I There's so many American songs that I only ever heard the reggae covers of, for years not knowing they even were covers.
― Citole Country (bendy), Monday, 30 August 2021 21:55 (two years ago) link
Love how the Island Records press officer refuted his allegations that Chris Blackwell is a vampire. They didn't think "we mustn't dignify this with a response", they thought "we must deny this unequivocally!!" đ
― The 25 Best Songs Ever Ranked In Order (Deflatormouse), Monday, 30 August 2021 23:22 (two years ago) link
Did you really repaint Chris Blackwellâs flat because you didnât like the vibes?Of course. I also fill up his fridge with rocks. To kaput his energy, confuse his brain, give him big shock. Ha ha!
Of course. I also fill up his fridge with rocks. To kaput his energy, confuse his brain, give him big shock. Ha ha!
― calzino, Monday, 30 August 2021 23:41 (two years ago) link
Check out Perry's Instagram and Facebook accounts - apparently they're claiming he was more or less killed and plan to sue those they're holding responsible. (They're reporting that Perry wasn't sick or anything, which is plausible given that Perry himself uploaded a selfie video the day before he died - he looked otherwise in fine physical health.)
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 31 August 2021 01:37 (two years ago) link
i am completely failing to process his death. the claim that he was more or less killed makes sense to me as surely he was eternal?
― stirmonster, Tuesday, 31 August 2021 15:15 (two years ago) link
Lots of new comments. I don't know if this is credible, but one commenter said he was answering text messages up to the day he died. Details are still sketchy, but whoever's running his account emphatically and repeatedly states he wasn't sick, that something "just happened." Crazy.
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 31 August 2021 16:28 (two years ago) link
Clearly I haven't the first clue whether something dodgy went on but it's worth noting that the person who's running that Insta account now (who may be Scratch's widow?) has a main account linked from that post which is pretty much wall-to-wall conspiracy stuff, including some repulsive bits IMO.
― Tim, Tuesday, 31 August 2021 16:49 (two years ago) link
85-year-old smokers do die from heart attacks and strokes sometimes
― fc_TEFH28mo (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Tuesday, 31 August 2021 16:51 (two years ago) link
Ahhh, good catch. Well, I guess we'll see whether their arguments before the court makes a convincing case (or not).
― birdistheword, Tuesday, 31 August 2021 17:15 (two years ago) link
wall-to-wall conspiracy stuff
lee perry was of course perhaps thee original conspiracy theorist so i guess it makes it all the more fitting. i put him on around the turn of the millenium and he refused to shake hands with any meat eaters as they could transmit hormones, or something....
― stirmonster, Tuesday, 31 August 2021 17:51 (two years ago) link
still sounds as fresh today as it did in 87.
https://www.discogs.com/Lee-Scratch-Perry-Dub-Syndicate-Time-Boom-X-De-Devil-Dead/release/192162
― mark e, Saturday, 4 September 2021 20:44 (two years ago) link
Indeed it does. I saw him perform this album at Kentish Town Town & Country Club (now The Forum). Dub Syndicate started and were then joined by Akabu. Eventually it became apparent that Perry was refusing to come on stage. After much coaxing he finally came on only to announce that he had no intention of performimng and everyone should instead show respect to Akabu and "listen to the ladies sing" which was "much better than listening to The Upsetter", and then off he went. Another awkward half hour or so passed until he finally appeared and performed a few songs off "Time Boom..." before the house lights came up.
― stirmonster, Saturday, 4 September 2021 21:25 (two years ago) link
thank you for bringing up that dub syndicate album, i had never heard it before and it really rules
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Tuesday, 7 September 2021 16:03 (two years ago) link
I canât POX with this guy, but just came here to say that one of my favorite magical moments in my memory is one afternoon, in the aughts, I was wandering around Brooklyn with no particular destination in mind and completely randomly stumbled across Lee Perry performing with his band at an outdoor party next to the Gowanus Canal. So surreal and wonderful. He had a small audience but far from what youâd expect for someone of his stature (maybe there are other ilxors who witnessed this?)
― Josefa, Tuesday, 7 September 2021 17:05 (two years ago) link
https://www.nts.live/shows/optimo/episodes/optimo-7th-september-2021
― stirmonster, Thursday, 9 September 2021 18:53 (two years ago) link
thank you!
― sleeve, Thursday, 9 September 2021 19:11 (two years ago) link
so, was his last album the On-U collab, Rainford and its associated dubbed up variation, Heavy Rain ? or did he sort out a few extras in the last months?
― mark e, Thursday, 9 September 2021 19:18 (two years ago) link
caught the last half of that NTS show live the other day - good vibes, and felt like stirry was just getting warmed up at two hours in
― bobo honkin' slobo babe (sic), Friday, 10 September 2021 05:06 (two years ago) link
The Wayne and Wax ; and the Erin Macleod Spotify playlists are worth checking out
― curmudgeon, Saturday, 11 September 2021 15:15 (two years ago) link
You mean this? https://www.npr.org/2021/09/10/1035510633/the-magic-of-lee-scratch-perryCouldn't find the second one.
― What Does Blecch Mean to Me? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 11 September 2021 15:20 (two years ago) link
Oh, this, I guess. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ZmHhHqG6VKGfWGC8GwvV9?si=d682ee4c55d845e2
― What Does Blecch Mean to Me? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 11 September 2021 15:21 (two years ago) link
Yep
― curmudgeon, Sunday, 12 September 2021 04:13 (two years ago) link
been going back through his catalogue in piecemeal since the summer and stumbled on this. it's not a lost classic or anything, but more from that era is always welcome and it's very cool to hear him work with a female vocalist.
― please don't refer to me as (Austin), Monday, 29 November 2021 16:45 (two years ago) link
So what's good from the post Black Ark era?
― paolo, Friday, 16 September 2022 08:46 (one year ago) link
Been going through a bit of a LSP phase recently and at least for now I would say he is the greatest musician to come out of Jamaica (sorry King Tubby)
― paolo, Friday, 16 September 2022 08:48 (one year ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zyynfnY3Cw
A recent personal favourite
― paolo, Friday, 16 September 2022 08:55 (one year ago) link
My favourite LP post-Black Ark is probably Time Boom x De Devil Dead, which he made with Adrian Sherwood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9USR-7opK3E
I really like this Mad Professor dub of I Am A Madman (the original being one of two or three good ones from Battle of Armageddon / Millionaire Liquidator):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqNBHNMddfM
― Tim, Friday, 16 September 2022 09:15 (one year ago) link
The next Sherwood-produced LP after Time Boom, "From The Secret Laboratory" is an interesting listen if you've been on a Black Ark era jag, it has radically updated takes on a handful of 70s classics; some people love it but I've always found it diverting rather than brilliant.
― Tim, Friday, 16 September 2022 09:31 (one year ago) link
Tim, the 'Secret Laboratory' title track is up there with my favourite things by LSP.
― giraffe, Friday, 16 September 2022 12:58 (one year ago) link
And for good reason I'm sure, I'll give it another go sometime.
― Tim, Friday, 16 September 2022 13:26 (one year ago) link
Iâve fallen into a Scratch hole myself. My favorite discovery so far is âCheerioâ from Battle Axe by the Upsetters. Itâs this basic, instrumental thing with a rhythm lifted from something that I canât quite place. But the way it all clicks together is so perfect! Itâs very repetitive and my wife is probably going to ban it soon.
Iâm a little stumped for classifying Perryâs stuff in Itunes. My impulse is to label all Upsetters stuff as Perry, so his stuff is all together. Does that make sense? Were they always his project with a fluid membership?
― Cow_Art, Friday, 16 September 2022 13:39 (one year ago) link
I quite liked Rainford too, which I think is/was his last album
― giraffe, Friday, 16 September 2022 14:00 (one year ago) link
âCheerioâ is the âCherry Oh Babyâ rhythm, which might be what youâre thinking of, Cow_Art? Sorry if thatâs too obvious.
― Tim, Friday, 16 September 2022 14:07 (one year ago) link
"From The Secret Laboratory" has really grown on me over the years. "Time Boom X De Devil Dead" is all time.
― stirmonster, Friday, 16 September 2022 14:45 (one year ago) link
If you're not too fussy about tags, would it make more sense to hijack a different one that you don't really use (I dunno, Composer)? If I'm pulling together all my scratch stuff for a big shuffle I also want all the things he produced where he's def not the Artist.
Speaking of which, lately I've been getting very into George Faith's Super Eight (aka To Be a Lover) - fabulous deep echoing LSP sound around songs that are more⌠well this is OTM from Granny Dainger upthread -
And George Faith for the "Jamaican quiet storm" lazy Sunday afternoon vibe.
― woof, Friday, 16 September 2022 15:03 (one year ago) link
Thanks for the recommendations!
Were they always his project with a fluid membership?
I believe so
― paolo, Friday, 16 September 2022 16:16 (one year ago) link
I remember reading a while back that Billy Idol was obsessed w/that George Faith record at the height of his druggy strung-out 80s days
― politics is about vibes and the vibes are off (stevie), Friday, 16 September 2022 16:29 (one year ago) link
time boom is by far the best of the on-u collaborations.however, secret laboratory, has some brilliant tracks on it.'african headcharge in the hackney empire' being an absolute classic.that said, there were a couple of low key LSP vs ON-U releases that happened before things kicked off again due to warpthis album has dreadful cover art, but features roots manuva on the brilliant 'international broadcaster.
https://www.discogs.com/release/1750076-Lee-Scratch-Perry-The-Mighty-Upsetter
― mark e, Saturday, 17 September 2022 22:02 (one year ago) link
and its dub version still hits the spot :
https://www.discogs.com/release/2309885-Lee-Scratch-Perry-And-Adrian-Sherwood-Dub-Setter
― mark e, Saturday, 17 September 2022 22:06 (one year ago) link
Gonna add to the From The Secret Laboratory recommendations... great record.
― visiting, Saturday, 17 September 2022 22:17 (one year ago) link
There's a YouTube channel called Black Ark Nuggets and there is unsurprisingly some absolute gold on there
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sryk65q51_8
I mean how about this then
― paolo, Friday, 14 October 2022 17:29 (one year ago) link
So on the label of that record it says it was produced by Yabby You. If that was inded recorded at the Black Ark does that mean Scratch was letting other producers use his studio?
― paolo, Friday, 14 October 2022 17:30 (one year ago) link
I always assumed the Yabby You stuff was done at King Tubby's. Wasn't Vivian Jackson/Yabby You known as Tubby's favorite to work with? I read somewhere that Tubby personally worked on the Yabby You stuff while farming out some other things to Scientist or whoever was his assistant.
― brotherlovesdub, Friday, 14 October 2022 17:43 (one year ago) link
I only love about half of the forty-track version of King Scratch (Musical Masterpieces from the Upsetter Ark-ive) on Spotify, but/and that's enough to make it ballot bait for sure. Fave is the 12 " mix of Junior Murvin and Jah Lion, "Police and Thief (Police and Thieves." New to me: Susan Cadogan, whose tracks are great here, and Drugs A. Money assures me her album is dope too.
― dow, Friday, 14 October 2022 17:53 (one year ago) link
xpThat's on the old B&F Jesus Dread comp and the liner notes do indeed state it was recorded at Black Ark
― rob, Friday, 14 October 2022 17:54 (one year ago) link
^^ which rules
― sleeve, Friday, 14 October 2022 17:57 (one year ago) link
it does! Sadly OOP, but I think Pressure Sounds has put out a bunch if not all of this same stuff as expanded album reissues since (?)
Also meant to add that in fact none of the rhythm tracks (on Jesus Dread) were recorded at Tubby's, only the voicing and mixing was done there. The productions were all recorded at Black Ark, Dynamic, Randy's, and Channel One
― rob, Friday, 14 October 2022 18:00 (one year ago) link
Would love to know what it was like in the room when Tubby and Lee were working together. Tubs the neat freak and Perry trying to rub cow shit on the tapes.
Reggae odd couple!
― Cow_Art, Friday, 14 October 2022 18:40 (one year ago) link
Live Trap / Death Trap rules like fire. Are there many tracks with flute in the reggae canon? Tommy McCook absolutely kills it.
I kind of lose sight of Yabby You on record. There are so many variations and compilations out there. I stick with Jesus Dread, which is one of the greatest collections of any kind, anywhere. Just a monstrous achievement. Back in the day, I saw a NM vinyl copy for ÂŁ60 and baulked at the price. I can't even bear to look at how much it goes for now.
― Shard-borne Beatles with their drowsy hums (Chinaski), Friday, 14 October 2022 19:01 (one year ago) link