This Leslie Kong production, along with ‘Judge Not’, was the first Bob Marley record ever released, prior to his recordings as part of the Wailing Wailers album.

‘One Cup Of Coffee’ is a cover of a C&W hit that the 16-year old Marley would have heard either on local radio, or coming over the airwaves from stations in Florida or Louisiana. It was Leslie Kong who chose to rename him Bobby Martell on just this one occasion but the voice itself, heard all these years later, is unmistakable and the singer’s talent all too evident. 

The peerless ska instrumental by Skatalites’ trombonist Don Drummond on the flip is tinged with melancholy. That’s because it was named after a boat that went missing at sea just off the Jamaican coast in July 1963 and was lost without trace, taking the lives of all 40 fishermen on board. It’s a measure of Drummond’s greatness that he could weave such artistry from tragedy.

Coupled with the historic A-side, it makes this latest Beverley’s revive indispensable for fans and collectors alike.   

SIDE A Bobby Martell - One Cup Of Coffee

SIDE B Don Drummond - Snow Boy