Thankful (for the birds in hand)

Lee Scratch Perry & The Upsetters – Bird In Hand
Goldenlane Records – 0889466251245
Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, USA, 2021
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Random reggae. Last year, for some reason, a new 7" single was released collecting two songs from a 1978 Lee Perry production, Return Of The Super Ape by the Upsetters. I'm not sure who they thought would be the market for this in 2021, but it has a great cover photo of Scratch at his Black Ark studio and an excellent choice for the A side. 

If the lyrics to Bird In Hand seem hard to follow, that's probably due to it being a 44-year-old, low-fi recording of a Jamaican singer (the obscure Sam Carty, I believe, who went uncredited on both the original release and on this single) attempting to sing the Hindi lyrics to a 78-year-old Bollywood musical. Perry's house band, the Upsetters, were essentially covering Milte Hi Aankhen, a love song from the 1950 film Babul.

I wish I knew how Perry and company had encountered this soundtrack (written by the important Indian film composer, Naushad Ali), or could share the story of why they decided to cut their own take of a decades old musical number from the other side of the world. Instead, we can just enjoy the strangeness of the world, which continued through most of the Return Of The Super Ape album. While I don't find it as captivating as Bird In Hand, you definitely find that strangeness again listening to the odd, jazzy B side, Huzza A Hana. Not your exactly your standard reggae song in 1978 (...or at any other point, really).

Tracklist

A Bird In Hand
B Huzza A Hana

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Gaudi – Theremin In Hand / Therermin Memoir
Dubmission Records – DUBM008
Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, UK, 2020
info

A year earlier than the single above, the London based, Italian dub and electronic musician, Gaudi, released an album celebrating the 100th anniversary of the invention of the theremin. The record featured him playing the unusual electronic instrument over reggae productions (with the help of top tier dub producers including Mad Professor, Adrian Sherwood, Scientist, Dennis Bovell and Prince Fatty). If you aren't familiar with the theremin, you are most likely to recognize it as something used to make sound effects or add creepy ambiance to some cold war era science fiction film. Again, not exactly sure why anyone thought the universe needed a team up between some of the greatest dub reggae producers and theremin solos, but you have to appreciate the strangeness of the world. And it's also hard not to applaud Gaudi carving out a niche for himself to run with his oddball passions, an almost 40 year musical career leading to the opportunity to pretend he's some kind of retro sci-fi Augustus Pablo. Weird as hell, but kind of amazing.

He followed up the album by dropping this standalone single with two additional theremin x reggae tracks. The B side is an original written by Gaudi and bassist Colin Edwin that they described as an homage to the 60's and 70's film music of Ennio Morricone and Serge Gainsbourg. (Again, music that I never knew was waiting for a theremin or reggae-based tribute...) But the real treat is the A side, where Gaudi and co. give their take on Perry and the Upsetters' version of Bird In Hand / Milte Hi Aankhen, this time replacing Sam Carty's West Indian read of an (East) Indian melody with Gaudi's theremin-led instrumental.

Tracklist
A Theremin In Hand
B Therermin Memoir

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There you go: A one-year-old US single of a 44-year-old Jamaican recording of a 72-year-old Indian film song followed by a two-year-old UK recording of the same song played by an Italian artist on a 100-year-old electronic instrument invented by a Russian scientist (and occasional Soviet spy). You really can't make this ish up. I had a few of rough weeks recently, but it's always good for me to have these surprising reminders of just how interesting and magical the world can be despite all its broken pieces and sharp edges.

Stream/DL both records below and I hope you enjoy!

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24 bit/96kHz FLAC: https://mega.nz/folder/wGoSBZRD#fcUPlYoM82dnXAXRVGaQmw

320 kbps MP3: https://mega.nz/folder/hLo3nQjL#Z-83lxgh32e0Nb1KebQMYA