Aston ‘Family Man’ Barrett was the first reggae bassman I ever saw, when Bob Marley & The Wailers made their debut on the Old Grey Whistle Test in 1973.

They were an unfamiliar sight making an unfamiliar sound and I fell in love with it from the moment I heard that choppy guitar, the clatter of drums, and the booming bass melody.

All before seeing the charismatic singer with the baby dreads: Bob was such a compelling presence up front but his band – The Wailers – were effortlessly cool.

None more so than Peter Tosh in his sunglasses and Rasta beanie, playing lead guitar, including that beautifully restrained solo; Bunny Livingston’s percussion; Earl ‘Wya’ Lindo’s keyboards; Carlton Barrett on the drums – and his brother Aston grooving away on the bass.

Marley was singing live but the band were miming along to specially mixed backing tracks from the Catch A Fire album, which became their breakthrough outside Jamaica.

They played Stir It Up and Concrete Jungle and, astonishing as it is to understand now, a significant number of ‘rock’ fans (for which, read ‘white’ rock fans) complained about their weekly diet of ‘serious’ prog being interrupted by these interlopers.

It could only have been worse for them – and Whispering Bob – if they had been one of those dreadful Glam bands like T. Rex or Slade; neither of whom was ever invited to play at a time when ‘singles bands’ were viewed as inferior by progsters (and Bob).

The OGWT considered itself above all that, dedicated to artists who disdained the 45rpm format and preferred to interject their music with lengthy solos: not just guitar and keyboards but occasionally bass and that most dreaded of interludes, the drum solo

The role of the bass guitar in reggae was pretty much established by Barrett. Along with his brother Carlton – ‘Carlie’ – he provided the essential rhythmic foundation for The Wailers from 1969 until Marley’s death in 1981.

The undistorted but melodic baritone tones of Barrett’s bass have also been heard on recordings by artists ranging from fellow reggae artist Burning Spear to pop singers like John Denver

The brothers were a vital component of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s house band, The Upsetters, and had a huge hit with the instrumental single Return Of Django before playing on classic Wailers tunes like Duppy Conqueror, Soul Rebel and Small Axe.

Aston also co-produced 11 albums with Marley and became one of the first to incorporate a drum machine into reggae on No Woman No Cry (and Johnny Was).

He was the last of the Wailers to die when he passed away in 2024 at the age of 77.