The original band disagreed during the Tour of 1973, the relationship between the trio was deteriorating. Bunny Wailer and Peter Tosh complained about the dominating role of Bob Marley within the group Bunny Wailer did not want to finish the tour because the weather in England wasn't like in Jamaica; having enough of this pressure in the group and this unbearable climate, he left the group, Bob and Peter decided to ask  their former mentor Joe Higgs to accompany them in the tour to replace Bunny, he accepted. But one day of November 1973, a conflict burst between Bob and Peter, Earl " Wire" Lindo the young organist of the group announced that he left the Wailers. On November 30th 1973 they played their last performance at Northampton, then cancelled 11 concerts. What happened , what are the reasons for their separation?


After some shows with Johnny Nash in England, the Wailers who were broke were in contract with CBS record but Danny Sims left them to go with the singer Johnny Nash for the promotion of his album in the USA, Bob & Peter were quiet about this situation but Bunny was furious that Johnny Nash exploited their culture. In December1971, Bob decided to play the last card to meet Chris Blackwell who agreed to work with them and a contract of 10 albums with Island record was signed. Chris Blackwell gave them 4000 pounds to record a demo and to mix it in London. During the summer of 1972, the police attacked Peter Tosh in his home, they caught him smoking a spliff while he was writing his future song Mark of the Beast, they beat him severly. When he regained conciousness, he found himself on the floor of the Kingston Public hospital with several policemen standing over him, refusing his pleas for treatment for many hours. The Wailers recorded Catch a Fire Jamaican mix at the Randy's studio, Dynamic Sound, Harry J studio when they finished, Chris Blackwell transported the master tape in London to make the overdubs with George Perkins on guitare and John 'Rabbit' Bundrick (who was with Bob in Sweden) on keyboard. The Catch a Fire Tour start at the Coleman Club of Nottingham in England. 27th April 1973


The Wailers came back to Jamaica. Bunny Wailer refused to continue the tour, and decided to decrease his presence within the group, Bunny hated to take the plane and had made the wish not to climb a plane, he didn't like to tour, especially in cold weather. From the 11th to the 15th of July they played at the Paul' S Mall of Boston (3 shows per night), from the 18th to the 21st at the Max Kansas City of New York, they were the first  part of the singer Bruce Springsteen. The Wailers returned to Jamaica to record their second album for Island who is Burnin'. One night when returning from visiting Bob at Hope Road. Driving back home with his girlfriend Evonne, Peter's car collided with another that was travelling the wrong way down the Spanish Town overpass. Tosh suffered fractures of the skull, and Evonne was badly crushed. Tosh's girlfriend was in a coma, everyday Peter visted her until 3 weeks later when she died. In October 1973 the Burnin' Tour began Bunny didn't want to go to the tour with them. They turned to Joe Higgs who accepted to go with them, 5 dates were considered as the first part of the group Sly and the family Stones, but the Wailers were fired because they were well appreciate by the public.  Without money and without road manager, and with the problems which had happened, they returned on the road towards California exactly to San Fransisco where they played several dates at the Matrix Club. The Wailers had become famous but they didn't earn money, Joe Higgs disappointed took the first flight for Jamaica. No one was left but Peter Tosh Bob Marley, the Barrett brothers (Aston and Carlton) and Earl " Wire" Lindo, were going to Canada to play for the Ethiopian famine relief fund. In the winter of 1973, Chris Blackwell told  the group he would pay all the expenses for a tour of Britain that lasted several months while the band was also recording the "Burnin' " album in London. Instead, when the tour finished, Blackwell gave them a bill for more than US $80,000 that he said they owed him.

The Wailers played their last performance at Northampton on the 30th of November, then cancelled 10 concerts which followed because Peter was seriously sick, Island Record claimed that the cancellation was due entirely to the illness of Peter Tosh, a respiratory disease. Earl said to the group that he would leave them to play with Taj Mahal (Blues Singer), Peter Tosh and the Barretts brothers returned to Jamaica while Bob joined a few days later …

Before their definite separation, the Wailers made 3 concerts in first part of Marvin Gaye and two shows in England in May 1974. Bob became the leader of the group then. That year Bob Marley recorded the third album for Island Natty Dread and in the cover  it was writen "Bob Marley & The Wailers", Peter Tosh & Bunny were annoyed at the limited outlets for their own compositions , they were sick and tired about this situation, and for them Chris Blackwell was guilty. A rumor said that one day Peter Tosh threatened Chris Balckwell with a machete because he refused to pay them, Chris Blackwell said that the Wailers had to pay much for Island, in 1973 Chris refused to put "No symphaty" in the album Burnin', and to produce his solo album, so he refered to him as Chris Whiteworst. In 1975, concerts were organized with the Jackson five and their ultimate concert on October 4th for a concert of charity organized by Stevie Wonder… We never saw them in concert together. During the same year Bunny signed 2 albums deal with Island record "BlackHeart Man" & "Protest". Peter recorded his first solo album Legalize It for Columbia record with Lee Jaffe, he wrote the song Why Must I Cry with Bob Marley! 

All rights reserved 2010