A captivating insight into the development of reggae music – by its most accomplished creator, Lee “Scratch” Perry.

Release Date:  15^th November 2024

Label: Doctor Bird (A division of Cherry Red Records)

Formats: 2 x CD

The man who was to become Lee “Scratch” Perry was born as just plain Rainford Hugh Lee Perry in 1936, or 1939, depending upon which biographer you believe.  He was involved in the Jamaican music industry from an early age – he was still a teenager when he hitched up with Arthur ‘Duke’ Reid, owner of the famed Trojan Sound System, in Kingston the mid-1950s. 

He didn’t last long as a Reid acolyte and soon entered into an often-troublesome relationship with another sound system proprietor, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd, initially as a record seller for Dodd’s Downbeat Sound System before progressing to become a general factotum and, eventually, a producer at Dodd’s Kingston Studio.  The Dodd-Perry relationship was never an easy one and accusations of financial chicanery flew in both directions until the pair split up in 1966.  Perry soon found alternative employment with Joe Gibbs’ Amalgamated Records, where he continued to build the reputation as an engineer and producer that he had established with Dodd.

rocksteady singles

Working for Gibbs, Perry was the driving force behind a string of rocksteady singles by the likes of Cool Sticky, The Overtones and The Mellotones, as well as producing records in his own name, the most successful – and significant – of which was I Am the Upsetter (1968), a track that, in addition to referencing his perceived mistreatment at the hands of Dodd, Perry also established his reputation as an “Upsetter” of the status quo.

Soon after releasing I Am the Upsetter, Perry moved on once again, this time to launch Upset Records with sound engineers Barry Lambert and Lynford “Andy Capp” Anderson.  The company’s first major release, People Funny Boy – credited to The Upsetters – was a tilt at Perry’s former employer, Joe Gibbs and was a massive hit in Jamaica, selling over 60,000 copies.  Lee Perry had arrived.

It’s worth mentioning, at this stage of the story, that Perry’s work at Upset Records with Lambert and Anderson is collected and celebrated on People Funny Boy, a 2-CD set released earlier this year by Doctor Bird/Cherry Red and the companion collection to Soulful I.  But back to the Lee “Scratch” Perry story…

key moves

By late 1968, Perry was ready to make what would be the first of several key career moves.  He parted company with Lambert and Anderson and set out on his own, establishing the infamous Upsetter imprint in the process.  It was around this time that Perry’s unique production style had started to find favour with the UK’s Jamaican population and a deal for the worldwide distribution of the Upsetter Records catalogue was agreed with the London-based Trojan Records.  International success was almost immediate – the second single to be released under this arrangement was Return of Django (1969) an infectious tune that resonated not only with London’s Jamaican communities but also with the UK’s growing population of skinheads.  On the back of this appreciation, Return of Django climbed to No.5 in the UK singles chart in the autumn of 1969.

The revenue generated by the sales of Return Of Django enabled Perry to establish his Upsetter Record Shop on Charles Street in Kingston and provided the encouragement for Perry to release his debut album, The Upsetter, which appeared in November 1969.  And that’s where Soulful I, this latest compilation of the early work of Lee “Scratch” Perry comes in…

yielding fruit

This 2-disc compilation documents the period of Perry’s career when his sonic experimentation was starting to yield fruit.  It collects Perry’s Jamaican 7” singles from 1969 through to early 1970, alongside sundry rarities from that period that have languished in the Trojan archives, and also a host of alternate takes of key songs.  There’s a lot to take in here, of that there’s no doubt, but, along the way, the collection provides a fascinating insight to the development of reggae music, under the guidance of its most accomplished creator.  The collection allows us to retrace how reggae blossomed into a commercially attractive music form and also identify how the foundations for further development – into roots and dub forms, for instance, were laid.

Key to Perry’s success and to the viability of this music was the small pool of session musicians that Perry christened The Upsetters: Aston “Family Man” Barrett (bass), his brother Carlton Barrett (drums), Glen “Capo” Adams (keyboards) and Alva “Reggie” Lewis (guitar).  Originally known as The Hippy Boys, The Upsetters were an accomplished bunch – arguably reggae’s equivalent to Booker T and the MGs, over at Stax Records – and their imprint is all over this collection; they play on just about every one of the 54 tracks.

boss reggae

Disc 1 of the set covers the development of what came to be referred to as “Boss reggae,” the fast-paced, easily accessible form that featured copious reggae-fied versions of popular hit tunes and ballads, upbeat instrumentals that often referenced gangster or spy movies, but which also helped established the template for whatever it was that reggae was going to do next.  It’s a refreshing listen with lots of high points, particularly when The Upsetters are left to their own devices.  The Man From MI5 defines the trademark Upsetter sound, Soulful I is sweet and uplifting, and Thunder Ball encapsulates its period – it’s a true time capsule.

It’s almost possible to picture the skinheads stomping along to Cold Sweat, whilst the way to the future is signposted by The Vampire and Drugs and Poison (both Upsetters tracks), by The Bleechers’ Check Him Out and, particularly by the excellent Tidal Wave, an Upsetters tune that you’ll believe could have been recorded yesterday.

a few missteps

Admittedly, there are a few missteps.  David Isaacs demonstrates why country and reggae are two musical forms that shouldn’t really be mixed, with his version of Jim Reeves’ He’ll Have To Go; likewise, Busty Brown’s weepy I Can’t See Myself Cry About You is a bit too close to Englebert for comfort, whilst it’s difficult to see any point to Pat Satchmo’s Louis Armstrong pastiche, Till I Can’t Take it any More.  Perhaps it was his party-piece at family weddings?

Disc 2 is a more solid affair and The Upsetters enjoy lots of great moments.  The alternative take of Sign Of The Times is rich, laid-back and drenched in jazzy horns and the early take of Slow Motion is slow and thoughtful and clearly looking towards the future.  But, arguably, it’s in the ten-track sequence of Upsetters tunes at the heart of Disc 2 that Soulful I really shows its value; from track 9 – Love Me Baby – to track 18 – Wax It – the band and their producer are cooking.  The trademark reggae stomp is still there, but there’s more;  Perry has pared back the instrumentation and started to feature more studio trickery.  It’s subtle, melodic and it shows exactly what was about to happen to reggae in the years to come.  There are even a few pointers that Toots Hibbert clearly took notice of.

Soulful I is a fascinating document and indispensable to the Lee “Scratch” Perry completist.  And, if you’re not one of those (yet) it’s great fun to listen to.

Listen to Tidal Wave – by The Upsetters – a track from the album, here:

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