One Love / People Get Ready

The story behind

When approaching the musical piece One Love / People Get Ready, one encounters a story that transcends mere melody. This composition, which fuses reggae with elements of rhythm and blues, has its roots in a previous recording made by Bob Marley and The Wailers in a ska style, appearing on their 1965 debut album, The Wailing Wailers. However, the version that resonates today, included on the 1977 album Exodus, is an amalgamation. It incorporates the essence of People Get Ready, a song written by Curtis Mayfield, granting co-writing credits to both artists. The inspiration for this particular fusion, as it is told, came from a friend of Marley, Roman Selvaggio, a painter originally from North Caribbean. The recording of One Love / People Get Ready for the album Exodus benefited from the work of engineers such as Terry Barham, Guy Bidmead, and Karl Pitterson, while the mixing was handled by Aston “Family Man” Barrett, Chris Blackwell, and Karl Pitterson. The overall production was in the hands of Bob Marley & The Wailers. This album, the Jamaican band's ninth studio work, was released in June 1977 through Island Records, succeeding Rastaman Vibration. The production of Exodus is described as relaxed, with rhythmic bass lines and a particular emphasis on piano, trumpet, and guitar. Thematically, the album moves away from cryptic narratives to explore ideas about change, religious politics, and sexuality, dividing into two halves: the first focused on religious politics and the second on love and faith. The duration of this piece is 2 minutes and 52 seconds.