• First extensive anthology of Lee Perry’s early productions.
• Includes numerous Jamaican hits.
• Features some of the most influential Jamaican recordings of the late 60s.
Today, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry is widely acknowledged by both fans and experts alike as being one of the finest talents to emerge during the golden age of Jamaican music. But his climb to the top of the musical ladder was neither easy nor swift: after working as a jack-of-all- trades for Studio One boss Clement ‘Coxson’ Dodd, he made his mark as a recording artist and arranger in the mid-60s before overseeing recording sessions for a number of up-and- coming record label owners. Finally, in mid-1968, he finally possessed the necessary funds and expertise to join their ranks and become a fully independent producer.
Perry’s innovative approach and understanding of local music trends swiftly brought him national success with a number of popular singles issued on Upset, the label he co-owned with his friends and fellow musical creatives, Lynford Anderson and Barrington Lambert. Within months, he had become a fully independent operator, releasing further best-selling 45s on his Upsetter label, with the popularity of the discs attracting the attention of London-based Trojan Records, which created a British version of his imprint early 1969.
Throughout this time, Perry’s output particularly found favour among Britain’s skinhead music fans, and that autumn their buying power proved instrumental in propelling his production of Val Bennett & The Upsetters’ irresistible dancefloor-filler ‘Return Of Django’ into the upper echelons of the UK pop charts. Its success not only exposed Perry’s music to a global audience but also provided the income to enable him to continue his experimentation with sound that in time would culminate some of the most compelling records ever to see issue.
This collection, which brings together the recordings that launched Perry’s career as an independent record producer, features a fascinating mixture of styles, ranging from the soulful rhythms of rock steady to the dynamic sounds of boss reggae, with the resulting mix not only providing a compelling listening experience, but also a fascinating insight into the early musical development of one of Jamaican music’s most influential, innovative and successful music makers.
TRACK LISTING
DISC ONE
1 Non Such (Busted Me Bet) - The Mellotones
2 Stranger On The Shore - Val Bennett
3 Evol Yenoh - Burt Walters
4 Honey Love - Burt Walters
5 People Funny Boy - Lee Perry
5 Blowing In The Wind - Burt Walters
6 Uncle Charley - The Mellotones
7 Not Taking Any Sentence - Danny & Lee
8 Farmer's In The Den - The Bleechers
10 What A Botheration - The Mellotones
11 Tighten Up - The Inspirations
12 A Place In The Sun - David Isaacs
13 Handy Cap - The Upsetters
14 Uncle Desmond - The Mellotones
15 Mad House - Lee Perry
16 Keep Your Mouth Shut – Danny & Lee
17 Prison Sentence - The Upsetters
18 Stand By Me - The Inspirations
19 Return Of Django - The Upsetters
20 Mini Dress - The Righteous Flames
21 Good Father - David Isaacs
22 I'll Be Waiting - The Inspirations
23 What a Situation - Slim Smith
24 What a Botheration - Lee Perry
25 Eight For Eight - The Upsetters
26 Django aka Bronco - Lord Comic and The Upsetters
27 What A Botheration (alt. take) - The Mellotones
DISC TWO
1 You Crummy - Lee Perry
2 Dollar In The Teeth - The Upsetters
3 Baby Baby - Val Bennett
4 You Know What I Mean - The Inspirations
5 Beware of the Pepper - Denzil Laing
6 Barbara - Val Bennett
7 People Funny Fi True - Lee Perry
8 Ten To Twelve - The Upsetters
9 How Can I Forget - Busty Brown
10 Dry Up Your Tears - The Mellotones
11 Oh Lord - The West Indians
12 Come Into My Parlour - The Bleechers
13 What A Price - Busty Brown
14 No Bread & Butter - Milton Henry
15 Everything For Your Fun - The Bleechers
16 I’ve Got Memories - David Isaacs
17 I’m Leaving - David Isaacs
18 I Wear My Slanders - The Gaylads
19 Who To Tell - Bruce Bennett
20 Check Him Out - The Bleechers
21 Pound Get A Blow - The Soul Twins
22 The Same Thing - The Gaylads
23 A Testimony - The Upsetter Pilgrims
24 The Same Thing You Gave To Daddy - Nora Dean
25 The Vampire - The Upsetters
26 You Know What I Mean (alt. take) - The Inspirations
27 Dollar In The Teeth (alt. take) - The Upsetters
