This week, the Wailers are scheduled to play in South Carolina. As are the Original Wailers. They're two different bands, but each claims direct lineage to the same source: Bob Marley and his band. In an article for the Jamaica Gleaner, Howard Campbell describes the bizarre bifurcation between the groups, and shows how there's been a recent heightening in tensions between the two. Bass player Aston 'Family Man' Barrett, of the Wailers, is outraged by the Original Wailers laying exclusive claim to their history. As he says, "We are The Wailers. Anything that is Wailers, we are." He went on to add that the Original Wailers "are trying to fool the public. They are bad news. They know that if Family Man is not there, it's not right. Don't let them fool you."The Original Wailers, as Campbell points out, include three artists who recorded and toured with Bob Marley during the 1970s height of his popularity: Al Anderson, Junior Marvin and Earl 'Wya' Lindo. Barrett, meanwhile, was Marley's musical director until his death in 1981, and is credited with penning songs like 'Rebel Music' and 'Who The Cap Fit.' Ultimately, though, the nuanced differences between the two groups may elude fans. As keyboardist Tyrone Downie says, "Once the people hear Wailers they don't care who's playing, they're going to come out and see."
