"Every guitar that had been in Jamaica had to be pulled apart and rebuilt." Roger Mayer on salvaging Bob Marley's guitars for 'Exodus'

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Guitar Player

And then there was his work with the Isley Brothers, whose guitar sound was greatly influenced by Hendrix and Mayer's use of effects.

Those sounds influenced a young musician named Junior Marvin, who Mayer worked with in the mid-1970s and who would later be recruited by Bob Marley and the Wailers when Marley wanted to transform his group from what Mayer described as a rough, unpolished band to a polished, iconic reggae group.

Mayer began by dismantling Marley's setup and ensuring that everyone involved was working together in harmony, literally tuning in to the same wavelength.

They said, 'Nothing particularly excites me about that.'

"He did everything he could in the studio to get Bob and Junior to dial in what they heard in their heads," he says.

The Wailers catapulted from their humble start on Jamaica's beaches to international stardom. This catapulting led to their album's title track reaching number one in Jamaica, number 14 in Germany and cracking the top 20 in the UK.

The relaxed atmosphere blended seamlessly with Marley and Marvin's innovative guitar work. As a result, tracks such as "Three Little Birds," "Jammin'" and "Waiting in Vain" became Marley's timeless hits and staple tracks on FM radio.

From the start, greatness wasn't just something he intended to achieve, but it was built right in. "That record is very well thought of," he beams.

I knew what a hit record sounded like. We had all the puzzle pieces fit into place. Like with Jimi Hendrix and the Isley Brothers, I'd participated, but it wasn't a coincidence that it sounded that great.

— Roger Mayer

I knew what a hit record sounded like. We had all the pieces in place. Like with Hendrix and the Isley Brothers, I'd contributed, but it wasn't a coincidence that it sounded so good.

What brought you to the engineer's workstation during the recording of Bob Marley's music? Exodus ?

I had a relationship with Junior Marvin before he started working with Bob. We'd already recorded some of our own music in England back in December 1976, so we spent a lot of time together while recording, switching back and forth between New York and London.

Were you aware of Bob prior to this?

Junior knew Chris as well. But it wasn't until after we completed the record with Junior and he joined Bob Marley and the Wailers that I had the chance to work with Bob.

Having worked with Junior previously, do you have a clear understanding of how to get him to cooperate with and support Bob's objectives?

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They were inspired because they'd heard about the work I was doing with Isley Brothers, Rick James, Parliament and Funkadelic, and all those bands that had successfully made it big in the mainstream music industry. After taking Jimi Hendrix to the US in '68 and working with Stevie Wonder, who had ties to Motown and a lot of freedom to create, these artists approached me.

To imagine the situation, it was that Black artists in the 1970s had a tough time getting recognized in America when it came to being on the music charts, since they were more interested in playing white rock 'n' roll than R&B and soul. Music from these genres was largely kept separate. So when Junior joined the Wailers, that made a difference because they started incorporating more elements of rock 'n' roll into their sound.

In the 1970s, black artists faced significant challenges in America due to the music charts being more focused on white rock and roll music. However, with Junior's addition, the group began to shift towards a more rock 'n' roll sound.

— Roger Mayer

You helped set up Junior's equipment for recording, correct?

After joining the team, I sent him some of the equipment they needed, which was some new gear. I went to New York and bought some guitars and sent them to him after I'd custom-fit them.

Modifications and sounds similar to what's been done with Jimi Hendrix and Ernie Isley?

They experimented with some effects they had used with Ernie Isley and Jimi Hendrix. After that, everyone took notice and started saying, "Who is this new guitarist that Bob Marley has been working with now?" Junior Mowatt played a more rock and roll style that was a departure from Bob Marley's previous music style.

Were you close to Junior, or did you get along better with Bob?

Everything was going extremely well. I got invited to visit Jamaica to meet Bob right before the One Love concert, and that's when I first met him. He seemed like a very charming individual. I asked him, "What exactly do you want me to do? How can I assist you?"

Bob said, "I want to sound more international." That was the right answer, buddy. I said, "For you to move forward in music and take a major step up — especially in record sales and gaining global recognition — you have to make a record that sounds fantastic."

I told him, "It has to hold up to the quality of what's around." He couldn't just come from an island and not have the same technological advantages as everyone else had. If he did that, his record would have sounded really amateurish.

So the goal with Exodus The goal was not only to revamp Bob's sound, but to highlight Junior's contributions on the path to national recognition.

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What was the very first task you tackled once you arrived at the recording studio?

The first thing I did after meeting Bob was to completely set up all the guitars for him. I'd listened to the band live and said, "The whole band is completely out of tune. For us to move forward, the first thing to do is make the band solid, if not perfect."

In reggae music, the bass and drum sounds play a crucial role, much like in any genre based on bass. The balance between these elements is essential, as a well-crafted beat is only possible when they're spot on. Due to repair needs, we started by focusing on the bass guitars, which were in rough shape after being in Jamaica.

What was your experience of working with Bob and Junior's guitar making projects?

I wanted to upgrade the sound to make it truly exceptional and authentic-sounding. I decided to use Bob's guitars because Junior already had a guitar that I'd customized before and had performed with live and in the recording studio. I checked through all of Bob's guitars, had them perfectly tuned, and completely rebuilt each guitar on the entire thing.

In Jamaica, every guitar that had been around for years had to be completely taken apart and rebuilt because the high humidity in the tropical climate would cause problems with the electrical components of the instrument. Once I made sure the guitar was mechanically sound, was in tune, and had all the harmonics resonating perfectly, that's when we could really start working on it. That was just the beginning.

That's why every track we recorded with Jimi Hendrix sounds so accessible. It's not as simple as buying a pedal, hooking it up, and playing. It's a lot more complex than that.

— Roger Mayer

How did this influence Junior and Bob's approach to songs like "Waiting in Vain," "Three Little Birds," and "Jammin'?"

Working with Junior to find the right guitar sound was a big part of my job, and also with Bob. Once Bob's guitar was perfectly in tune, it changed the way he approached the song, influenced by his playing style. The song's emotion, solos, and overall vibe were now different. It might seem like a minor detail, but you can only capture what's really happening.

In my situation, the actual task turned into creating good sounds, and after that, it was a matter of recording those sounds. I didn't have to do anything further. The bass and guitar sounds were spot on. Bob set up the musicians to play the drums, and the performances were fantastic—far superior to before, as everyone was playing in perfect harmony.

What was the secret to really getting the most out of Junior, or was it more about trusting your instincts and going with the flow?

They were all very finely attuned to the subtle details and the perfection of the music. So, when compiling the tracks, Junior and I would go into the studio and have a discussion about what he wanted to do, for example, "Waiting in Vain" or "Three Little Birds." Those tracks have my influence on them with the various guitar sounds, and we collaborated to pick the exact right sounds for each track.

What led to the selection of the features within the application.

One of the keys is being able to have the ability, which I've tasted, to adjust the tone and make it fit the track. That's why every track we recorded with Jimi Hendrix sounds so accessible. It's not just a matter of buying a pedal, plugging it in, and playing.

It's more complicated than that. It's having the knowledge of being in the studio and using recording equipment and consoles to know exactly what sound you have to produce in the studio to make it come out well on record.

What else could it have been?

You need a comprehensive understanding of the entire recording process. It's about knowing where to place microphones and how they should sound in the studio. With some bands, you had to have a very specific knowledge of how to tweak the sound to make it work well when recording a song.

While putting together Exodus Were you aware that you were contributing to creating a unique achievement?

It's not just because it's a collection of great songs; there's something more to it than that.

There is no text to paraphrase.

That recording sounded just what it was supposed to be. It's flawless and has a wonderful sound to it.

The sound of the music, the rhythm, and the entire production, make that album sound truly global. It doesn't sound like an unpolished collection of songs from Jamaican musicians. It's unique and culturally distinct, but prior to that, they weren't creating the outstanding, globally appealing music that had this impact.

Looking back, what are you most proud of throughout your experience? Exodus ?

It's truly amazing. The sound is almost unbelievable. However, incredible phenomena like these often don't just occur by chance, do they? They don't usually happen unintentionally.

The people involved in that record weren't just lucky coincidences. My sound, equipment, and electronics have actually been a part of many successful records. That's not me bragging; it's merely a fact. However, working with Bob and Junior was an absolute pleasure, and making that record wasn't just a happy accident.

It goes without saying: a well-fed orangutan with a pencil and a piece of paper has no guarantee of creating a masterpiece. It's all about having the perfect combination of the right elements, presented at the right moment. That's not something that just happens on its own.