A video obtained by WMV, featuring a deleted scene from the movie Bob Marley: One Love, depicts the final moments of the Wailers band, including original members Peter Tosh (played by Alex A-Game) and Bunny Wailer, (played by his son Abijah Livingston) as they went their separate ways while on tour.
“We have at least three more shows,” Bunny was told when he inquired if it was a free club.
“Every bldclt show, I tell Blackwell I can’t eat no more of this Babylonian sh*t, him nah listen,” Bunny said. Tosh replied, “Cause you anuh him golden goose,” implying that Marley is the star of the show.
Trying to calm the tension, Blackwell (played by James Norton) stopped his introduction of Marley to members of the press and said, “Guys, they loved you,” but this only further infuriated Tosh, who questioned why Bob Marley, played by Kingsley Ben Adir was doing all the interviews.
Explaining that the free shows were for promotional purposes, Blackwell stated, “You knew this was a promotional tour. This is how you build your base. If you don’t do these clubs, you will be nobodies.” This sparked an even more intense response from Bunny, who said, “The only body is a dead body,” and announced his exit.
Pleading for focus to return to the shows, Marley called out to Bunny, saying, “Make we get through the next few shows dem nuh man.” Bunny responded, “There is no next show for I, I leaving this band.”
Bunny and Bob’s parents Thaddeus Livingston, Bunny’s father and Cedella Booker, Marley’s mother, had an intimate relationship and grew up in the same household in West Kingston where they met the third member of the Wailers, Peter Tosh as part of a recruitment drive to form a band.
Acknowledging this fact in the scene, Bunny stated, “You a me bredda, and I know you want to conquer the world, but that is not my goal.”
Tosh then said, “I nuh come yah fi be nuh backup singer for nuh bwoi weh I teach fi play.” A confrontation ensued between Bob and Tosh, who then told Bob and Chris they deserved each other, ending the scene with a direct threat to Chris Blackwell, “If I see you again, you nah go like it you hear dat.”
The scene is among several that were omitted from the final cut of Bob Marley: One Love biopic released by Paramount Pictures.
Actor Alexx A Game announced that all scenes featuring his character Peter Tosh were cut from the film days before its global February 14, 2024 theatre release. He shared the news in a heartfelt Instagram video, expressing his disappointment and regret to fans.
Prior to the movie’s release, Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who is the only one alive between the four characters had addressed the falling out in his memoir THE ISLANDER with Paul Morley (Gallery Books, June 7, 2022).
He said, “From the moment that Bob and I set to work remixing Catch a Fire in London, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer felt threatened. To them, it seemed it was now me and Bob. They were so protective of the three of them, which was understandable. It had always been their thing. They had fought hard to keep their band going when so much conspired against them, and then here, all of a sudden, was this white guy deciding for them that they needed to move in a different direction.”
In the book he didn’t mention getting any threats from Peter Tosh but he said,“Peter Tosh didn’t like me. He suggested I favored Bob because Bob was half-white,” similar to what was depicted in the deleted scene.
“Behind my back, he referred to me as “Whitewell” and “Whiteworst.” All I can say is that his suspicions were misguided, as were those who accused me of exploiting Bob to make money. I never paid a Jamaican act a penny less in royalties than an English act. I was helpless without the artists. I wasn’t a singer or a writer; it made no sense to rip them off. I put my all into getting Bob’s music, and Jamaica’s music, into the mainstream,” he stated.
The Bob Marley: One Love biopic has sold $179 million worldwide including $96.8 million in the US. it is nominated for Best movie at the BET Awards set to be aired this Sunday.
Watch deleted scene below:
:
