Bob Marley’s major international breakthrough album released in 1973 was Catch a Fire.
The album was originally released by Island Records in April 1973 and was the first Bob Marley and the Wailers album issued by the label. Island founder Chris Blackwell helped present the group to a wider rock audience by giving the recordings a fuller studio sound and promoting the band internationally.
Catch a Fire included songs such as “Concrete Jungle,” “Slave Driver,” and “Stir It Up.” The original Jamaican release and the international version differed in presentation, including the famous lighter-shaped first cover used for the international edition.
The album is sometimes confused with Burnin’, which followed later in 1973. Catch a Fire established Marley and the Wailers as an important international act and helped move reggae from a primarily Jamaican audience into global popular music.