turn Your Lights Down Low"
* "Slogans"
* "Is This Love"

Other songs|

* "Rude Boy"
* "Mr Brown"
* "Small Axe"
* "No Woman, No Cry"
* "Turn Your Lights Down Low"
* "Natural Mystic"
* "Sun Is Shining"
* "One Drop"
* "War"
* "Hammer"

Performances|

* Smile Jamaica Concert (1976)
* Exodus Tour (1977)
* One Love Peace Concert (1978)
* Uprising Tour (1980)

Associated acts|

* The Skatalites
* The Upsetters
* Word, Sound and Power
* The Wailers Band
* The Original Wailers

Related people|

* Chris Blackwell
* Errol Brown
* Allan Cole
* Coxsone Dodd
* Vincent Ford
* Neville Garrick
* Joe Higgs
* Lee Jaffe
* Arthur Jenkins
* King Sporty
* Leslie Kong
* Johnny Nash
* Jimmy Norman
* Lee "Scratch" Perry
* Mortimer Planno
* Karl Pitterson
* Alex Sadkin

Related articles|

* Discography
* Band members
* Outline of Bob Marley
* 1976 assassination attempt
* Marley Natural
* Upsetter Records
* Tuff Gong
* Bob Marley Museum
* Statue of Bob Marley
* Tribute to the Legend: Bob Marley
* Marley
* soundtrack
* Hall of Fame: A Tribute to Bob Marley's 50th Anniversary
* Time Will Tell: A Tribute to Bob Marley
* One Love: The Bob Marley Musical
* Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical
* Bob Marley: One Love
* soundtrack

* Category

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

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