Christie's to auction Marley 'jam' tape: Jamaica Observer
Christie's to auction Marley 'jam'
tape
HOWARD CAMPBELL, Observer
writer
Wednesday, November 20,
2002
Bob Marley - An audiotape of a
1960s jam session with reggae legend Bob Marley will be auctioned by the
world-famous Christie's Auction House in New York City on December 16, an
executive at the organisation said
Monday.
The tape was put up for sale two
months ago by African-American musician, Jimmy Norman, at whose home the
impromptu jam took place in early 1968. Its eight songs are 24 minutes in length
and includes the well-known Marley tracks One Love, True Love and I'm Hurting
Inside.
Margaret Barrett, head of the
popular arts division at Christie's, told the Observer that the tape is in
"fragile, but playable condition" and is valued between $10,000-$15,000. "That's
quite reasonable considering it is a rare piece and it's by Marley," said
Barrett.
She added that those interested
in participating in the auction can bid in person, by telephone or absentee
(represented by another party).
Three of
the songs on the tape were co-written by Norman and his songwriting partner, Al
Pyfrom. They are Falling In And Out Of Love, Stay With Me and You Think I Have
No Feelings which all appeared on Marley compilation albums released by the Los
Angeles-based JAD label.
JAD is owned by
African-American producer, Danny Sims, who started the label with soul singer
Johnny Nash in the mid-1960s. Both men played a big role in Marley gaining
international recognition in the latter stages of that decade when Nash, a
Texan, covered several Marley
songs.
Marley, who was 23 years-old at
the time of the session, reportedly met Norman through Sims and Nash. Norman was
eight years Marley's senior and a seasoned composer on the Rhythm and Blues
circuit, a scene that fascinated the young Jamaican who was then leader of the
R&B-influenced Wailers
group.
According to a statement from
Christie's, he and Marley jammed during the day at his apartment in the Bronx.
In the evening, the two were joined by Pyfrom, Marley's wife, Rita and Norman's
wife, Dorothy collaborated on the songs which were recorded on a cassette tape
recorder.
Norman made such an impression
on Marley that the singer invited him to Jamaica the following week to work on
songs The Wailers were recording in Kingston. Marley would go on to superstardom
in the 1970s with Chris Blackwell's Island Records; he died of cancer in
1981.
This is the second occasion that
Christie's will be selling items associated with Marley. In December, 1997
several pieces including a drinking mug, an American Express card, a Fedora hat,
a lyric sheet for the song, Ambush In The Night and a Hohner acoustic guitar
were put on auction by the Rastafarian artiste's mother, Cedella
Booker.
At next month's auction,
signatures by members of The Beatles will also be up for sale. So too clothing
worn by Elvis Presley in the films, Speedway and Double Trouble.
Posted: Fri - March 14, 2003 at 10:02 PM