A COLLECTION of Bob Marley recordings has been discovered after lying in a basement for more than 40 years.

The tapes feature recordings of performances as well as a host of new material by Marley, who died in 1981, but would have been 72 this year.

The dozen tapes – known as the ‘lost masters’ - were unearthed during renovations to a hotel in London, where Bob Marley and the Wailers stayed during their European tours in the mid-1970s.

They are live recordings of their gigs and after twelve months of work, the tapes have been restored.

“Robert Nesta Marley’s music is a life force, and this is beautiful news to celebrate, it feels like a lovely, lovely day man,” said Wailers drummer Aston Barrett Junior, who will be performing Marley’s Legend, one of the most celebrated albums of all time, in Manchester next week.

“I was speechless when I heard about the tapes, but I recall one of the boys saying that he had heard Chris Blackwell (producer and founder of Island Records) talking about their possible existence.

“It will be the Marley’s family decision what happens to the tapes, but I’m just happy that the recordings will be there to spread the light to a future generation.

“But for me, and many others, it just feels like Bob Marley has never passed.

“Robert’s message of equality, one love, one heart, lives on through his music and that has never changed.

“And what a legacy he left us. We are just happy to be here, playing all that amazing stuff.”

The tapes are the original live recordings of Marley’s concerts in London and Paris between 1974 and 1978, and feature some of his most famous tracks including No Woman No Cry, Jammin, Exodus and I Shot the Sheriff.

The concerts were recorded live on the only mobile 24-track studio vehicle in the UK at the time, loaned out to Marley and the Wailers by the Rolling Stones.

The tapes were rescued from the rubbish by Marley fan and London businessman Joe Gatt, who received a phone call from a friend saying he had found what appeared to be some old Marley recordings.

He passed the tapes to business partner and jazz singer Louis Hoover, who regularly headlines at Ronnie Scott’s in London.

On hearing them for the first time, Hoover said: “The experience was comparable to, say, finding Van Gogh’s easel, paint pallet and paints in an old room somewhere, then Vincent emerges through a secret door to paint 26 of his finest masterpieces…..purely for us.”

Bassist Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett and three other original Wailers are still in the line-up today and message in the music remains the same as ever.

“I think the music has stood the test of time because the message is so important,” said Aston Barrett Junior.

“Without the message the music is just a melody, but when we come to Britain it is always such a rich, lovely vibe.

“The album (Legend) is a meal of positive vibration.

“Like one of those great big meals you have with a family at Christmas or at a wedding, we are ready to serve up something special for you in Manchester.

“Everybody come and rejoice – and hail the great Robert Nesta Marley.”

The Wailers performing the album Legend, Manchester Academy, Friday, March 10. Tickets, 0844 811 0051 or 0161 832 1111