Babylon by Bus
by Bob Marley and the Wailers
Released: November 10, 1978
Reggae
The Album
"Babylon by Bus" is a live album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1978. The album features recordings from the Pavillon de Paris concerts over three nights, from 25–27 June 1978, during the Kaya Tour. However, there are discrepancies in the track listing, and not all songs are from those Paris concerts.
Inside the Recording
This has led to some uncertainty about which concert this version of the song was recorded at.
Interesting Facts
The album cover was designed with a novelty…
The album cover was designed with a novelty feature, similar to their 1973 album Catch a Fire.
The windows of the bus on the front…
The windows of the bus on the front cover were cut out to reveal part of the inner sleeve.
Since it was a double album, the listener…
Since it was a double album, the listener had a choice of four different scenes to view through the windows.
Regarding the setlist, certain songs like "Heathen", "Lively…
Regarding the setlist, certain songs like "Heathen", "Lively Up Yourself", and "Concrete Jungle" were not as commonly performed during the Kaya Tour.
Of these, two of the three were likely…
Of these, two of the three were likely played at any given show but were not always included together.
Explore the Album
Bob Marley and the Wailers - Babylon by Bus
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The Complete Album Story
"Babylon by Bus" is a live album by Bob Marley and the Wailers, released in 1978. The album features recordings from the Pavillon de Paris concerts over three nights, from 25–27 June 1978, during the Kaya Tour. However, there are discrepancies in the track listing, and not all songs are from those Paris concerts.
The album cover was designed with a novelty feature, similar to their 1973 album Catch a Fire. The windows of the bus on the front cover were cut out to reveal part of the inner sleeve. Since it was a double album, the listener had a choice of four different scenes to view through the windows.
Regarding the setlist, certain songs like "Heathen", "Lively Up Yourself", and "Concrete Jungle" were not as commonly performed during the Kaya Tour. Of these, two of the three were likely played at any given show but were not always included together. These tracks were only played together on two occasions: at the Pinecrest Country Club in Shelton, Connecticut, on 14 June, and at the Music Inn in Lenox, Massachusetts, on 18 June. The Music Inn performance was one of the longest shows ever played by the band, featuring 22 songs, but none of these songs were performed at the Paris concerts.
Other songs like "Rebel Music", "Positive Vibration", "Jamming", "Exodus", "War / No More Trouble", and "Punky Reggae Party" were almost always played at every concert, though their order varied. "Get Up, Stand Up" was sometimes played but does not appear on this album. "Is This Love" was also not a frequent part of the tour set, although it was played in Paris.
The track "Kinky Reggae" was not performed during the Kaya Tour and had not been played since the 1976 Rastaman Vibration tour. This has led to some uncertainty about which concert this version of the song was recorded at.
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