Lee Scratch Perry

Lee “Scratch” Perry (of his true name Rainford Hugh Perry , called inter alia “ the neat little man ” The Upsetter, Pipecock Jaxxton…) is a producer and musician jamaïcain born in 1936.

Presentation

In turn producing, singer, dancer, type-setter, sound engineer, handyman, virulent spokesperson and visionary, there still remains one of the rare artists jamaïcains of his generation in activity.

This man passes for an authentic schizophrene, since the day when it completely destroyed his studio (Black Ark) by putting itself at it fire in 1981. Exiled in Switzerland, it married a Swiss citizen there. Today Lee Perry gives in the international reggae with a sound New roots, digital, and he is from now on nothing any more but singer. The current character is very other than that of the years 1970. Whereas today he is an artist in concert (as can testify it its passage to the Zenith with Pierpoljak and max Romeo in April 2006) and moved away from the culture jamaïcaine, in the years the 1970 all consideration which is dedicated to him, is for its work of studio and the influential part which he played in the music jamaïcaine.

At that time he was an adventurer, a handyman and experimenter who created in an artisanal way a sound, a music that nobody succeeded in imitating, and deserves well for his work and his extravagant genius this comparison:

“This man is the Salvador Dali jamaïcain” ( Bass Culture of Lloyd Bradley)

Its works, its techniques, the sound which it obtained from its studio (with simple 4 tracks) as its various collaborations made of him a pillar of the reggae, music which parallel to will vibrate his and which will know brutally the end of its golden age the day when it destroyed its studio.

Lee Perry is for the experts an emblematic figure of the experimental Musique - as Joe Meek for the rock'n'roll - even if he is not recognized (nor even known) among the world of the erudite Musique. This instrumental music and its Dub S which it could create, although experimental remained all the same rates/rhythms contrary with other forms of experimental music. Lee Perry often was advances some on its contemporaries and discovered musical universes, by the Sample and of another audacities, which had success. Lee Perry played an initiating part, a part of father for the Reggae, the Dub and the majority of the musics known as “current” which result from this.

Biography and career

Youth 1936 - end of the year 1950

Rainford Hugh Perry was born on March 20th, 1936 in Kendal, a poor village of farmers in the western north of Jamaica (Paroisse of Hanover). Its exact birth date remains unknown because of insulation of this village. It grows in this village and starts to work early in the fields. Lee Perry gains little, knows misery and decides towards the 15 years age to leave. He wanders during nearly 10 years. He settled has several different places, alternating between manual work, dancer and player of dominos (the domino is a play very running to Jamaica, and one plays there of the money). It is when people began to see it dancing that it accepted the nickname " Neat Little man" or " Little Perry" because of its small size. After many exoduses, a marriage which did not last a long time, it arrived at Kingston in the end of the year 1950, with the ambition to make there a career of singer in a favorable climate with the emergence of a new music jamaïcaine which will make noise in the island, the Ska which is the beginning of seismic long waves which will be the music jamaïcaine years 1960 and 70. This climate of emergence for the music is closely dependant with that which will bring Jamaica to its independence in 1962.

Its beginnings in Kingston 1950-1969

Lee Perry trails in the capital Kingston which at that time knows an incredible urban push, urban push which is caused by the rural migration, and which is in the beginning many ghettos (like Trench Town), and whose Sound system will be able to profit to create a public. Many people as Lee Perry at the time dreamed to make a career in the music. Lee Perry is presented to Clement Seymour Dodd known as '' Coxsone '', in the hope to become singer, however this last which found that it did not have a voice refused to record a disc to him. But probably taken by a certain friendship for him, Coxsone accepted nevertheless that Lee Perry works for him. Work that Lee Perry made consisted in or not doing any work which can help Coxsone, in connection with the studio. As Lee Perry testified some: “Coxsone had people with which it liked to be, which assisted it and whose it wanted their presence, I was one of them”. Thus it became conducting of session of recording, auditionnor, lyric writer and even type-setter of songs.

At the time, the competition between Sound system was strong so much so that certain sound clash (" duel" between two sound systems vis-a-vis the public, DJ pass from the discs each one their turn) often finished in pugilism with like end result of wounded rather serious. And in addition to sound clash competition between sound systems was also done by the Vinyle by producing songs of which the goal was to denounce, to tackle the other. Lee Perry was the nobody of Studio One which wrote these songs addressed to the competitors like Duke Reid. Lee Perry developed at this time this talent to compose of the virulent attacks expressed implicitly in music which will be found later on the songs Small Axe of Wailers, and White Belly Rat for example. On several occasions it retente to be made impose as singer with Studio One but Coxsone refuses obstinately, although Lee Perry composes of the songs more dared much and interesting. He starts to be a door word of the ghetto, to make social chronicles in song, to denounce the violence of the politicians and gangsters which control the island; without to give up the light songs on the love, the sex and the small anecdotes of the daily life. For this period when he works in Studio One, he will collaborate with Clancy Eccles with which he will bind a durable relation. He will become acquainted also there with the Wailers with which he composed and sang (the song Pussy Galore for example). He will also attend the beginnings of Toots and the Maytals, Lord Tanamo, max Romeo and others…. In 1965, it will become acquainted with Pauline Morrisson with whom it will marry and which will play later a big role in the production of the discs of Lee Perry (at the time it was 14 years old whereas had 28 of them to him). This same year, it records in Studio One “ Chicken scratch ”, where it appears there as a singer. It is this song which made public its nickname that it carried well before and which is reproduced from now on on all its discs. This song as some others were often recorded discreetly at the end of the session of other recordings considered as more important by Coxsone which did not want to intend Lee Perry to sing. Lee Perry is exploited by Coxsone (as the majority of the musicians which worked for him), his songs are plundered to him because it is not credited like the author with those which it writes for others, it is also badly paid. This is why in 1966 it leaves Studio One.

It is then put to work with and for Prince Buster at which it will produce some 45 turns. He will also work at Joe Gibbs which was competitor of Dodd, at which he will produce in 1968 the song I amndt the Upsetter which will be at the origin of the label that he will create “ Upsetter ”, (enervor, bloody nuisance), a new nickname “The Upsetter” and a few years later the name of his group “The Upsetters”. Perry gradually starts to fly of his own wings by producing to him even his discs although it does not have his own studio yet. At that time it will produce and sing other songs like " People Funny Servant boy " , " You Crummy " … He also will work some time in collaboration with Clancy Eccles.

Small anecdote in connection with the song People Funny Servant boy : the tears of child in the song are those of that of Lee which, to obtain the wished effect, put a smacking to him.

International success 1969 -1970

1969 will be one year when Lee " Scratch" Perry will appear on the front of the scene. Lee Perry will become acquainted with the Hippy servant boys which contained among them two historical figures of the reggae and which will play a crucial role for Lee Perry, the brothers Barrett (Aston with low and Cartlon with the battery). With them in particular and Valley Benett , Alva Lewis with the guitar and the members of the Gladdy' S all stars it founds the group The Upsetters. There already had been two groups which were called The Upsetters , the first was an old group jamaïcain years 1950, the second was the Gladdy' S all stars . With all this unit, it records the instrumental album off Return Django and signs a contract at Trojan Records. The album is sold well and instrumental the éponyme Return off Django reaches the n°5 Charts English. The piece just like of other pieces of the same time (as the Liquidator of Harry J. all Stars) were strongly appreciated by the Skinhead English, (one speaks besides about “Skinhead reggae”. One starts at that time to hear the word reggae, and the origin of this term as that of what is called the reggae remains disputed and Lee Perry belonged to these some protagonists that one suspects of having " invented the reggae" because of " avance" that it had taken at the musical level compared to other musicians of the island.

Extremely success of " Return off Django" , the group is invited to turn to England, with Lee Perry as a singer and of course the Barrett brothers who start to become the principal rhythm section of Upsetters whereas in the beginning they were only " wheels of secours" among Hippy Servant boys. Lee Perry then will record with his group the albums Many Moods off the Upsetters , Scratch the Upsetter again , and Eastwood Rides again . Scratch gradually shows its interest for the cinema by making more in more often of the references to the spaghetti western and the films of Kung fu and later to committed films (like Blackboard Jungle ). This interest for the cinema will also find in all the Sample S which it will make later of film dialogs. Scratch also starts to plant some seeds which will end in the Dub while starting to try out subtleties of the table of mixing.

Scratch and Wailers 1970-1972

To at the end of 1969, Wailers, disabled and seeking to be made record were addressed to Lee Perry which they knew already. This last did not accept immediately because at the time he wanted to record only the instrumental ones and he did not need singers. He auditioned them nevertheless and he understood that somebody had sent them because during hearing Bob Marley was singing My Cup which contained a sentence which summarized well its situation “My cup is full and I cannot what make”. Perry thus accepted them. Wailers thus started to record with the Barrett brothers whom they knew already because they had already recorded Black Progress together. They started by recording My Cup , Riding high , Soul Rebel , and of the old pieces which they had sung in Studio One.

Lee Perry nevertheless feels that Bob Marley, which became the prevalent character of the trio, did not do a sound better, that the songs which he wrote were not yet captivating, which he was not yet large (its Dreadlocks either) and he concludes from it that he was had by a bad spirit ( duppy in jamaïcain). Lee Perry which started to become increasingly extravagant told later that it confined Bob Marley some time in a room of his house so that it acquires his genius (same manner as Aladin), but especially it writes for him the song Duppy Conqueror which was supposed to drive out this bad spirit which had it. This song was to some extent a stage reached for Bob Marley and Wailers, and then they continued to record with Scratch.

Their collaboration will last until 1971. This collaboration was at the same time enriching for Wailers and Bob Marley which were thus “ready” to conquer the world public, Scratch having helped them to the maximum to make them progress and which they give of their better. On its side Scratch benefitted from this collaboration to go further in its sound and musical experiments, by remixant in dub all the pieces of Wailers which it pressed in 45 turns and while devoting itself to arrangements much more original. Many experts of reggae regard this period as major in the history of the reggae, because not only it was according to them that during which Wailers made their best songs, but also that which made it possible to work out and refine the sound “reggae”, announcing a golden age which was not going to be long in arriving for Lee Perry, Bob Marley but also for the music jamaïcaine as a whole. Bob Marley entrusted a few years later that Lee Perry was according to him a genius. Perry made some in the same way for Bob Marley by regarding it as the “best musician than he ever knew”. By this collaboration which enabled them to go very high later, Bob Marley and Lee " Scratch" Perry are regarded today as monuments of the reggae.

But this collaboration was going to touch at its end because of conflicts on royalties and discs that Scratch left without the assent Wailers. After having recorded major works that are the songs compiled in the albums Soul Rebels, Soul Revolution, Wailers leave Lee Perry and " emparent" Barrett brothers who are not from now on any more of the members of Upsetters and become permanent members of Wailers.

This collaboration although major tends to make forget work that Scratch made for this period of 1970 to 1972. It recorded other artists like Junior Byles, max Romeo, and some DJ. At that time it continued its experiments and recorded inter alia the songs Justice to the people , Kentucky Skank , Bathroom Skank , songs which became increasingly truffées of bidouillages, of sound effects, of whimsical sounds a little the same manner as the Beatles.

Blackboard jungle Dub 1972-1974

During this period Lee Perry starts to affirm itself, even if it does not have his own studio yet. The sound which it produces brings closer a little more of the sound which is known like the sound reggae roots . In 1972 it records traditional reggae roots like Fever sung by Junior Byles. This sound reggae roots consists of a very dry rhythmic guitar, a battery contrary accentuated on the sounds serious and low the more present and African percussions, vocal harmonies development differently. During this period, Lee Perry recorded many discs which will remain almost unknown out of Jamaica until time that one republishes them towards the end of the year 1990. These obscure recordings do not remain less interesting. Lee Perry, its singers and its musicians achieved several feats of ingenuity indeed.

In 1972, it leaves Cow Thief Skank , a piece of hip-hop before the hour, in advance of a few years compared to the DJ of hip-hop. It is truly a " cut" of different rates/rhythms, i.e. a continuous succession of extracts of songs of Lee Perry, same manner that would have made of Dj of hip hop with vinyls. In addition to that Lee Perry recorded on this tape a its toast (proto-rap) of the DJ Charlie Ace.

Follows Cloak and Dagger in 1973, an album the instrumental ones and of version which precedes the dub, decorated various sound effects, sound effects, Klaxon, Boîte with meuh, carried out with musicians like Tommy McCook the saxophonist tenor and Upsetters (with the Barett brothers). (Cloak and Dagger is the tritre of a film of 1946).

Apart from this album, one will notice other original, strange pieces, avant-gardists, odd or completely removed from rim: Bucky Skank with the wobbly play of battery of the beater Chock Legacy (which according to the dires of those which knew it was inexperienced), Jungle Lion , Black Ipa ….

Meanwhile Lee Perry produced of other little diffused songs but nevertheless " cultes" roots reggae like Curly Locks sung by Junior Byles, To Be has to coil (pastiche of I forgot to Be your to coil William Bell) by George Faith and Words (Words off my mouth) sung by Sangie Davis. This last song, sung with much conviction and a rare power, will know a long destiny, Lee Perry did one of his traditional of them and re-used it ten time in dub, instrumental, versions DJ….

Lee Perry takes again some of the pieces quoted above, the remixe, and thus produces the album Blackboard Jungle Dub . Bucky Skank becomes according to David Katz " a cacophony of cords grinçantes, noises vocal and coppers " with flutes and sirens. Fever , Words of Sangie Davis, Fever , and Dreamland , Kaya Keep one moving of the Wailers undergo also all these remixages. It thus pushes the jokes of Cloak and Dagger even further, increases the use of the effects, the reverberation, and puts even ahead the low one and the percussions. This album apparently realized with the assistance of King Tubby which was always generous with Scratch and often helped it.

Nevertheless this album - as so much of others of its productions of time 72-74- remained rare (even untraceable a long time) and information surrounding it is often obscure. Large doubts are emitted on the contribution of King Tubby on this album: a version of the facts reports that this album is large and single meeting between King Tubby and Lee Perry, another sees in this album a masterpiece of the genius of Lee Perry. Also Blackboard Jungle Dub left with various small pockets, under various labels, and in 1973 it was in a hurry only with 300 specimens including only 100 for the United Kingdom. There thus exist several more or less reliable editions of the album. That which seems most complete is the edition entitled Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle which contains 14 beaches whereas the others contain only 12 of them and it is besides this one which is recognized by David Katz, biographer of Lee Perry. The other versions left under the name Blackboard Jungle Dub with on the small pocket either a lion smoking a joint, or a black board and the order and the name of the beaches were changed. This " distort version" constitute also partly compilation Scratch Attack . These versions apparently be left a few years after (1975, 1980 or 1990 for the version CD), and it is indeed the edition Upsetter 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle with its names of beach and its order which was retained by Trojan Records for the box Dub Triptych which republishes this album inter alia. Another proof of the scarcity of these recordings is that this republication CD was made from one of vinyls of the first edition and not with the original soundtracks who were not found (they do not exist surely any more).

One is still far from the Dub more modern than could make King Tubby or Scientist later but the bases are well there. According to current criticism, this album is the first true album of dub. According to the British magazine The Wire, there is in this album " a major work of genius among all that which followed it in all the genres". This album is within sight of the admirors of Lee Perry one of most important than it did not realize, it is also a work which starts to be recognized by others and which is being made a place in the history of the experimental music.

During these years, Lee Perry had been erased international scene incipient from the reggae, but its productions which one could with the proper perspective describe as Underground , are masterly. Lee Perry founds with the songs which it produced the bases of the music that it produces in the years which follow, it founds to some extent the bases of his studio which soon will be born. While its increasingly dared and affirmed experiments do others of its productions of the new tracks to be explored, precursory masterpieces of new kinds like the dub and later the electronic musics, the trip-hop, the ragga which are downward distances.

The Black Ark 1974-1979

In 1973, Lee Perry started has to suffer from the pressure to have to count on commercial studios for its work. The major part of its work had been recorded with the studio Randy' S, or at Dynamic Sounds. A few years earlier, it and its family had moved in Washington Gardens, smart suburbs of Kingston. It is here that it had a kind of revelation, in a dream which it made at the time of a nap in the garden of its property. It decided to undertake the construction of its own studio. Towards the end of the year 1973, it paints the words " Black Ark" with the top of the door, because it decided that it would establish there the 10 commands reggae, in religious reference to the Ark of the Covenant where Moïse placed the Tables of the Law. What could resemble eccentric vanity was confirmed later by the single character of the music which left there, to believe of it the passion of the artists who pressed themselves there. The music which it recorded the five following years marked a turning in the history of the reggae.

To the orders of his own studio, Perry carried his competences on another level, making his table of mixing a genuine instrument. The experiments of the last years opened the way with new sounds, more complex. The specialist in the reggae Steve Barrow will say later that " the sound of Black Ark was like the signature of a painter on his toile" , underlining the originality of these sounds. Will have of Black Ark started to attract among the largest artists jamaïcains, of the veterans Heptones until the small new ones like Jah Lion. Working with passion, it often gave its chance to the unknown ones, offering a first test to them, and also recorded " Has-been " in evil of recognition. Even the prodigal son Bob Marley turns over to Black Ark and records several pieces. Whereas other studios thought " productivité" , Perry was happy to take all the time necessary to arrive at good the vibe . There a session of recording in Black Ark made think of a festival, Perry leaving the doors of the concrete studio opened, allowing curious to come to make a turn, while he danced, typed hands, and shouted his approval when he was satisfied with the result. Perry used eccentrics methods, as to clean the heads of the cassettes with his tee-shirt for then blowing of the smoke of ganja on the tapes while they turned, making sure that the music recorded in Black Ark has a rough sound, a magic quality which could not be exceeded.

Using basic equipment, Perry was able to use one 4 tracks and to give the impression of one 8 tracks or more by mixing several tracks on only one and by repeating the process. With a material far from the very last thing, it managed to create a certain number of easy ways which still astonish the producers by today. " There were only 4 tracks on the machine, " explained Lee Perry, enigmatic " but I picked 20 at the extraones of them;.

Between 1974 and 1979, much showpieces of the golden age of the reggae left Black Ark. In particular max Romeo (War In has Babylon), The Upsetters (Super Ape), Junior Murvin (Police force And Thieves), The Heptones (Time Party), and The Congos (Heart Of The Congos), as well as the many individual ones. This time represented the apogee of the music jamaïcaine, the reggae has its more high level.

During this time, the political climate in Jamaica started to heat. The two principal parties had " gunmen" to make reign the order in the streets of Kingston and sit their positions. Many anti-violent songs were born, describing a forthcoming apocalypse, like " War Ina Babylon" max Romeo, " Over" cross-country race; of Murvin Junior, and " City Too Hot" , the call to the reason launched by Lee Perry. During this period, the productions Black Ark rather accurately reflected this climate and this confusion.

Against this sharp context, the sound of Black Ark started to be internationally recognized. Perry fixed an agreement of international distribution with Island Records, and draws soon the attention of the rock'n'roll medium, like Paul McCartney, Robert Palmer, or the Clash. Journalists started to travel to Jamaica to meet Upsetter, whose studio became famous beyond the island.

End of the Black Ark

In spite of the incredible music and vibes magic of the black arch, Towards the end of the year 1970, all was not well to the kingdom of Perry. Freeloaders and vagrants started to type to him on the nerves, and to make music became increasingly difficult.

The sessions of recording-marathons carburized with the Ganja and alcohol started to be felt on work. Island Records had regarded some of its greater recordings as insortables. Black Ark also became the target of local gangsters who started to make pressure to obtain money of protection.

The relation between Perry and his wife started to fall of pieces. The polished and less polished requests did not succeed in making leave the " bad herbes" of its garden; soon, Scratch turned to stranger methods to get rid of undesirable the Rude servant boys. Black Ark reached the point of boiling soon, and a point of nonreturn for Perry.

The black arch ceased functioning since 1979. Roasted physically, mentally, and spiritually, Lee Perry and its studio fell of pieces. His Pauline wife gives up it, taking the children with it. Perry finds himself on a tightrope between imagination and reality, and the departure of its family seemed to insert it a little more in chaos.

A news and worrying person emerged, and while Perry declared that it was a voluntary step to clean the house of people that he did not want any more around him, the mood of Upsetter was clearly prone concerns. The visitors and the journalists arrived to Lee Perry to find it venerating bananas, vandalisant the studio, and outputting the long ones and violent diatribes. Reels of bands were widespread on the floor, and the apparatuses of recording were almost unusable because of the damage of the water which perfusait through the perforated roof. The formerly powerful studio was now more or less a dump.

In April 1979, Perry received a visit of Henk Targowski, a business manager and the owner of Black Star Liner, a production company and of distribution based in Holland. Targowski wanted to distribute the music of Lee Perry, but was not prepared with the madness which it met in Black Ark. With some associates, Targowski decides to try a rescue operation of the studio, trying to give the studio in operating condition. Financed by Black Liner Star, rebuilding work progressed throughout the year 1980, of the new equipment was ordered and installed. In spring 1980, however, the project of restoration was abandoned, and equips it with Black Star Liner leaves Jamaica for good. What had been carefully rebuilt was vandalisé, dismounted and destroys by Perry.

In 1981, with its life and its studio in ruins, Upsetter leaves Jamaica and spends its New York time, and plays in concerts of local groups of reggae. A series in great concerts takes place, in particular with the Clash in New York in June 1982. Perry turns over then to Jamaica, and starts shortly after to record a new album, " Mystic Star" Miracle;. It seems that after two years of confusion, Lee Perry found the form. However, the disaster was right with the corner of the street.

One morning of 1983, Black Ark Studio was destroyed. The fire made rage in the concrete structure, the temperature inside became so intense that the roof was finally puffed up. The studio, source of part of the most powerful music ever recorded, falls gradually in ruins. " The Black Ark was too black and too dread, " Perry explained later. " Although I would be black, I must burn it, to save my spirit. It was too black. He wanted to me avaler" The burning destruction of the black arch became a point-key in the legend Lee Perry. Lee Perry protested several times that it had burned the studio itself in an access of frustration, but it is probable that we never know the precise cause of fire -- if it were lit own hand of Perry or were caused by an electric problem --but the destruction of Black Ark Studio was complete.

Lee Perry in " exil"

After having spent three days in prison, suspecté of fire, Perry does not have nowhere where to go. Its life in Jamaica east in ruins, follows one period of exile, in England mainly. Turning the back on the production, it concentrates then on the expression of its work, which seems to be an infinite support. For this period, its work is irregular; doubtful collaborations and false starts are with go. Its fragile relation with Island Records breaks when it treats the chief of Island Chris Blackwell of vampire and known as which it responsible for died for Bob Marley.

Lee Perry works then with groups of London, and starts to occur on scene. Finally, the album Battle Of Armagideon (Liquidator Millionaire) is born in 1986. The opus, full with surprises, sounds like a testimony of the situation of Perry: after years of confusion, " the Upsetter was ready to upset again". The following year, Perry makes team with the English producer Adrian Sherwood and gave rise to " Time Boom X De Devil Dead". Working with the Dub Syndicate, " Upsetters de Sherwood" , " Time Boom" was a flashback at the time of the days of glory of Black Ark for Perry. The sound insufflated by Sherwood corresponded perfectly to Upsetter. Extremely of two new albums, Perry is given on feet for good.

Lee Perry in Switzerland

In 1989, Lee Perry ceases wandering on the right on the left and leaves to settle in Switzerland with his new wife Mireille Ruegg, an inhabitant of Zurich which becomes the manager of Scratch. Far from the effervescence of the music scene jamaïcaine, Lee Perry became a " family man" happy. It had two children with Mireille, a Gabriel boy, and a Shiva girl. About the middle of the years 1990, he worked on a new studio, based in the cellar of his property of Zurich: the " White Ark" , its " laboratory secret" where " no man entered avant".

20 years after the apogee of Black Ark, Lee Perry knows a rebirth with a new wave of fans of its music. Fans and critics redécouvrent the music of Perry, in particular with the Beastie Boys in 1996, and Upsetter benefits from a renewal of popularity. The companies of recording are not long in reacting to the passion of the public, and a large variety of collections produced by Lee Perry are republished, as well as many albums. This wave gave birth to Arkology in 1997, anthology of Black Ark in 3CD prepared by Steve Barrow and David Katz, two fans of Perry. With the general surprise, it has occurred in two concerts with closed counters in April 1997 in San Francisco, its first spectacles for more than 15 years in the USA. It also appears in New York, in a concert for free Tibet. A great American and European round follows, while leaving the republications regularly.

In June 2000, David Katz publishes a great biography of Upsetter: " People Funny Servant boy: The Genius Off Lee " Scratch" Perry".

Lee Perry remains the " mad scientist" , installed in its mountain fortress, overhanging Lake Zurich, BMW parked in the alley. He visits the Earth of time to others, but remains most of the time in his own universe.

A documentary feature-length film is in production maintaining by Volker Schaner with the title " Vision off Paradise".

Discography

Albums

Jamaica 1969-1979

The Upsetter (1969)
Return off Django (1969)
Many Moods off the Upsetters (1970)
Scratch the Upsetter Again (1970)
The Good, the Bad and the Upsetters (1970)
Eastwood Wrinkles Again (1970)
Africa' S Blood (1972)
Cloak and Dagger (1973)
Rhythm Shower (1973)
Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle (1973) (this album is appeared later under the name Blackboard Jungle Dub out of CD but with two pieces in less, of the beaches in a different order and with different names)
Clint Eastwood (???)
Double Seven (1974)
Present DIP the Upsetter (1975)
Musical Bones (1975)
Return off Wax (1975)
Kung Fu Meets the Dragon ( Heart off the Dragon ) (1975)
Revolution Dub (1975)
Super Ape (1976)
Return off the Super Ape (1978)
Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread (1978)

1979-2006

The Return off Pipecock Jackxon (1980)
Mystic Miracle Star (1982)
History, Mystery & Prophecy (1984)
Battle Off Armagideon (Liquidator Millionaire) (1986)
Time Boom X - De Devil Dead (with Dub Syndicate) (1987)
One the Wire (1988)
Chicken Scratch (1989)
Mystic Warrior (1989)
Mystic Warrior Dub (with Mad Professor) (1989)
From The Secret Laboratory (with Dub Syndicate) (1990)
Satan' S Dub (with Bullwackie) (1990)
Lord God Muzik (1991)
Sounds From The Hotline (1991)
The Upsetter and Happy The (1992)
Excaliburman (1992)
Negro spiritual Healing (1994)
Black Ark Experryments (with Mad Professor) (1995)
Experryments At the Fatty Roots off Dub (with Mad Professor) (1995)
Super Ape In Jungle (with Mad Professor) (1995)
Who Could The Voodoo Pon Reggae (with Mad Professor) (1996)
Dub Take The Voodoo Out Of Reggae (with Mad Professor) (1996)
The Original Super Ape (15 titles, 1997, Charm)
Dub Fire (with Mad Professor) (12 titles, 1998, Ariwa)
Its off Thunder (30 titles, 2000, Recall)
Jamaican AND (15 titles, 2002, Trojan)
Earthman Skanking (15 titles, 2003, NMC Music)
Still (2003)
Alien Starman (15 titles, 2003, Secret)
Panic grass in Babylon (13 titles, 2004, Damp Music)
Alive, more than ever (14 titles, 2006, Damp Music)

Compilations

Chicken Scratch (produced by Coxsone) (1963-1966)
Reggae Greats: Lee " Scratch" Perry (1984)
Open The Gate (1989)
Upsetter Collection (1994)
Upsetters has Go Go (1995)
Introducing Lee Perry (1996)
Words Of My Mouth Vol.1 (The Producer Series) (1996)
Voodooism (Pressure Sounds) (1996)
Arkology (1997)
The Upsetter Shop Vol.1: Upsetter In Dub (1997)
Dry Acid (1998)
Lee Perry Arkive (1998)
Produced and Directed By The Upsetter (Sounds Presses) (1998)
Lost Treasures off The Ark (1999)
Upsetter Shop Vol.2 1969-1973 (1999)
Words Of My Mouth Vol.2 (The Producer Series) (1999)
Words Of My Mouth Vol.3 (Live As One/The Producer Series) (2000)
Scratch Walking (2001)
Black Ark In Dub (2002)
Divine Madness… Definitely (Sounds Presses) (2002)
Dub Tryptych (2000) (republication out of box CD of Cloak and Dagger , Blackboard Jungle Dub , Revolution Dub )
The Upsetter Selection - has Lee Perry Jukebox (2007)

Other contributions

Dr. Lee, PhD of the album of the Beastie Boys Hello Nasty (1998)

Videos

Lee Scratch Perry: The Unlimited Destruction , 2002, the USA
Lee Scratch Perry: In Concert - The Ultimate Alien , 2003, the USA
Lee Scratch Perry With Mad Professor , 2004, the USA
Roots Reggae Rock'n'roll - Inside the Jamaican Music Scene 1977

Books

People Funny Servant boy: The genius off Lee Scratch Perry of David Katz in English very complete book who in addition to giving something of very complete on Lee Perry makes a rather reliable panorama of the music jamaïcaine of years 1950 at the years 1970 and gives information precise on other musicians jamaïcains that other general books do not give inevitably on the reggae.

See too

Internal bonds

Black Ark
Dub
Augustus Pablo
King Tubby
Box with meuh, Sound effects

External bonds

Official site of Lee Perry
Upsetter.net, site of a fan
Articles and interviews
SmokeyRoom.net
Lee Perry on arte.tv
" Dub Echoes" , documentary about the influence of dub on the birth of the electronic music and hip hop

Sources

Shocks Off Mighty: Year Upsetting Biography
Updated starting from Reggae Rasta Revolution (Schirmer Books, 1997)

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