things and time will tell.

Lee Scratch Perry & The Upsetters – Bird In Hand Goldenlane Records – 0889466251245 Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, USA, 2021 info 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 (writ...

Junior Byles – Curly Locks (Best Of Junior Byles & The Upsetters 1970 - 1976) Heartbeat Records – CD HB208 CD, Compilation, US, 1997 info One of the most wonderful people on the planet sent me a note saying she had read my last post and was "quite partial to curly locks, you know." I know it's *possible* she was referring to her hair (or mine?), but I'm choosing to believe she was moved by that last scratched up record I had shared . So, instead of what I was planning and inspired by my aunt (as always!), the Lee Perry tribute continues with more Junior Byles... this time with good sound, like I promised. ________________________________________________ Curly Locks: Best of Junior Byles & the Upsetters 1970-1976  misses a few crucial cuts, but pretty much does what it says on the cover. This CD gives a real sense of the magic created during those years when Byles worked with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. A revived Doctor Bird record label  recently ...

 Junior Byles – Beat Down Babylon Orchid – ORC 712 Vinyl, 7", Reissue, UK, (Late 1990s/early 2000s?) Original release: JA, 1971 info Lee "Scratch" Perry produced records for so many of the best reggae singers and harmony groups of the 1960s and '70s. For a lot of them, those recordings included their greatest, most creative and memorable music. Junior Byles is one of my favorite singers from that orbit, someone whose records I find myself regularly going back to. Byles was not very prolific during his too short career, especially by Jamaican music standards. The former member of the Versatiles was a particularly strong songwriter and his small discography contains more than his share of classics, songs that still get played, covered and versioned. Beat Down Babylon was Junior Byles' 1971 hit produced by Perry at Dynamic Studios. Recorded in the years before the Black Ark, it's still a great example of Perry helping to break new ground. The song, an anthem fo...

The Upsetter Revue / King Scratch – Play On Mr Music / Dread Lion Label: Rock A Shacka – DBUP 001 Vinyl, 10", 45 RPM, EP, Japan, Feb 2014 info The Upsetter, Lee "Scratch" Perry, died on August 29th. The man was a giant in the history of Jamaican music, but should also be seen as one of the originators that opened the door to most modern music. A handful of Jamaican producers and engineers developed ideas and techniques that realized the potential for the producer and recording studio to become the artist and instrument. They took the Jamaican "version," reusing a musical backing track, and pushed their experiments in dub until they had invented the remix. It's hard to imagine the path to hip hop, dance music, electronica and more without their contributions. This relatively recent release of much older Lee Perry recordings is one of a handful of Scratch related odds and ends I was feeling inspired to listen to, record and share. Like Scratch's previous ...

Junior Murvin ‎– Police And Thieves Island Records ‎– 12WIP 6539 Vinyl, 12", 45 RPM, Single, UK, 1980 info Junior Murvin's Police And Thieves has to be one of the most memorable pieces of reggae songwriting ever. Urgent lyrics delivered with the gentleness of Murvin's unmistakable Curtis-Mayfield-in-JA falsetto and the production magic worked up by Lee Perry on the Upsetters' backing track combine to make something special. It's one of the reggae songs that everyone would know if there was any justice in this world. Of course, the lack of justice in this world inspired the lyrics when Junior Murvin and Scratch wrote this in 1976, then quickly recorded the single at Perry's Black Ark studio. The lyrics tell of gang violence and even worse police brutality. The words were clearly spilling out of the Kingston headlines of the day, but they've also tragically proven timeless. New versions of this still get cut every few years, easily translating to different c...