Legalize It

Last updated
Legalize It
PeterTosh-LegalizeIt.jpg
Studio album by
Peter Tosh
ReleasedJune 1976
Recorded1975-1976
StudioTreasure Isle and Randy's, Kingston, Jamaica
Genre Reggae
Length39:04
Label Virgin, Columbia
Producer Peter Tosh
Peter Tosh chronology
Legalize It
(1976)		 Equal Rights
(1977)

Legalize It is the debut studio album by Jamaican singer-songwriter and former Wailer Peter Tosh, released in June 1976. It was recorded at Treasure Isle and Randy's, Kingston. [1]

Contents

Legalize It is one of the two solo albums released in 1976 by Wailers members, along with Bunny Wailer's album Blackheart Man . Bob Marley and his new Wailers also released Rastaman Vibration .

The song was written in response to his ongoing victimization by the Jamaican police and as a political piece pushing for the legalization of cannabis, particularly for medical use. [1] In 1977, Tosh backed this up by saying "We are the victims of Rasclot circumstances. Victimization, colonialism, gonna lead to bloodbath". [2] Tosh also said "Herb will become like cigarettes", in an NME interview in 1978.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [3]
Christgau's Record Guide B [4]
Rolling Stone (favorable) [5]

The title track was banned when released in Jamaica in 1975. Attempts to suppress the song failed, however, catapulting Tosh to international fame. [1]

Gnome-mime-sound-openclipart.svg
"Legalize It"
Legalize It audio sample
Problems playing this file? See media help.

The album was released in the United States in June 1976 and appeared on the Billboard 200 album chart for two weeks, peaking at No. 199. In 1999, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America for over one million copies sold. [6]

Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "Unlike most sidemen who go on to pursue their own artistic interests, ex-Wailer Tosh has managed to gather about half an album for his solo debut, which ain't bad. 'Ketchy Shuby' even has the makings of a novelty hit. But oh, how his light heart and romantic spirit are missed among his old mates." [4]

The album was included in the 2005 book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . [7]

Track listing

All tracks composed by Peter Tosh; except where indicated

  1. "Legalize It" – 4:35
  2. "Burial" (Tosh, Bunny Livingston) – 3:54
  3. "What'cha Gonna Do?" – 2:25
  4. "No Sympathy" – 4:35
  5. "Why Must I Cry" (Tosh, Bob Marley) – 3:08
  6. "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)" – 4:37
  7. "Ketchy Shuby" – 4:53
  8. "Till Your Well Runs Dry" (Tosh, Livingston) – 6:09
  9. "Brand New Second Hand" – 4:03

Sony Legacy Edition

A Sony Legacy Edition was released in June 2011. It was produced by Jerry Rappaport and Sam Dion.

Disc 1: Original LP and demos

  1. "Legalize It"
  2. "Burial"
  3. "What'cha Gonna Do"
  4. "No Sympathy"
  5. "Why Must I Cry"
  6. "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)"
  7. "Ketchy Shuby"
  8. "Till Your Well Runs Dry"
  9. "Brand New Second Hand"
  10. "Legalize It" (Demo)
  11. "No Sympathy" (Demo)
  12. "Why Must I Cry" (Demo)
  13. "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)" (Demo)
  14. "Ketchy Shuby" (Demo)
  15. "Till Your Well Runs Dry" (Demo)
  16. "Brand New Second Hand" (Demo)

Disc 2: Tosh's original mix, alternates and dubs

  1. "Legalize It"
  2. "Burial"
  3. "What'cha Gonna Do"
  4. "No Sympathy"
  5. "Why Must I Cry"
  6. "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)"
  7. "Ketchy Shuby"
  8. "Till Your Well Runs Dry"
  9. "Brand New Second Hand"
  10. "Legalize It" (Alternate Version)
  11. "Burial" (Dub Plate)
  12. "What'cha Gonna Do" (Shajahshoka Dub Plate)
  13. "Igziabeher (Let Jah Be Praised)" (Shajahshoka Dub Plate)
  14. "Second Hand" (Shajahshoka Dub Plate)
  15. "Burial" (Dub Plate)
  16. "Legalize It" (Dub Plate)

Disc 1, Tracks 1–9 released as original LP - Columbia PC 34253 (U.S.), 1976

Disc 1, Tracks 10–16 and Disc 2, Tracks 1-10 previously unreleased

Disc 2, Tracks 11–12 and 14–16 released on limited edition dubplates, 1976

Disc 2, Track 13 from The Ultimate Peter Tosh Experience (Shanachie 6802, 2009)

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Legalize It
Chart (1976)Peak
position
US Billboard 200 [8] 199
Listen to this article (4 minutes)
Sound-icon.svg
This audio file was created from a revision of this article dated 18 July 2016 (2016-07-18), and does not reflect subsequent edits.
(Audio help  · More spoken articles)

Related Research Articles

<i>Natty Dread</i> 1974 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Natty Dread is the seventh album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1974. Previously Marley had recorded with Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer as the Wailers, and this was his first record without them.

<i>Burnin</i> (Bob Marley and the Wailers album) 1973 studio album by the Wailers

Burnin' is the sixth album by Jamaican reggae group the Wailers, released in October 1973. It was written by all three members and recorded and produced by the Wailers in Jamaica, contemporaneously with tracks from the Catch a Fire album with further recording, mixing and completion while on the Catch a Fire tour in London. It contains the song "I Shot the Sheriff". It was the last album before Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer decided to pursue solo careers, while continuing their local releases through their company Tuff Gong Records. A commercial and critical success in the United States, Burnin' was certified Gold and later added to the National Recording Registry, with the Library of Congress deeming it historically and culturally significant.

<i>Catch a Fire</i> 1973 studio album by Bob Marley & The Wailers

Catch a Fire is the fifth studio album by the reggae band The Wailers, released in April 1973. It was their first album released by Island Records. After finishing a UK tour with Johnny Nash, they had started laying down tracks for JAD Records when a disputed CBS contract with Danny Sims created tensions. The band did not have enough money to return to Jamaica, so their road manager Brent Clarke approached producer Chris Blackwell, who agreed to advance The Wailers money for an album. They instead used this money to pay their fares back home, where they completed the recordings that constitute Catch a Fire. The album has nine songs, two of which were written and composed by Peter Tosh; the remaining seven were by Bob Marley. While Bunny Wailer is not credited as a writer, the group's writing style was a collective process. For the immediate follow-up album, Burnin', also released in 1973, he contributed four songs. After Marley returned with the tapes to London, Blackwell reworked the tracks at Island Studios, with contributions by Muscle Shoals session musician Wayne Perkins, who played guitar on three overdubbed tracks. The album had a limited original release under the name The Wailers in a sleeve depicting a Zippo lighter, designed by graphic artists Rod Dyer and Bob Weiner; subsequent releases had an alternative cover designed by John Bonis, featuring an Esther Anderson portrait of Marley smoking a "spliff", and crediting the band as Bob Marley and the Wailers.

<i>Rastaman Vibration</i> 1976 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Rastaman Vibration is the eighth studio album by Jamaican reggae band Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in April 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Marley and the Wailers</span> Jamaican reggae band

Bob Marley and the Wailers were a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae band. The founding members, in 1963, were Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rita Marley</span> Cuban-Jamaican singer; widow of Bob Marley

Alfarita Constantia Marley is a Cuban-born Jamaican singer, songwriter and entrepreneur. She is the widow of reggae legend Bob Marley. Along with Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt, she was a member of the reggae vocal group the I Threes, the backing vocalists for Bob Marley and the Wailers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Clarke</span> Jamaican reggae musician

Johnny Clarke is a Jamaican reggae musician, best known for his recordings with producer Bunny Lee in the 1970s.

<i>Equal Rights</i> (album) 1977 studio album by Peter Tosh

Equal Rights is the second studio album by Peter Tosh. It was released in 1977 on Columbia Records.

<i>Soul Rebels</i> 1970 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Soul Rebels is the second studio album by the Wailers, their first album to be released outside Jamaica. The Wailers approached producer Lee "Scratch" Perry in August 1970 to record an entire album, and the sessions took place at Randy's recording studio above Randy's Record Mart at 17 North Parade in Kingston, Jamaica, until November. First issued in the UK by Trojan Records in December 1970, the album has since been re-released several times on several different labels. Perry's production is sparse and haunting, only featuring guitar, bass, drums, electronic organs, and vocals with no horns or other embellishments.

<i>Soul Revolution Part II</i> 1971 studio album by Bob Marley and the Wailers

Soul Revolution Part II is the third album by Bob Marley and the Wailers. It was produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry. While the name on the album cover for all the original releases was Soul Revolution Part II, some releases had the name Soul Revolution printed on the album label, leading to uncertainty over what name was intended. A "dub" version with the vocals removed was released as Soul Revolution Part II Dub; both versions were released as one set in 1988. The album was repackaged with additional material as African Herbsman in 1973.

The One Love Concert (OLPC) was a large concert held on 22 April 1978 at The National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica.

<i>The Wailing Wailers</i> 1965 debut album of Jamaican band The Wailers who later became Bob Marley and The Wailers

The Wailing Wailers is the 1965 eponymous debut studio album by the Wailers, later known as Bob Marley and the Wailers. Released on the Studio One label, the album is a compilation of various recordings made between 1964 and 1965 by Neville “Bunny” Livingston, Robert Nesta Marley and Peter McIntosh. It compiles what Clement Coxsone Dodd considered the best Wailers recordings from this period. They were accompanied by the Studio One backing band, The Soul Brothers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston "Family Man" Barrett</span> Jamaican musician

Aston Francis Barrett, often called "Family Man" or "Fams" for short, is a retired Jamaican musician and Rastafarian.

<i>Blackheart Man</i> 1976 studio album by Bunny Wailer

Blackheart Man is the debut album by Bunny Wailer, originally released on 8 September 1976, in Jamaica on Solomonic Records and internationally on Island Records.

Carlton "Santa" Davis is a musician from Jamaica, primarily known for his drumming with bands such as Bob Marley & The Wailers, The Aggrovators, Soul Syndicate and Roots Radics. He has worked with reggae artists such as Jimmy Cliff, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, Big Youth, The Wailers, Peter Tosh, Andrew Tosh, Wailing Souls, Ini Kamoze, Big Mountain, Michael Rose, and Ziggy Marley.

Andrew Tosh is a Jamaican reggae singer and the son of Peter Tosh. He is the nephew of reggae singer Bunny Wailer, also an original member of The Wailers. Andrew has a strong vocal resemblance to his late father and like his father, rides the unicycle.

<i>Marley</i> (film) 2012 American film

Marley is a 2012 documentary-biographical film directed by Kevin Macdonald documenting the life of Bob Marley.

The Complete Bob Marley & the Wailers 1967–1972 is a series of compilation albums by Bob Marley and the Wailers released in eleven volumes by JAD Records between 1997 and 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bunny Wailer</span> Jamaican musician (1947–2021)

Neville O'Riley Livingston, known professionally as Bunny Wailer, was a Jamaican singer-songwriter and percussionist. He was an original member of reggae group The Wailers along with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he is considered one of the longtime standard-bearers of reggae music. He was also known as Jah B, Bunny O'Riley, and Bunny Livingston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Tosh</span> Jamaican reggae musician

Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM, professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963–1976), after which he established himself as a successful solo artist and a promoter of Rastafari. He was murdered in 1987 during a home invasion.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Dimery, Robert (2010). 1001 songs you must hear before you die. United Kingdom: Cassell Illustrated. p. 360. ISBN   978-1-84403-736-0.
  2. ↑ Davis, Stephen (1977). Reggae Bloodlines. ISBN   9780306804960.
  3. ↑ Legalize It at AllMusic
  4. 1 2 Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: T". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies . Ticknor & Fields. ISBN   089919026X . Retrieved March 16, 2019– via robertchristgau.com.
  5. ↑ Rolling Stone review [ dead link ]
  6. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2001). Top Pop Albums. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research Inc. p.  888. ISBN   0-89820-147-0.
  7. ↑ Robert Dimery; Michael Lydon (7 February 2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die: Revised and Updated Edition. Universe. ISBN   0-7893-1371-5.
  8. ↑ "Peter Tosh Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 1 May 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.