A crucial part of the Rastafarian faith was the use of marijuana, or "ganja,"" as a kind of holy herb that would bring enlightenment. The Wailers' music was imbued with this faith, which represented a spiritual alternative to the frequent violence of ghetto life for many poor Jamaicans. In 1972, the Wailers signed a recording contract with a London-based record label, Island Records, founded by the half-Irish, half-Jamaican music entrepreneur Chris Blackwell. Catch a Fire, their first album to be marketed outside Jamaica, brought the band's artless lyricism and infectious rhythms to a wider audience and included such future reggae classics as "Stir it Up- and "Stop That Train."" The Wailers embarked on their first overseas tour in 1974. The band gained even more international recognition in 1974, when the popular singer-guitarist Eric Clapton covered "I Shot the Sheriff- "a song from their second Island album, Burnin' (1973) "and scored a No. 1 pop hit in 1974. That same year, Tosh and Livingston (who later had his last name legally changed to "Wailer-) left the group to pursue solo careers. With their departure, the band became known as Bob Marley and the Wailers, reflecting Marley's undeniable prominence in both songwriting and performing. Marley soon released an album, Natty Dread with backing vocals provided by the I-Threes, a female trio that included his wife, Rita. Natty Dread was a critical and popular success, and featured songs such as "Lively Up Yourself- and "No Woman No Cry."" Rastaman Vibration, released in 1976, was an even bigger international hit. In addition to increasing his already formidable reputation in the music world, the album's politically charged message catapulted Marley into the forefront of a steadily worsening political situation in Jamaica. Marley's iconic status in his native country had reached astonishing heights "one reporter commented in Time magazine that he "rivals the government as a political force.
