I have included an article that was featured in the Washington Post on January 14, 1976 which discusses the re-release of Catch A Fire at a time when reggae is beginning to take hold across the globe.  However this is not what caught my eye in this article.  The thing that caught my eye is the mention of one Bernard “Touter” Harvey.  I have never seen Touter mentioned in any press clipping that I’ve shared, and I’ve shared more than 200 here on the Midnight Raver Blog. 

By the time of Natty Dread (1974), the original Wailers had split, with  Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer leaving the group to pursue solo careers. The album is credited to ‘Bob Marley & the Wailers’, the group consisting of Marley, the Barretts, keyboard player Bernard “Touter” Harvey, and lead guitarist Al Anderson, with backing vocals by the I-Threes (Marcia Griffiths, Rita Marley, and Judy Mowatt).  Although most will tell you that Earl “Wya” Lindo played keys for The Wailers during the Catch A Fire era, and while he toured with the group during this period, it was actually a Brit – John “Rabbit” Bundrick -  who is credited with playing keyboards, synthesizer, and clavinet on the album. 

Wya is officially credited with playing keys during the Burnin’ sessions.  “Touter” is clearly credited with playing keys during the Natty Dread sessions.  In 1974 Lindo left the band to perform keyboards with blues artist Taj Mahal. They recorded, among others, ‘Black Man Brown Man’, which was later recorded and released by Judy Mowatt. In 1977, Lindo returned to Jamaica where he recorded with Big Youth, Culture, I. Roy and Al Brown. During his respite from the Wailers he also released two solo hits, ‘No Soul Today’ and ‘Who Done It’. Lindo rejoins the Wailers in 1978 and his playing skills are featured on Babylon By Bus, Survival and Uprising.

Touter is currently touring with Inner Circle. Lindo recently departed The Wailers and lives in London.

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