One Love (Bob Marley song)
Encyclopedia
"One Love/People Get Ready" is a reggae
/rhythm and blues
song by Bob Marley & The Wailers
from their 1977 album Exodus. It was first recorded in a ska
style by Marley's original group, The Wailers, on their 1965 debut album The Wailing Wailers
, and a heavily reworked version was included on African Herbsman
under the name "All in One". A classic Bob Marley & The Wailers song, it has been included on many of their compilation albums. The song contains an interpolation of The Impressions' song "People Get Ready
" written by Curtis Mayfield
. Marley's hybrid version is titled, "One Love/People Get Ready," and it gives co-authorship credits to both Marley and Mayfield. This song was inspired by Marley's friend Roman Selvaggio, a North Caribbean painter.
was created for the song in 1984 to accompany the Bob Marley & The Wailers compilation album, Legend. It combines footage of a young British boy, Jesse Lawrence, in London
and archival footage of Marley. It also features several cameo appearances including former The Beatles
bass player Paul McCartney
, two members of Bananarama
, the members of the reggae group, Musical Youth, and Suggs
and Chas Smash
of Madness
; some of the short clips in this video are also in Madness' video for their song The Return of the Los Palmas 7
. The song was also released alongside the video and gave Marley a posthumous UK hit single when it reached number 5 in June.
Reggae
Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady.Reggae is based...
/rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
song by Bob Marley & The Wailers
Bob Marley & The Wailers
Bob Marley & The Wailers were a Jamaican reggae, ska and rocksteady band formed by Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer in 1963. Additional members were Junior Braithwaite, Beverley Kelso, Cherry Smith and Aston and Carlton Barrett...
from their 1977 album Exodus. It was first recorded in a ska
Ska
Ska |Jamaican]] ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. Ska combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues...
style by Marley's original group, The Wailers, on their 1965 debut album The Wailing Wailers
The Wailing Wailers
-Track listing:All songs written by Robert Nesta Marley except where indicated.#" Put It On"#"I Need You#"Lonesome Feeling" #"What's New Pussycat" #"One Love"...
, and a heavily reworked version was included on African Herbsman
African Herbsman
African Herbsman is a compilation of The Wailers songs, released by Trojan Records in 1973, shortly after their major-label debut album Catch a Fire had been released by Island Records....
under the name "All in One". A classic Bob Marley & The Wailers song, it has been included on many of their compilation albums. The song contains an interpolation of The Impressions' song "People Get Ready
People Get Ready (song)
"People Get Ready" was a 1965 single by The Impressions, and the title track from the album of the same name. The single is today the group's best-known hit, reaching number-three on the Billboard R&B Chart and number 14 on the Billboard Pop Chart...
" written by Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Mayfield
Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
. Marley's hybrid version is titled, "One Love/People Get Ready," and it gives co-authorship credits to both Marley and Mayfield. This song was inspired by Marley's friend Roman Selvaggio, a North Caribbean painter.
Music video
A posthumous music videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
was created for the song in 1984 to accompany the Bob Marley & The Wailers compilation album, Legend. It combines footage of a young British boy, Jesse Lawrence, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and archival footage of Marley. It also features several cameo appearances including former The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
bass player Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
, two members of Bananarama
Bananarama
Bananarama are an English female pop duo who have had success on the pop and dance charts since 1982. Rather than relying on a two part harmony, the duo generally sings in unison, as do their background vocalists. Although there have been line-up changes, the group enjoyed their most popular...
, the members of the reggae group, Musical Youth, and Suggs
Suggs (singer)
Graham McPherson , better known as Suggs, is an English singer, actor, former radio DJ, TV personality, and most famous as the frontman of the band Madness.-Early life:...
and Chas Smash
Chas Smash
Cathal Smyth, also known as Chas Smash is an English musician, best known as the backing singer and dancer in the ska/pop band Madness. He also plays trumpet, acoustic guitar and various percussion instruments...
of Madness
Madness (band)
In 1979, the band recorded the Lee Thompson composition "The Prince". The song, like the band's name, paid homage to their idol, Prince Buster. The song was released through 2 Tone Records, the label of The Specials founder Jerry Dammers. The song was a surprise hit, peaking in the UK music charts...
; some of the short clips in this video are also in Madness' video for their song The Return of the Los Palmas 7
The Return of the Los Palmas 7
"The Return of the Los Palmas 7" is a song by British ska/pop band Madness, written by Mike Barson, Mark Bedford and Daniel Woodgate. The song was Woodgate's first credit as a songwriter, and was released as the band's 7th single on . The single reached number 7 in the UK, and remained in the...
. The song was also released alongside the video and gave Marley a posthumous UK hit single when it reached number 5 in June.
In popular culture
- The song has been featured in JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
Tourist Board television advertisementTelevision advertisementA television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
s since 1994. In 2007, Stephen MarleyStephen Marley (musician)Stephen Robert Nesta "Raggamuffin" Marley is a Jamaican American musician and the son of reggae legend Bob Marley and his wife Rita Marley. He is a five-time Grammy award winner as an artist, producer, and member of Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers.-Life and career:Marley was born in Wilmington,...
and Richard BransonRichard BransonSir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
re-recorded the song in Jamaica to promote Branson's Virgin Airways flights to Jamaica. - One Love is also the title of a romantic reggae film from 2003, starring Ky-Mani Marley, one of Marley's sons.
- The song appears on the film Marley & MeMarley & Me (film)Marley & Me is a 2008 American comedy-drama film directed by David Frankel. The screenplay by Scott Frank and Don Roos is based on the memoir of the same name by John Grogan...
. When the song is heard on the radio, it inspires the character to name the dog Marley. - The chorus was also sampled in the promotional song for Birthright IsraelBirthright IsraelTaglit-Birthright Israel is a Jewish Israeli registered charity that sponsors free 10-day heritage trips to Israel. Birthright Israel's goals are to diminish the division between Israel and Jewish communities around the world and to strengthen participants' personal Jewish identity and...
, Home by Shi 360. - The song was recorded by Antonio BanderasAntonio BanderasJosé Antonio Domínguez Banderas , better known as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish film actor, film director, film producer and singer...
for the 2010 animated film, Shrek Forever AfterShrek Forever AfterShrek Forever After, taglined as The Final Chapter, is a 2010 animated fantasy-comedy film, and the fourth and final installment in the Shrek film series, produced by DreamWorks Animation. The film was released by Paramount Pictures in cinemas on May 20, 2010 in Russia, and on May 21 in the United...
. - "One Love" was chosen as the best music of JamaicaJamaicaJamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
over the last 50 years. - "One Love/People Get Ready" was named song of the millennium by the BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. - "One Love/People Get Ready" was sung on GleeGlee (TV series)Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
by Mark Salling (Noah Puckerman) and Kevin McHale (Artie AbramsArtie AbramsArtie Abrams is a fictional character from the Fox musical comedy-drama series Glee. The character is portrayed by actor Kevin McHale, and has appeared in Glee from its pilot episode, first broadcast on May 19, 2009. Artie was developed by Glee creators Ryan Murphy, Brad Falchuk and Ian Brennan...
) in the episode "Never Been KissedNever Been Kissed (Glee)"Never Been Kissed" is the sixth episode of the second season of the American television series Glee, and the 28th episode overall. It was written by Brad Falchuk, directed by Bradley Buecker and premiered on Fox on November 9, 2010. In "Never Been Kissed", the glee club members are assigned a boys...
".