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{{Infobox album |
| Name        = Catch a Fire
| Type        = Studio album
| Artist      = [[Bob Marley & The Wailers|The Wailers]]
| Cover       = BobMarleyCatchAFire.jpg
| Caption     = The original 1973 'Zippo lighter' hinged album sleeve
| Released    = 13 April 1973
| Recorded    = May–October 1972; Dynamic Sound Studios, [[Harry J|Harry J. Studios]] and Randy's Studios, [[Kingston, Jamaica]]; [[Sarm West Studios|Island Studios]], [[London]], England
| Genre       = [[Reggae]]
| Length      = 33:51
| Label       = [[Tuff Gong]], [[Island Records|Island]]
| Producer    = [[Bob Marley]], [[Chris Blackwell]]
| Last album  = ''[[The Best of the Wailers]]''<br />(1971)
| This album  = '''''Catch a Fire'''''<br />(1973)
| Next album  = ''[[Burnin' (The Wailers album)|Burnin']]''<br />(1973)
| Misc        =
}}

'''''Catch a Fire''''', released on 13 April 1973, is the fifth album by [[Jamaica]]n [[reggae]] band [[Bob Marley & The Wailers|The Wailers]], and the first the band released on [[Island Records]].<ref>{{cite book |url= http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=felkD8CI97sC&pg=PA49#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Reggae Routes: The Story of Jamaican Music|page=49 |author=Kevin O'Brien Chang, Wayne Chen |publisher=[[Temple University Press]]|year= 1998 |accessdate=17 May 2012}}</ref> After touring and recording in the United Kingdom with [[Johnny Nash]], Nash's departure to the United States left the band without enough money to return home; they approached producer [[Chris Blackwell]], who agreed to advance the Wailers money for an album and paid their fares back to Jamaica, where they recorded ''Catch a Fire''. The album features nine songs, two of which were written by [[Peter Tosh]] and the rest by [[Bob Marley]]. After Marley's return to London to present the tapes to Blackwell, the producer reworked the tracks with contributions by [[Muscle Shoals Sound Studio|Muscle Shoals]] session musician [[Wayne Perkins]], who played guitar on two [[overdub]]bed tracks.

The album's [[Catch a Fire Tour|supporting concert tour]] throughout England and the United States helped establish the band as international stars. ''Catch a Fire'' peaked at number 171 and number 51 on ''[[Billboard Music Charts|Billboard]]''{{'}}s 200 and Black Albums charts, respectively. The album has received critical acclaim, including being listed at number 123 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s list of [[The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time|the 500 greatest albums of all time]], the second highest placement of the five Bob Marley albums on the list, after the posthumous [[compilation album]] ''[[Legend (Bob Marley & The Wailers album)|Legend]]''. It is also regarded as one of the top reggae albums of all time.

==Background==
Businessman Danny Sims made a deal with [[Johnny Nash]] to star in and score the film ''[[Want So Much To Believe]]'' in [[Sweden]] and Nash invited Marley to work with him on composing songs for the soundtrack.{{sfn|Thompson|2002|p=163}} Marley moved to Sweden to work on the film, and then from November to December 1971 toured Great Britain with Nash and [[Bob Marley & the Wailers|the Wailers]], with [[Columbia Records|CBS]] also releasing a single by the Wailers (the Nash-produced "Reggae on Broadway").{{sfn|Thompson|2002|p=163}}{{sfn|White|2006|p=213}} After the tour, Sims and Nash had left the city for [[Miami, Florida]], and CBS lost interest in the group, leaving the band without enough money to return to Jamaica and unable to work due to work permit issues.{{sfn|Thompson|2002|p=164}} The band asked promoter [[Brent Clarke]] in the hope that he would help them. Clarke contacted [[Chris Blackwell]] from [[Island Records]], who had released many Wailers singles in Great Britain. He then promised Clarke an advance of {{GBP}}8000 for their next album, and Clarke lent the Wailers some money for their way back to [[Jamaica]].{{sfn|Moskowitz|February 2007|p=29}}

==Recording==
Sessions for the album started in early 1972, with recording taking place at three [[Kingston, Jamaica]] studios, all members recording inside one room: Dynamic Sound, Harry J's and Randy's.<ref name="Irvin">Irvin, p. 307</ref><ref name="Masouri">{{cite book |url= http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=daLO4--rNqcC&pg=PT302#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Wailing Blues: The Story of Bob Marley's Wailers |chapter=Chapter Twelve: Catch A Fire|author=John Masouri |publisher=Music Sales Group|date= 1 September 2010 |accessdate=17 May 2012}}</ref>{{sfn|Moskowitz|February 2007|p=29}} Engineer Sylvan Morris put an eight-track tape, which has the drum mixes on one track and piano and guitar together. In the winter of 1972, Marley flew back to London to present the master tapes. The deal with Island led to a dispute with CBS and Sims, to whom the band were already contracted. The case was won by the first, who received US$9,000 and two percent of [[royalties]] from the band's first six albums, and Sims received {{GBP}}5,000 and the publishing rights to the Wailers songs.{{sfn|Thompson|2002|p=164}}{{sfn|White|2006|p=214}}

''Catch a Fire'', which is Jamaican slang for "catching hell" (getting in trouble),{{sfn|Moskowitz|August 2007|pp=20-22}} features many backing musicians, but none of those were credited in the liner notes. [[Muscle Shoals Sound Studio|Muscle Shoals]] session guitarist [[Wayne Perkins]], who at that time recorded a new Smith, Perkins & Smith album at the Island Studios on the Basing Street, was asked by Blackwell in the early 1972 to make [[overdub]]s for ''Catch a Fire'' in the studio below. Perkins, not knowing what reggae was, agreed with the proposal and first played the guitar solo, including the three-[[octave]] [[audio feedback|feedback]], on "Concrete Jungle". After playing the lead guitar on "Stir it Up", which was later covered by Nash's band, Rabbit and the Jungles, on their ''[[I Can See Clearly Now (Johnny Nash album)|I Can See Clearly Now]]'', peaking at number 11 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] chart,{{sfn|White|2006|p=213}} he then went back to the studio to complete his album. [[Rabbit Bundrick]] played on all songs on numerous [[Musical keyboard|keyboard]]s, including on a [[synthesizer]] and a [[clavinet]]. [[Robbie Shakespeare]] played the bass on "Congrete Jungle", while organist [[Tyrone Downie]] performed on the same track as well as on "Stir it Up". Chris Karen, Francisco Willie Pep and Winston Wright served as [[percussion]]ists, and the female backing singing was performed by [[Rita Marley]] and her friend [[Marcia Griffiths]], the latter of whom was already popular in Jamaica as a solo artist and together with her husband [[Bob Andy]] released successful singles.{{sfn|White|2006|p=214}} [[Tommy McCook]] played the flute.<ref name="Masouri"/>

According to Aston Barrett, "some of the songs had been recorded before, ..., in different studios and with different musicians, but we gave them that strict timing and brought the feeling out of them more". "Baby We've Got a Date (Rock it Baby)" is similar to "Black Bitter", recorded in an earlier session.<ref name="Masouri"/>

The song's lyrics deal with political injustice towards blacks and poverty, as is the case in many of their albums. ''Catch a Fire'' is about "the current state of urban poverty", and "Slave Driver" "connects the present to past injustices". But politics are not the main theme; "Stir it Up", for example, is a love song.<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://allmusic.com/album/catch-a-fire-r2277489|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|work=[[Allmusic]]|accessdate=18 April 2012|author=Vik Iyengar|title=Catch a Fire&nbsp;– Bob Marley & the Wailers}}</ref>

==Cover art==
The original 1973 vinyl release, designed by graphic artists Rod Dyer and Bob Weiner, was encased in a sleeve depicting a [[Zippo]] lighter.{{sfn|Moskowitz|February 2007|p=31}} The sleeve functioned like a real Zippo lighter case, opening at a side hinge to reveal the record within.{{sfn|Miley|2008|p=126}} Only the original pressing of 20,000 had the Zippo cover,{{sfn|Moskowitz|August 2007|p=21}} subsequent pressings had an alternative cover designed by John Bonis featuring an [[Esther Anderson (Jamaican actress)|Esther Anderson]] portrait of Marley smoking a "spliff" or [[Joint (cannabis)|joint]], with the album now credited to "Bob Marley and the Wailers".{{sfn|Farley|2007|p=200}}<ref name="Morrow">Morrow, Chris (1999) ''Stir It Up: Reggae Album Cover Art'', Chronicle Books, ISBN 0-8118-2616-3, p. 61.</ref> Copies of the record from the original pressings have since become collectors' items.<ref>{{cite book|last=de Ville|first=Nicholas|title=Album: Style and Image in Sleeve Design|year=2003|pages=130–131|publisher=Mitchell Beazley|isbn=978-1-84000-605-6}}</ref> The original cover art was reproduced in 2001 for the deluxe [[compact disc]] edition.

==Release==
The first release from the album sessions was the "Baby We've Got a Date" single, released in early 1973 on Island's Blue Mountain subsidiary.{{sfn|Thompson|2002|p=164}} ''Catch a Fire'' was released on 13 April 1973 on the Island label with [[Catch a Fire Tour|a supporting tour]]. The album sold around 14,000 copies in its first weeks,{{sfn|White|2006|p=216}} and peaked at number 171 on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] chart and at number 51 on [[Billboard R&B chart|''Billboard R&B]] chart.<ref name="Charts">{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/catch-a-fire-r103775/charts-awards|publisher=[[Rovi Corporation]]|work=[[Allmusic]]|accessdate=26 April 2012|title=Catch a Fire&nbsp;– Bob Marley & the Wailers:Charts and Awards}}</ref>

''Catch a Fire'' has been re-released under different recording labels with  different track lengths. In 2001, a special collection edition was released containing unreleased, non-overdubbed ("Jamaican") songs on the first side and the original, overdubbed album on the second side.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Catch-A-Fire-Deluxe-Edition/dp/B000059ZT4|title=Catch A Fire (Deluxe Edition) – Amazon|publisher=Amazon.com, Inc.|accessdate=June 23, 2012}}</ref>

A documentary about the album, directed by [[Jeremy Marre]], was released in 2000, featuring interviews with the musicians and engineers who worked on the album, archive performance footage, and home video footage filmed by members of the band.<ref name="Bambarger">Bamberger, Bradley (2000) "[http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=UBAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA22&dq=%22catch+a+fire%22+credits&hl=en&sa=X&ei=XpzdT9OZLsmu8gOD3_W0Cw&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=%22catch%20a%20fire%22%20credits&f=false On DVD]", ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', 19 August 2000, p. 22, retrieved 17 June 2012</ref>

==Tour==
{{Main|Catch a Fire Tour}}
The album's supporting tour began in 1973 in the United Kingdom and then moved to the United States. In England they performed on 19 shows at universities and clubs. While in London, the band performed on the [[BBC]] shows ''[[The Old Grey Whistle Test]]'' and ''[[Top Gear (radio show)|Top Gear]]''. In the first performance singer [[Bunny Livingston]] performed for the first and last time for the Wailers, as he was unhappy touring outside Jamaica, difficulty finding suitable food due to his strict [[Ital]] diet a contributing factor.{{sfn|Thompson|2002|p=165}} After Bunny's resignation from the band, Tosh consulted with Marley and finally picked [[Joe Higgs]].{{sfn|Moskowitz|August 2007|pp=20-22}}  Blackwell hired the concert promoter Lee Jaffe to book gigs in North America. The Wailers performed at Paul's Mall in [[Boston, Massachusetts]], and then three gigs in [[New York]] alongside [[Bruce Springsteen]]'s [[E Street Band]], and in October opened for [[Sly and the Family Stone]] in [[Las Vegas, New Mexico|Las Vegas]]. These concerts marked an important step towards international acknowledgement.{{sfn|White|2006|p=222}}{{sfn|Moskowitz|August 2007|pp=20-22}}

==Reception==
{{Album ratings
|rev1 = [[Allmusic]]
|rev1score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Allmusic"/>
|rev2 = MusicHound
|rev2score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Acclaimed"/>
|rev3 = [[PopMatters]]
|rev3score = favourable<ref name="PopMatters">{{cite web|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/marleybob-catch/|title= Bob Marley and the Wailers: Catch a Fire / Burnin'|publisher=PopMatters|author=Wilson Neate |date=11 June 2001|accessdate=21 July 2012}}</ref>
|rev4 = [[Robert Christgau]]
|rev4score = A<ref name="Christgau"/>
|rev5 = ''[[Rolling Stone]]''
|rev5score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="RS"/>
|rev6 = [[Sputnikmusic]]
|rev6score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Sputnikmusic">{{cite web|url=http://www.sputnikmusic.com/review/8103/Bob-Marley-and-The-Wailers-Catch-a-Fire/|title=Bob Marley and The Wailers Catch a Fire|publisher=Sputnikmusic|date=5 July 2006|accessdate=21 July 2012}}</ref>
|rev7 = [[Virgin Encyclopedia of Popular Music|Virgin]]
|rev7score = {{Rating|5|5}}<ref name="Acclaimed">{{cite web|url=http://www.acclaimedmusic.net/|title=Artist Lists - Marley, Bob and The Wailers - Catch a Fire|publisher=Acclaimedmusic|accessdate=21 July 2012}}</ref>
}}<!-- Automatically generated by DASHBot-->

''Catch a Fire'' had a positive critical reception. Robert Christgau rated the album as "A", saying that "half these songs are worthy of [[St. John the Divine]]", and "Barrett brothers' bass and drums save those that aren't from [[limbo]]".<ref name="Christgau">{{cite web|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?id=4023&name=The+Wailers |title=Robert Christgau review |publisher=Robertchristgau.com |date= |accessdate=13 February 2012}}</ref> Reviewers from ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' also praised the brother's playing, concluding that "''Catch a Fire'' is a blazing debut". According to the review, "'Concrete Jungle"' and 'Slave Driver' crackle with streetwise immediacy, while 'Kinky Reggae' and 'Stir It Up' ... revel in the music's vast capacity for good-time skanking. 'Stop That Train' and '400 Years,' both written by Peter Tosh, indicate the original Wailers weren't strictly a one-man show".<ref name="RS">{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/bob-marley/albumguide|work=[[Rolling Stone]]|publisher=Wenner Media|title=Bob Marley&nbsp;– Album Guide|accessdate=18 April 2012}}</ref>

Critics have called ''Catch a Fire'' one of the greatest reggae albums of all time. Vik Iyengar from [[Allmusic]] comments that "Marley would continue to achieve great critical and commercial success during the 1970s, but ''Catch a Fire'' is one of the finest reggae albums ever. This album is essential for any music collection".<ref name="Allmusic"/> ''Rolling Stone'' ranked the album at number 123 on its list of [[500 Greatest Albums of All Time]], the second highest placement for a reggae album; only ''[[Legend (Bob Marley album)|Legend]]'', ranked higher at number 46.<ref name="RS500">{{cite web|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/catch-a-fire-bob-marley-and-the-wailers-19691231|publisher=Wenner Media|work=Rolling Stone| accessdate=18 April 2012| title=The Greatest Albums&nbsp;– Catch a Fire}}</ref> Writing in ''[[The Spectator]]'' arts blog in 2012, [[David Rodigan|Dave Rodigan]] described it as "quite simply, one of the greatest reggae albums ever made".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spectator.co.uk/arts-and-culture/night-and-day/7800953/spotify-sunday-the-essential-bob-marley.thtml | author=Rodigan, Dave |title=Spotify Sunday: The essential Bob Marley |date=22 April 2012 |accessdate=19 May 2012 |publisher=The Spectator Arts and Culture Blog}}{{dead link|date=June 2012}}</ref> The album was also groundbreaking as its singles were released as [[LP record|long-playing records]] as against to the early reggae songs [[c/w|coupled with]] two [[A and B side|sides]].{{sfn|Moskowitz|August 2007|pp=20-22}}

==Track listing==
All songs were written by Bob Marley, except where noted.

;Side one
# "[[Concrete Jungle (song)|Concrete Jungle]]"&nbsp;– 4:13
# "[[Slave Driver (song)|Slave Driver]]"&nbsp;– 2:53
# "[[400 Years (song)|400 Years]]" ([[Peter Tosh]])&nbsp;– 2:45
# "[[Stop That Train (song)|Stop That Train]]" (Tosh)&nbsp;– 3:55
# "[[Baby We've Got a Date (Rock It Baby) (song)|Baby We've Got a Date (Rock It Baby)]]"&nbsp;– 3:57

;Side two
# "[[Stir It Up (song)|Stir It Up]]"&nbsp;– 5:32
# "[[Kinky Reggae (song)|Kinky Reggae]]"&nbsp;– 3:37
# "[[No More Trouble (song)|No More Trouble]]"&nbsp;– 3:57
# "[[Midnight Ravers (song)|Midnight Ravers]]"&nbsp;– 5:10

==Personnel==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
;Musicians
* [[Peter Tosh]]&nbsp;– [[organ (music)|organ]], guitar, piano, vocals<ref name="Irvin" />
* [[Bob Marley]]&nbsp;– guitar, vocals<ref name="Irvin" />
* [[Bunny Wailer]]&nbsp;– [[Bongo drum|bongos]], [[conga]], vocals<ref name="Irvin" />
* [[Aston Barrett|Aston "Family Man" Barrett]]&nbsp;– [[bass guitar]]<ref name="Irvin" />
* [[Carlton Barrett|Carlton "Carlie" Barrett]]&nbsp;– [[Drum kit|drums]]<ref name="Irvin" />
* [[John "Rabbit" Bundrick]]&nbsp;– [[Keyboard instrument|keyboards]], [[synthesizer]], [[clavinet]]<ref name="Irvin" />
* [[Wayne Perkins]]&nbsp;– guitar
* [[Rita Marley]]&nbsp;– backing vocals
* [[Marcia Griffiths]]&nbsp;– backing vocals
* [[Tommy McCook]]&nbsp;– flute<ref name="Masouri"/>
* Francisco Willie Pep&nbsp;– percussion
* Winston Wright&nbsp;– percussion
* Chris Karan&nbsp;– percussion
{{col-2}}
;Production
* [[Chris Blackwell]]&nbsp;– [[Record producer|production]]<ref name="Irvin" />
* [[Bob Marley]]&nbsp;– production<ref name="Irvin" />
* Carlton Lee&nbsp;– [[Audio engineer|engineering]]<ref name="Irvin" />
* Stu Barrett&nbsp;– engineering<ref name="Irvin" />
* Tony Platt&nbsp;– engineering<ref name="Irvin" />
* Bob Weiner&nbsp;– design
* Rod Dyer&nbsp;– design
{{col-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}
;Bibliography
*{{cite book|last=Farley|first=Christopher|year=2007|title=Before the Legend: The Rise of Bob Marley|publisher=Harper Collins|isbn=0060539925|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book|last=Irvin|first=Jim|year=2007|title=The MOJO Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion|publisher=Canongate Books Ltd|ISBN=978-1841959733|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book|last1=Miley|first1=Barry|last2=Scott|first2=Grant|last3=Morgan|first3=Johnny|year=2008|title=The Greatest Album Covers of All Time|publisher=Anova Books|isbn=978-1843404811|ref={{harvid|Miley|2008}}}}
*{{cite book|last=Moskowitz|first=David Vlado|date=August 2007|title=Bob Marley: A Biography|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=0313338795|ref={{harvid|Moskowitz|August 2007}}}}
*{{cite book|last=Moskowitz|first=David Vlado|date=February 2007|title=The Words and Music of Bob Marley|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=0275989356|ref={{harvid|Moskowitz|February 2007}}}}
*{{cite book|last=Thompson|first=Dave|year=2002|title=Reggae & Caribbean Music|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=0-87930-655-6|ref=harv}}
*{{cite book|last=White|first=Timothy|title=Catch a Fire: The Life of Bob Marley |publisher=Henry Holt|date=2 May 2006|isbn=9780805080865|ref=harv}}

[[Category:Bob Marley & The Wailers albums]]