Videos : Lee Scratch Perry

Pum Pum

Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry, 20 March 1936, Kendal, Jamaica) is a musician, who has been influential in the development and acceptance of reggae and dub music in Jamaica and overseas. He employs numerous pseudonyms, such as Pipecock Jackxon and The Upsetter.

Perry's musical career began in the late 1950s as a record seller for Clement Coxsone Dodd's sound system. As his sometimes turbulent relationship with Dodd developed, he found himself performing a variety of important tasks at Dodd's Studio One hit factory, going on to record nearly thirty songs for the label. Disagreements between the pair due to personality and financial conflicts, a recurring theme throughout Perry's career, led him to leave the studio and seek new musical outlets. He soon found a new home at Joe Gibbs's Amalgamated Records.

Working with Gibbs, Perry continued his recording career but, once again, financial problems caused conflict. Perry broke ranks with Gibbs and formed his own label, Upsetter, in 1968. His first single "People Funny Boy", which was an insult directed at Gibbs, sold well with 60,000 copies sold in Jamaica alone. It is notable for its innovative use of a sample (a crying baby) as well as a fast, chugging beat that would soon become identifiable as "reggae" (the new kind of sound which was given the name "Steppers"). From 1968 until 1972 he worked with his studio band The Upsetters. During the 1970s, Perry released numerous recordings on a variety of record labels that he controlled, and many of his songs were popular in both Jamaica and the UK. He soon became known for his innovative production techniques as well as his eccentric character.[1]
[edit] The Black Ark

In the early 1970s, Perry was one of the producers whose mixing board experiments resulted in the creation of dub. In 1973, Perry built a studio in his back yard, The Black Ark, to have more control over his productions and continued to produce notable musicians such as Bob Marley & the Wailers, Junior Byles, Junior Murvin, The Heptones, The Congos and Max Romeo. With his own studio at his disposal, Perry's productions became more lavish, as the energetic producer was able to spend as much time as he wanted on the music he produced. Virtually everything Perry recorded in The Black Ark was done using basic recording equipment; through sonic sleight-of-hand, Perry made it sound unique. Perry remained behind the mixing desk for many years, producing songs and albums that stand out as a high point in reggae history.

By 1978, stress and unwanted outside influences began to take their toll: both Perry and The Black Ark quickly fell into a state of disrepair. Eventually, the studio burned to the ground. Perry has constantly insisted that he burned the Black Ark himself in a fit of rage. After the demise of the Black Ark in the early 1980s, Perry spent time in England and the United States, performing live and making erratic records with a variety of collaborators.[1] It was not until the late 1980s, when he began working with British producers Adrian Sherwood and Neil Fraser (who is better known as Mad Professor), that Perry's career began to get back on solid ground again. Perry also has attributed the recent resurgence of his creative muse to his deciding to quit drinking alcohol and smoking cannabis. Perry stated in an interview that he wanted to see if "it was the smoke making the music or Lee Perry making the music. I found out it was me and that I don't need to smoke."[2]

In 1998 Perry reached a wider global audience as vocalist on the track "Dr. Lee, PhD" from the Beastie Boys' album Hello Nasty.
[edit] Later career

Perry now lives in Switzerland with his wife Mireille and two children. Although he celebrated his 70th birthday in 2006, he continues recording and performing to enthusiastic audiences in Europe and North America. His modern music is a far cry from his reggae days in Jamaica; many now see Perry as more of a performance artist in several respects. In 2003, Perry won a Grammy for Best Reggae Album with the album Jamaican E.T.. In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked Perry #100 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.[3] More recently, he teamed up with a group of Swiss musicians and performed under the name Lee Perry and the White Belly Rats, and made a brief visit to the United States using the New York City based group Dub Is A Weapon as his backing band. Currently there are two feature length movies made about his life and work: Volker Schaner's Vision Of Paradise and The Upsetter by filmmakers Ethan Higbee and Adam Bhala Lough.

After meeting Andrew W.K. at SXSW in 2006, Perry invited him to co-produce his album, Repentance. The album, released on the 19th of August 2008, on Narnack Records, features several guest artists including Moby, Ari Up of The Slits, producer Don Fleming, drummer Brian Chippendale of Lightning Bolt, bassist Josh Werner of Matisyahu, and porn star Sasha Grey.

In 2008, Perry reunited with producer Adrian Sherwood on an album called The Mighty Upsetter. Unlike the dancehall/pop oriented Repentance, The Mighty Upsetter returned to the dub/reggae styles for which Perry is known.

In 2009, Perry collaborated with Vienna based Dubblestandart on their Return from Planet Dub double album, revisiting some of his material from the 1970s and 80s as well as collaborating on new material with Dubblestandart some of which also included Ari Up of The Slits. In 2008 leading up to this release, Perry's first foray into the dubstep genre was released on 12" vinyl, a collaboration with Dubblestandart and New York City's Subatomic Sound System called "Iron Devil".[4] That record was followed by several more reggae oriented dubstep collaborations with Dubblestandart and Subatomic Sound System on digital and vinyl, first Blackboard Jungle Vol.1 & 2 (2009) which featured dancehall vocalist Jahdan Blakkamoore and then Chrome Optimism (2010)[5] which also featured American filmmaker David Lynch.

In 2011, Perry was selected by Animal Collective to perform at All Tomorrow's Parties, which the band curated in May 2011.[6] In a subsequent interview, Brian Weitz of Animal Collective called his performance "phenomenal", saying that there "was very little evidence of his advanced age".[7] That same year, he recorded Rise Again with bassist and producer Bill Laswell; the album features contributions from Tunde Adebimpe, Sly Dunbar, Bernie Worrell and more, and was released on Laswell's M.O.D. Technologies label.[8]
[edit] Discography
[edit] Albums

The Upsetter (1969)
Return of Django (1969)
Clint Eastwood (1970)
Many Moods of the Upsetters (1970)
Scratch the Upsetter Again (1970)
The Good, the Bad and the Upsetters (1970)
Eastwood Rides Again (1970)
Africa's Blood (1972)
Cloak and Dagger (1973)
Rhythm Shower (1973)
Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle aka Blackboard Jungle Dub (1973)

Black Ark era

Double Seven (1974)
DIP Presents the Upsetter (1975)
Musical Bones (1975)
Return of Wax (1975)
Kung Fu Meets the Dragon aka Heart of the Dragon (1975)
Revolution Dub (1975)
Super Ape aka Scratch the Super Ape (1976)
Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread (1978)
Return of the Super Ape (1978)

The Return of Pipecock Jackxon (1980)
Mystic Miracle Star (with the Majestics) (1982)
History, Mystery & Prophecy (1984)
Battle Of Armagideon (Millionaire Liquidator) (1986)
Time Boom X De Devil Dead (with Dub Syndicate) (1987)
On the Wire (1988)
Satan Kicked the Bucket (with Bullwackie) (1988)
Chicken Scratch (1989)
Mystic Warrior (1989)
Mystic Warrior Dub (with Mad Professor) (1989)
From The Secret Laboratory (with Dub Syndicate) (1990)
Message From Yard (with Bullwackie) (1990)
Satan's Dub (with Bullwackie) (1990)
Lord God Muzik (1991)
Sounds From The Hotline (1991)
The Upsetter and The Beat (1992)
Excaliburman (1992)
Spiritual Healing (1994)
Black Ark Experryments (with Mad Professor) (1995)
Experryments at the Grass Roots of Dub (with Mad Professor) (1995)
Super Ape Inna Jungle (with Mad Professor) (1995)
Who Put The Voodoo Pon Reggae (with Mad Professor) (1996)
Dub Take the Voodoo Out of Reggae (Mad Professor with Lee Perry) (1996)
Dub Fire (with Mad Professor) (1998)
The Original Super Ape (1998)
Son of Thunder (2000)
Songs to Bring Back the Ark (2000)
Techno Party (2000)
Jamaican E.T. (2002)
Earthman Skanking (2003)
Encore (2003)
Alien Starman (2003)
Panic in Babylon (2004)
Alive, more than ever (2006)
End of an American Dream (2007)
The Mighty Upsetter (2008)
Repentance (2008)
Scratch Came Scratch Saw Scratch Conquered (2008)
Iron Devil (2008)
Dub Setter (with Adrian Sherwood) (2009)
Return from Planet Dub (with Dubblestandart) (2009)
Blackboard Jungle Vol.1 & 2 (with Dubblestandart & Subatomic Sound System) (2009)
Mad Alien Dub (2010)
'The Unfinished Masterpiece' (2010)[1]
Revelation (2010)
Chrome Optimism Remixes (with Dubblestandart & David Lynch) (2009)
Rise Again (2011)

[edit] Compilation albums

Chicken Scratch (produced by Coxsone Dodd) (1963–1966)
Reggae Greats: Lee "Scratch" Perry (1984)
Open The Gate (1989)
Upsetter Collection (1994)
Upsetters A 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 (Pressure Sounds) (1998)
Lost Treasures of 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 (Pressure Sounds) (2002)
Dub Triptych (2000)
Trojan Upsetter Box Set (2002)
This is Ska and Reggae Roots (2005)
The Upsetter Selection - A Lee Perry Jukebox (2007)[1]

[edit] Appearances

Co-wrote "Police and Thieves" with Junior Murvin. It was later covered by The Clash on their 1977 debut album, some versions of which include their Perry-produced single "Complete Control".
"The Only Alternative" on the compilation Roots Of Innovation - 15 And X Years On-U Sound (1994) by Dub Syndicate on On-U Sound label.
"Dr. Lee, PhD" on the album Hello Nasty (1998) by Beastie Boys
Appears on two tracks on the album Whaa! (2005) by Zuco 103
Starred in a series of Guinness advertisements (2008)
Appears on two tracks on the album "Nairobi meets Mad Professor: Wu Wei" (2009) by argentinian dub band Nairobi

[edit] Films

Lee Perry: Return Of The Super Ape (BA BA ZEE) - Rick Elgood and Don Letts (UK)
Visions of Paradise - director Volkner Schaner
Scratch in Deutschland (1992)(10mins)
Ich sende aus dem All (1995)(30mins) 16mm, director Peter Braatz
The Upsetter: The Music & Genius of Lee 'Scratch' Perry (90mins) (2008) directed by Ethan Higbee and Adam Bhala Lough Official website
Tracks: Lee Perry (2005) (ARTE) (France)

[edit] Videos

Lee Scratch Perry: The Unlimited Destruction, 2002, US
Lee Scratch Perry: In Concert - The Ultimate Alien, 2003, US
Lee Scratch Perry With Mad Professor, 2004, US
Roots Rock Reggae - Inside the Jamaican Music Scene, 1977. Directed by Jeremy Marre.
Carrying The Swing;; - Dir. Howard Johnson (1998)
Reggae: The Story Of Jamaican Music (Part.2 - Rebel Music) 2002. Mike Connolly
Rock & Roll - Punk (10 part series) (PBS) (US) (1995)(Episode 9 only) aka Dancing in the Street: A Rock and Roll History (Episode 8 only) (UK)
Tribute To Sister D - The Forum, London 1995 (One Drop - Crazy Baldheads - Roastfish and Cornbread)
Portraits Of Jamaican Music - Dir.Pierre Marc Simonin (2003)Video Clip
Jools in Jamaica - Dir.Geoff Wonfor, Presenter Jools Holland