“My name is Rainford Hugh Perry,” said the man with bright red hair, matching beard, and fire in his eyes after stepping off stage in New York City many years ago. “My music name thunder and lightning.” Known to one and all as Lee “Scratch” Perry, he had a way of getting straight to the point and pressing that point to one’s neck before breaking into hysterical laughter.
The visionary producer, performer, and provocateur shaped and reshaped the sound of Jamaican music in the 60s and 70s, creating magical, culture-shifting records with a galaxy of stars from Bob Marley and the Wailers to The Clash and the Beastie Boys—to name but a few. He was as incendiary as he was influential.
Spanning more than half a century, Scratch’s rich catalog of recordings was by turns tender, rebellious, rude, lewd, and sonically revolutionary. He collaborated, innovated, and often fell out with most of the important music makers in Jamaican history—including such late great legends as Coxsone Dodd, Joe Gibbs, King Tubby, and Bunny Lee—as he pushed the evolution of the island’s sound from ska to rock steady to reggae, dub, punk rock, hip hop, jungle, and beyond. Some of his most memorable songs were diss tracks directed at former partners like “Run for Cover,” “I Am The Upsetter,” and “Chris Blackwell is a Vampire.”
Renowned as the mad genius of reggae, he crafted many of his greatest recordings at the Black Ark, a quirky four-track home studio in a residential neighborhood in Kingston, which he infamously set ablaze one day in 1979—an incident that has prompted much speculation over the years. “Not even me can wipe out the Black Ark,” he told filmmaker Reshma B in 2014. “It produce rain, whirlwind, hurricane, tidal wave, lightning, thunder, hailstone, earthquake… And it preserve life and it kill. It cripple, cramp, and paralyze.”
Perry’s passing was met with worldwide sadness and disbelief—not only because Scratch had contributed so much to world culture, but because he seemed somehow immortal. “He always said ‘I conquer death,’” said Emch of Subatomic Sound System, who toured and recorded extensively with Scratch over the past decade. “Never thought he would keep going as long as he did, but then started to believe he would never stop.”
Over the past month, Scratch’s official Instagram included posts about a new collaboration with a producer in Brooklyn, a November gig in Camden, Englamd, and plans to develop a commune and healing center in Hanover, Jamaica with his wife of thirty-plus years Mireille Campbell-Ruegg.
A 1995 cover story in the Beasties’ fabled Grand Royal magazine described Scratch as “the man, the myth, the Merlin whom many consider to be the greatest record producer ever.” That’s a big claim, but here are some of the records that back it up.
1. Lee Perry “People Funny Boy,” 1968
“Now that you reach the top and you turn big shot,” Scratch sings on this passionate diss record targeting his former partner Joe Gibbs, “All I’ve done for you, you not remember that.” The song’s melody is reminiscent of “Longshot Kick De Bucket,” a Scratch production for Gibbs’ Amalgamated label that became a worldwide smash, leading to financial disagreements that inspired the tune. But this record is memorable for more than its rancor. The crying baby that sets the mood on the intro was pulled from a radio jingle in what may be the first instance of sampling in recorded music. And the muscular rhythm broke with the smooth rock steady style that was ruling Jamaica at the time, ushering in a fresh sound that led some critics to call this the first reggae song.
2. The Upsetters, “Return of Django” (1968)
More than four decades before Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained, the Django saga played out in a pair of spaghetti westerns focusing on a “coffin-dragging gunslinger, a half-breed prostitute, and a bitter feud between a Klan of Southern racists and a band of Mexican revolutionaries.” Scratch, who drew much inspiration from cowboy movies, borrowed the title for this rollicking instrumental featuring Val Bennett on sax and Gladstone “Gladdy” Anderson on piano, which became a huge hit in the Jamaica on the Upsetter label. Released in the UK via Trojan Records, “Return of Django” hit the pop charts, inspired its own dance craze, and appeared in TV ads for Cadbury’s chocolate.
3. Bob Marley & The Wailers, Soul Rebels (1970)
It’s a testament to the greatness of Scratch that his production of Bob Marley’s best early material, much of which was re-recorded for the singer’s hugely successful Island Records albums, is not the music he’s most famous for. Imagine if George Martin’s work with the Beatles was just the beginning of his career?
Perry met Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, and Bunny Wailer, members of a successful harmony group known as The Wailers, at Coxsone Dodd’s Studio One, and at the start of the seventies they all began working together at Randy’s Studio 17 on a series of mind-blowing tracks like “Trenchtown Rock,” “Duppy Conqueror,” and “Mr. Brown”–the tale of a coffin with three vultures perched on top that rolled through the streets of Kingston “upsetting upsetting upsetting the town, asking for Mr. Brown.” In December 1970 these remarkable songs were collected on Soul Rebels, the first Marley album to be released outside of Jamaica, and they became timeless treasures of reggae music.
4. The Upsetters, Blackboard Jungle Dub (1973)
Dub music is a Jamaican innovation that transformed the studio engineer into a creative auteur in his own right, inspiring remixes, electronic music, and a universe of international subgenres. As with many historic details of Jamaican music, exactly who invented what and when are up for debate, but there is no doubt that Scratch and Osborne “King Tubby” Ruddock were two of the most important innovators of dub. They joined forces on Upsetters 14 Dub, which is believed to be the first dub album released in stereo—with Scratch’s mix on one channel and Tubby’s in the other. First pressed in a run of 300 copies, it was reissued with a slightly different track list as Blackboard Jungle Dub. The bugged-out intros and reverb-soaked effects on tracks like “Drum Rock” and “Dub Organizer” paved the way for generations of madcap musical explorers to follow.
5. Max Romeo & The Upsetters, War Ina Babylon (1976)
By 1976 Scratch’s Black Ark Studio was the hottest soundlab in Jamaica, releasing a stream of recordings so magical that it’s difficult to choose just one from this era. “Lee Perry’s studio had a four-track Teac, which means that every time you want to overdub anything more than four tracks, you have to bounce,” Chris Blackwell, who released many Black Ark productions on Island Records, once told me. “That means that you can never record on more than three tracks at a time, because you have to bounce the three to a fourth to open up any more. And he had an echo loop on the tape, so the sound he got was a sound where you could hear throbbing air. Very minimal but it’s very full.”
This signature sound could be heard on albums like Jah Lion’s Colombia Colly, The Heptones’ Party Time, Junior Byles’ “Curly Locks,” and Scratch’s solo cut “Dreadlocks in Moonlight”—all released during this creative boom. But few Black Ark releases have had the enduring impact of War Ina Babylon. Max Romeo was known for his 1968 hit “Wet Dream” and “Let The Power Fall,” but when he linked with Scratch at Black Ark they created timeless tunes like “Chase The Devil,” which was sampled for The Prodigy’s 1992 drum and bass hit “Out of Space” as well as Jay-Z’s Black Album standout “Lucifer.” Hov may have called Kanyeezy a genius for that one, but Scratch deserves some shine too.
6. The Upsetters, Super Ape (1976)
Perhaps the ultimate expression of Scratch’s fuck-the-world vision, Super Ape is not exactly a dub album but more of a big vital stew pot containing many of the Black Ark’s most potent productions simmering down and bubbling up into the ether as vocals from various versions swirl together. The cover art features a cartoon rendition of Lee Perry’s big hairy alias. Think of the Super Ape like a Jamaican Phil Spector, except that his Wall of Sound is covered with apocalyptic graffiti, splashes of white rum, and a sheen of ganja residue. “Zion Blood” sets an appropriately ominous tone, perfectly balanced by the brighter notes of “Curly Dub” and the mystical “Patience.” On “Croaking Lizard” Prince Jazzbo flows over “Chase the Devil” years before Ye would loop it up for Jay. But nothing tops the closing title track, whereon Scratch intones “This is the ape man, trodding through creation, you ready to step with I man?” Think before you answer. Are you sure?
7. Junior Murvin, “Police and Thieves” (1976)
If a giant meteor were hurtling towards earth and you could only save one song out of the entire Black Ark archives from fiery destruction, this might be the one. Junior Reid’s
falsetto cuts through the shimmering waves of reverb, phase shifters, and Roland
RE201 Space Echo as he bemoans “all the crimes committed, day by day, and no one trying to stop it, in any way.” This song hit the streets of London just in time for the riots that broke out during Notting Hill Carnival, leaving 300 police injured amidst widespread looting and property damage. No wonder that a local band called The Clash decided to cover the song, strengthening the burgeoning punk/reggae alliance.
8. The Clash, “Complete Control” (1977)
With a name inspired by the classic reggae tune “Two Sevens Clash,” The Clash never hid their fondness for Jamaican music. Scratch had listened to their covers of “Police and Thieves” and The Maytals “Pressure Drop” and he liked what he heard. “The Clash was really good,” he once told me. “They have the best drummer. They were making white reggae to cross over international.” So it was something of a dream come true for the punk band to work with the Super Ape. “Lee was shit-hot!” Grand Royal magazine quoted an eye-witness account of the session. “He was standing on one leg in a karate pose, the walls shaking, and he nearly blew up the control room getting Paul [Simonon] a bass sound! Brilliant.”
9. Bob Marley & The Wailers, “Punky Reggae Party” (1977)
The connection between Jamaicans and punks in England was 100% organic, with ska, reggae, and punk music counteracting an atmosphere of racial tension stoked by hatemongering politicians like Enoch Powell. “It was a beautiful thing,” said Don Letts, a black DJ and filmmaker who spun reggae at a punk club called the Roxy. “It was Black and white kids coming together over a mutual love of Jamaican music and style.” Scratch and Marley, who relocated to England after a 1976 assassination attempt in Jamaica, made a song to celebrate the cross-cultural vibes. “Punky Reggae Party” was released as a single and became a favorite during Marley’s live shows. Who could resist an invitation to a party knowing that “No boring old fart will be there”?
10. The Congos, Heart of the Congos (1977)
This album by a rootical harmony trio known as the Congos is one of the rarest treasures of the Black Ark. The soulful high-pitched harmonies of Cedric Myton, “Ashanti” Roy Johnson, and Watty Burnett combined with ace session musicians like guitarist Ernest Ranglin and bassist Boris Gardner to produce densely layered tracks like “Fisherman” and “At The Feast,” but the project was rejected by Island Records—much to Perry’s and the Congos’ chagrin. (The label would also pass on subsequent Perry productions Roast Fish Collie Weed and Corn Bread as well as The Return of Super Ape, finding them just a touch too far out there.) Scratch went on to release the album in an extremely limited run on his own Black Art label. Thankfully the master tapes were rescued and remastered in 1996 by the UK label Blood & Fire, bringing overdue love and respect to one of Scratch’s greatest creations.
11. Shinehead, “Billie Jean” (1984)
Amongst numerous other accolades, Lee Perry is credited as the first Jamaican producer to use a drum machine—a primitive Maestro Rhythm King which was brought to Jamaica by the ace drum and bass duo the Barrett brothers. The device can be heard on early versions of Marley songs “Rainbow Country” and “Natural Mystic” as well as the Island Records version of “Who The Cap Fit.”
Perhaps the most memorable use of the Rhythm King was on an obscure track known as “Chim Cherie,” which Scratch never officially released but did allow a few sound systems to cut on dubplate. The riddim found its way from the Black Ark to New York City thanks to Jah Wise of Tippa Tone Hi Fi, who played some wicked “Chim Cherie” dubs in a dance that caught the ear of a young artist named Shinehead, who was born in England to Jamaican parents and raised in the Bronx. Although Scratch did not technically produce Shinehead’s classic dancehall cover of Michael Jackson’s pop smash on the African Love label, Scratch did build the riddim. And he surely would have approved Shinehead’s whistled intro of the theme from the Clint Eastwood film The Good The Bad and The Ugly.
BONUS CUT: Beastie Boys, “Dr. Lee PhD” (Dub Mix) (1988)
While Scratch’s dub collage techniques were hugely influential to the Beastie Boys’ classic sophomore album Paul’s Boutique, MCA, Ad Rock, and Mike D did not meet Scratch until 1996, when he was booked as the opening act for some tour dates in Japan. They would later connect in a New York City recording studio, where they wasted no time recording “Dr. Lee PhD,” which first appeared on their album Hello Nasty, with a tasty dub version some years later. “He had mirrors all up on him,” Mike D recalled of the session. “On his pants, on his boots, they were all drawn on and whatnot.” Since it was Halloween in New York City, Scratch’s post-Black-Ark-bonfire dress code blended right in. But Mike D remembered that there was one thing different about his outfit. “He took off his hat and it was full of lyrics.” Talk about recording off the dome.