45 years ago The Exodus European Tour touched down in Elserthalle, Heidelberg, Germany featuring songs from Exodus by Bob Marley & The Wailers.
The tour began at the Pavillon de Paris, Porte de Pantin in Paris, France, on 10 May 1977. During the tour, Marley and his band performed for the first time in Belgium and Denmark. The tour ended in early and cancelled the June 5 and 6 Rainbow Theatre in London dates, due to a serious toe injury Marley received in a football friendly game with French journalists just before the tour’s start. The tour was scheduled for a second leg in the United States but was eventually cancelled.
The final show has been released on VHS and DVD, labeled Live! at the Rainbow. It is reported that all four London shows have been recorded. The Exodus album was Marley’s route to international superstardom; as designed by his manager Chris Blackwell who advised Marley to focus on being a rockstar rather than on Black America radio.
The Exodus tour setlist includes:
- “Natural Mystic”
- “So Much Things to Say”
- “Guiltiness”
- “Trenchtown Rock”
- “Them Belly Full (But We Hungry)”
- “Concrete Jungle”
- “I Shot the Sheriff”
- “Rebel Music (3 O’Clock Roadblock)”
- “Lively Up Yourself”
- “Crazy Baldhead” / “Running Away” (medley)
- “War” / “No More Trouble” (medley)
- “The Heathen”
- “Burnin’ & Lootin'”
- “Positive Vibration”
- “No Woman, No Cry”
- “Jamming”
- “Get Up, Stand Up”
- “Exodus”
An additional song was added to the middle of the setlist as Marley was known to switch up the setlist with songs, like “Stir It Up” “Jammin'”, “Positive Vibration”, “Concrete Jungle”, “Crazy Baldhead”, “Running Away”, “Trenchtown Rock”, “Natural Mystic”, “So Much Things To Say” and “Guiltiness”. Live performances of each of these songs happened very rarely during the tour. In 2020, the final concert was released on Marley’s official Youtube channel.
Exodus, the album follows Rastaman Vibration (1976). Unlike previous albums from the Wailers band, Exodus thematically moves away from cryptic story-telling; The album is split into two halves: the first half revolves around religious politics, while the second half is focused on themes of making love and keeping faith.
This was the album Bob made after assassination attempts were made on his live On 3 December 1976. Following the assassination attempt, Marley left Jamaica and went to London, where Exodus was recorded.
It received gold certifications in the US, UK and Canada. In 2017, Exodus was remastered and re-released for its 40th anniversary. Exodus has more tracks on Marley’s Billboard chart topping greatest hits compilation Legend than any of his other records. Exodus was his tenth album since the debut album The Wailing Wailers in 1965, including the live album Live! (1975).
The album Exodus was given Greatest Album of the Century by Time in 2000.
