11/8/2023 0 Comments A dance of fire and ice scratchListen to the organ-and-sax romp of “Serious Joke” and a steel pan version of Joe South’s “Games People Play,” and you can already hear Perry’s propensity for an atypical, off-the-wall approach. The following year, thanks in part to overseas licensing deals brokered with the Trojan and Pama companies in London, a slew of Perry-produced albums surfaced, the first being a monophonic Trojan set called THE UPSETTER, released when his organ-led instrumentals like “ Man from MI5” were impacting the UK pop charts aside from three reggae adaptations of pop and soul hits (like the Bee Gees’ “To Love Somebody”), the organ is fully in command here, which gives the material an instant hook.ġ970’s MANY MOODS OF THE UPSETTERS (AKA Best Of Lee Perry And The Upsetters Vol 2) was another mostly instrumental set, with Carl Dawkins’ take of the Temptations’ “ Cloud Nine” and Pat Satchmo’s “Goosy” and “Boss Society” the exceptions. This humorous material is full of folk references, and marked by Perry’s country twang “ By Saint Peter” and “Tackoo” sound especially rural, and the harmonic backing from the Soulettes and the Wailers underscore the closeness of the parties at the time.Īfter Perry left Studio One in 1966, he worked at West Indies Records Limited and made short-lived partnerships with Prince Buster, Joe Gibbs, Clancy Eccles and Linford “Andy Capp” Anderson, before finally striking out on his own in 1968. Since retrospective compilations are too numerous to mention, the following discography focuses almost entirely on original albums crediting Perry or his Upsetters band, explored in roughly chronological order it only mentions in passing the single-artist albums Perry produced with singers, vocal groups and deejays, many of which are worth seeking out on their own.Ībout half of the recordings Perry made in the ska years are collected on CHICKEN SCRATCH, when he was trying to make it as a singer, rather than a music producer. However, the post-Ark catalogue has plenty of interest for the discerning listener, as well as younger fans less versed with the man’s voluminous archive. Then, after Perry underwent a dramatic personal metamorphosis, the post-Ark period has several distinct sub-phases itself, as a wandering Perry fostered significant partnerships abroad with expatriate Jamaicans such as Melvin “Munchie” Jackson and Lloyd “Bullwackie” Barnes, as well as non-Jamaican producers such as Adrian Sherwood, Mad Professor, and numerous others.ĭiehard reggae purists often deride anything Perry recorded away from the Black Ark, and it is certainly the case that the Quality Control button was missing on some later works. Perry had his first significant hits shortly thereafter, in the fast-paced early reggae style (AKA “skinhead reggae”), but really came into his own during the roots era of the mid-to-late ’70s, when the establishment of his Black Ark studio allowed for unfettered musical creativity, especially in the evolving dub format. As he’s been recording for over 50 years, there are several distinct phases to contend with, beginning with early ska work at Studio One – where he was chiefly employed as a vocalist – and the subsequent apprenticeship stages that led to him becoming an independent producer in his own right with the formation of the Upsetter label in late 1968. The recorded output of reggae shaman Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry forms something of a bottomless pit, a never-ending well of individual sounds that all bear his unorthodox hallmarks.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |