For those unaware, fifty years ago, Bob Marley & The Wailers headlined a four-night residency at the Hammersmith Odeon in London, England, spanning June 15th-18th, 1976, to kick off the second leg of their Rastaman Vibration tour.

The prestigious booking was a risky move, with a ticket count five times of a usual Wailers show. They sold it out, and the group seized the moment with utter fire and precision, leaving reviewers grasping for words to describe what they’d witnessed. Bob’s time had come.

For the first time ever, audiences can finally experience the magic of these seminal and sought-after shows with the release of the brand-new live album, Roots, Rock, Reggae: Live at the Hammersmith Odeon, out August 14th, 2026, via Tuff Gong/Island/UMe.

The previously unreleased 18-track album, newly mixed from the original multi-tracks, will arrive in multiple configurations, including 180-gram 2LP Vinyl, an exclusive limited edition 2LP Color Vinyl, 2CD, digital download and streaming at all DSPs and, where available, an ATMOS mix for the full “you-are-there” concert experience.

A must-have for Marley devotees and newcomers alike, the album has been packaged with stunning graphics featuring photographs from the shows, a unique cover design that appears ‘sideways’ but folds out to full-body photo of Bob in his performance trance, custom labels, printed sleeves and a new essay by longtime Marley confidant and associate Don Letts, a.k.a. “The Rebel Dread,” who shares his own in-person recollections of the residency.

Side A:
1. Introduction (0:28)
2. Trenchtown Rock (4:08)
3. Burnin’ and Lootin’ (4:31)
4. Them Belly Full (But We Hungry) (3:18)
5. Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock) (4:58)
6. I Shot the Sheriff (4:11)

Side B:
1. Crazy Baldhead (6:05)
2. Bend Down Low (4:10)
3. Want More (6:38)
4. No Woman, No Cry (6:09)

Side C:
1. Lively Up Yourself (7:47)
2. Roots, Rock, Reggae (5:29)
3. Encore Introduction (0:30)
4. Positive Vibration (3:35)
5. Rat Race (6:45)

Side D:
1. War (4:16)
2. No More Trouble (2:21)
3. Get Up, Stand Up (12:15)

Who was Bob Marley? I mean, sure, we all know he was a legendary Jamaican reggae singer, songwriter, and global cultural icon who popularized reggae music and the Rastafari movement worldwide. But to me, personally, he was whatever his music and message meant at the time and the incredible way that it infiltrated my life and fast became a genuine voice of comfort, a symbol of peace and unity, an inspiration for social justice and freedom.

He died way too young in 1981 at the age of 36, but his songs like Three Little Birds, One Love, and Redemption Song continue to connect deeply with not only myself, but the global wealth of listeners around the world on a personal and emotional level.

Now, as for this wondrous live album from 1976, there is just so much to love here, to lose yourself within, to allow to musically envelope your life, of that you have my word. I especially loved the version of “War,” and the “Burnin’ and Lootin’ and Bend Down Low” sections. I think 1975 and 1976 are probably my favorite years for the live recordings, because there’s so much improvisation. Marley sometimes just seems to jump into the songs in completely unexpected ways, and I love that. The backing vocals are also really beautiful throughout this live recording.

That said, I’m not convinced this is the best concert that could have been released officially. There are quite a few little mistakes and rough moments here and there. Of course, that doesn’t take anything away from the live experience for you can really feel the energy in the room; especially with the crowd screaming and reacting to the band.

But musically, I think the shows that came afterwards were much tighter and more professional, with fewer mistakes. They also had more of that soul and gospel feeling that I really love. I actually don’t know whether they sometimes did post-production edits on those recordings. I don’t think they did, but it’s interesting because, for example, the version of “No Woman, No Cry” from 1975 that really made Bob Marley & The Wailers famous around the world is absolutely perfect. And then you listen to this concert version and there are little details that don’t quite musically stick. I’m digging deep into the nitty gritty here, and maybe wrongly, but I am a genuine fan and thus I have a genuine opinion (thank you very much).

Anyway, none of that overly distracts, moreover makes it all the more interesting to me. I just find things like that overly interesting, because it shows that some of the Bob Marley performances that have become part of the legacy — the ones that were filmed and that everyone knows — are incredibly polished and beautiful versions. Obviously, that probably wasn’t the case at every concert, but it’s fascinating to realize that the versions that survived in people’s memories are often the really great ones.

And I’m also just now realizing that Bob Marley would sometimes just start singing whenever he felt like it, coming in halfway through a verse or a chorus, and the band would have to catch up with him. He’d cut solos short, things like that. There are all these little details that are probably exactly what people in the audience experienced at the time.

And honestly, I don’t mind having that on an album at all. In a way, I actually like it, because it gives you a much more authentic sense of what it was really like to be there. So, for now, this is definitely my favorite Bob Marley concert that I have live on vinyl and I am so beyond happy that UMe have decided to make it available officially for us devoted fans.

In the liner notes, Letts perhaps described the whole experience best: “a theatre full of people suddenly sharing the same heartbeat.”

Amen, my brother. Amen.

Official Purchase Links

www.bobmarley.com