The Wailers got stranded in the UK, which led to their Island Records deal

After finishing a UK tour with Johnny Nash, the Wailers couldn’t afford to return to Jamaica. Their road manager Brent Clarke approached Island Records founder Chris Blackwell, who advanced the band money for an album. They used the cash to pay their fares home, recorded tracks in Kingston, and Marley brought the tapes back to London for Blackwell to rework.