It is July 1973, and The Wailers depart Jamaica for Boston to play 5 nights at Paul’s Mall, and then on to New York City to play 14 shows at Max’s Kansas City.  They will be supporting a local boy from New Jersey named Bruce Springsteen.

It is Island runner Lee Jaffe, a 22 year old white kid fresh out of Penn State University, who is responsible for smuggling the Wailers into the U.S., through Toronto, so that they could play their famous gig with Bruce Springsteen at Max’s.  It is also Jaffe who is responsible for scoring the band’s herb, booking them at the Chelsea Hotel, and introducing  Bob to “a fair Danish princess” named Mooskie who is Bob’s inseparable lover for that week in New York.

They are staying at the famed Hotel Chelsea, also known as the Chelsea Hotel, or simply the Chelsea.  It is a historic New York City hotel and landmark, known primarily for its history of notable residents. Located at 222 West 23rd Street, between Seventh and Eighth Avenues, in the Manhattan neighborhood of Chelsea, the 250-unithotel has been the home of numerous writers, musicians, artists, and actors, including Bob Dylan, Virgil Thomson, Charles Bukowski, Janis Joplin, Leonard Cohen, Patti Smith, Iggy Pop, Jobriath, and Larry Rivers. The Chelsea is probably best known as the hotel where Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols kills his girlfriend Nancy Spungeon on October 12, 1978.

I am in receipt of the hotel receipt for Bob’s stay at The Chelsea.  It was donated for the blog by my friend and former Wailers member Lee Jaffe.

The Wailers play a total of 14 shows at Upstairs Max’s Kansas City from July 18-23, 1973.  Only 3 of the 14 shows circulate, and I have shared them here for your listening pleasure.  Each show is presented in lossless (FLAC) audio.

I have also included a very rare print review of the Wailers’ run at Max’s Kansas City, written by Ian Dove and published in the New York Times on July 23, 1973.

CLICK TO READ ON ISSUU

I have also included a review written by Sam Sutherland and published in the September 1973 issue of Bilboard magazine.

CLICK TO READ ON ISSUU

It is interesting to note that the author of the review states unapologetically that The Wailers ”neatly eclipse” Springsteen’s performance.  In fact, the entire review is all about The Wailers, with very little mention of Springsteen.  Not to take anything away from Bruce, he is without a doubt one of the premiere talents in rock and has had tremendous staying power in such a fickle industry.  His fans are as crazy about him as we are about Bob and The Wailers.

The Wailers
Max’s Kansas City, NYC
July 18-23, 1973

SEGMENT 1

1. Bend Down Low
2. Lively Up Yourself        
3. Slave Driver              
4. Stop That Train           
5. Stir It Up                
6. Kinky Reggae              
7. Get Up, Stand Up          
8. Rude Boy        

SEGMENT 2

1. Bend Down Low           
2. Lively Up Yourself      
3. Slave Driver              
4. 400 Years              
5. Stir It Up               
6. Kinky Reggae            
7. Don’t Rock My Boat      
8. Get Up, Stand Up         
9. Put It On

SEGMENT 3

1. Put It On            
2. Slave Driver         
3. Burnin’ and Lootin’    
4. Stop That Train      
5. Kinky Reggae       
6. Kinky Reggae         

DOWNLOAD FLAC FILES

NOTES:

SEGMENT 1:  

Source:  Audience to reel , However, possibly through the board.
Lineage: Reel > C > DAT > CD > Plex 48A > EAC > CDWav > FFE > FLAC
Length:  33:36 min

SEGMENT 2:

Source:  Audience to reel , However, possibly through the board.
Lineage: Reel > C > DAT > CD > Plex 48A > EAC > CDWav > FFE > FLAC
Length:  36:58 min

SEGMENT 3:

Source: AUD
Lineage: Reel > C(2) > DAT > CD > Plex 48A > EAC > CDWav > FFE > FLAC
Length : 23 min incomplete

Credits:

To Joey Newlander, aka cosmofone, for providing the compilation to be seeded to Easytree for the Wailers fans out there.  Respect!

Max's Kansas City, 1973

The Wailers 1973

Please visit www.bobmarleymagazine.com to read more about this show.  Additional reviews and interviews can be found here.