Rita Marley [[I Three, Bob Marley & the Wailers recorded the fine "Natty Dread" album in 1974 and many more, first rising to international superstardom in 1975 with "No Woman No Cry". It was followed up by the 1976 smash hit album "Rastaman Vibration". On 3 December 1976 two days before "[[Smile Jamaica Concert|Smile Jamaica]]", a large free concert organized by Bob Marley with the support of [[Prime Minister of Jamaica|Jamaican Prime Minister]] [[Michael Manley]], Rita, Bob, and manager Don Taylor were wounded in an assault by gunmen affiliated to Marley's opponents inside the Marley home. Rita survived a shot to the
Bob Marley intended to discuss the royalties associated with these releases; instead, the meeting resulted in the offer of an advance of £4,000 to record an album. Since Jimmy Cliff, Island's top reggae star, had recently left the label, Blackwell was primed for a replacement. In Marley, Blackwell recognised the elements needed to snare the rock audience: "I was dealing with rock music, which was really rebel music. I felt that would really be the way to break Jamaican music. But you needed someone who could be that image. When Bob walked in he really was that image." The Wailers returned to