Lee “Scratch” Perry, OD (born Rainford Hugh Perry on 20 March 1936 and died 29 August 2021), was a Jamaican singer and record producer. He is known for his innovative production techniques and style. Perry was an innovator in 1970s dub music development. He used remixing and other studio effects to create new vocal or instrumental versions of reggae songs. Perry produced and worked with a variety of artists including Bob Marley and The Wailers, Junior Murvin and The Congos, Max Romeo and Adrian Sherwood, Beastie Boys and Ari Up, The Clash and The Orb. Rainford Hugh Perry, third child of Henry Perry and Ina Davis, was born in Kendal in Jamaica on 20 March 1936. His mother was a strong African tradition heirloom from her Yoruba heritage that she passed to her son. Both his parents were laborers. However, his father became a professional dancer. Lee moved to Hanover at the age of 15 to avoid working and instead preferred to play dominoes, live his way and follow his dreams. He ended up in Clarendon, where he became involved with the music and dance scene. After experiencing a mysterious connection with stones, Lee moved to Kingston. These words sent me to Kingston. Kingston is King’s Stone. The Son of the King… Negril sent me to King Stone for graduation. Studio One, where he was apprenticed. Perry began his musical career in the 1950s as a record salesman for Clement Coxsone Dodd’s sound system. He found himself in a variety important roles at Dodd’s Studio One hit factory. Dodd recorded nearly thirty songs during his turbulent relationship. He left the studio to pursue other musical opportunities after a series of disagreements with Dodd. He found a new home at Joe Gibbs’s Amalgamated Records. Perry’s recording career continued with Gibbs but financial difficulties caused conflict again. Perry left Gibbs’ company and started his own label, Upsetter Records in 1968. His first single, “People Funny Boy”, was a slur directed at Gibbs. It sold well with over 60,000 copies in Jamaica. It’s notable for its use of a sample (a baby crying) and a fast, chugging beat which would soon be known as “reggae”. Sir Coxsone was also targeted by his 1967 single, “Run for Cover”, which he released as Lee “King”. He worked from 1968 to 1972 with his studio band, the Upsetters. Perry recorded many recordings during the 1970s on various record labels he owned. Many of his songs were very popular in Jamaica and the United Kingdom. Perry’s innovative production methods and eccentric personality soon made him a household name. Perry released “Mr. Brown”, a Wailers song, in 1970. It featured Perry’s unusual use of studio effects as well as an eerie opening. This was a testament to his unique production approach. Perry constructed the Black Ark studio in his backyard to be more in control of his productions. He continued producing notable musicians like Bob Marley and his Wailers, Junior Byles and Junior Murvin, as well as the Heptones and the Congos. Perry also founded the Black Art label where many of his productions were released. Perry was able produce more music with his own studio, which allowed him to work as long as he wanted. Practically all Perry’s recordings in The Black Ark were made with basic recording equipment. Perry created a unique sound through his sonic sleight of hand. Paul Douglas says that scratch had a unique sound, and everyone was fascinated by it. His way of putting together things was unique and influenced many people. Eric Gale and I went to the Black Ark for Negril. I can recall Val Douglas and myself laying tracks there. Eric Gale overdubbed some stuff, but I don’t really remember what happened to that album. Perry was a long-standing mixer, producing many songs and albums that are a highlight in reggae music history. In 1978, stress and unwelcome outside influences started to take their toll on Perry and the Black Ark. Both fell into disrepair quickly. The studio was eventually destroyed. Perry insists that he set fire to the Black Ark in a fit rage. Perry spent the 1980s in England and the United States performing live and recording erratic music with various collaborators after the Black Ark was destroyed. Perry’s career changed in 1984 after he met Mark Downie (Marcus Upbeat), with whom he collaborated on the 1986 album Battle of Armagideon. Perry’s career started to recover after he worked with British producers Adrian Sherwood (better known as Mad Professor) in the late 1980s. Perry said that he quit smoking and alcohol to have a later revival of his creative spirit. Perry used to produce in a chaotic and ritualistic way. He said that he would blow smoke into the microphone in order for the marijuana to get into the song. Perry stated that he wanted to know if it was the smoke or Lee Perry who made the music. It was me, and I don’t need smoke. Perry became a global star in 1998 when he sang the song “Dr. Lee PhD”, which is from the Beastie Boys album Hello Nasty. Perry was awarded the Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2003 with Jamaican E.T. Rolling Stone placed Perry at number 100 on its list of 100 greatest artists of all time in 2004. He teamed up to perform under the name Lee Perry u0026 the White Belly Rats with a group from Switzerland. In 2006 and 2007, he toured the United States using Dub Is a Weapon, a New York City-based backing band. Andrew W.K. met him after meeting him. Perry met Andrew W.K. at SXSW 2006 and invited him to produce his album Repentance. Narnack Records released the album on August 19, 2008, with several guest artists, including Ari Up, Don Fleming and Brian Chippendale as drummers, Josh Werner, producer, and Moby. Perry’s 2007 song “Enter the Dragon”, was featured on the Panda Bear track “Carrots” of Animal Collective. Animal Collective also selected Perry to perform at All Tomorrow’s Parties in 2011, which was curated by the band in May 2011. He recorded Rise Again that year with Bill Laswell, bassist and producer. The album featured contributions by Bernie Worrell, Sly Dunbar and Tunde Adebimpe. It was also released on Laswell’s M.O.D. Technologies label. Perry and Adrian Sherwood reunited in 2008 on The Mighty Upsetter. Perry recorded three albums between 2007 and 2010 with Steve Marshall, a British producer who he met at Pyramid Arts Development Hackney. These albums featured performances from Keith Richards, George Clinton and others. End of an American Dream (2008), and Revelation (2010) were nominated for Grammys in the Best Reggae Album category. Perry worked with Dubblestandart in 2009 on the Return from Planet Dub double-album. He revisited some of his material from 1970s and 1980s as well as collaborated on new material with Dubblestandart. Perry’s 2008 debut foray into dubstep was on 12″ vinyl. It was a collaboration with Dubblestandart, New York City’s Subatomic Sound System, and called “Iron Devil”. The record was followed up by several other reggae-oriented dubstep collaborations on digital and vinyl with Dubblestandart, Subatomic Sound System, and first Blackboard Jungle volumes 1, 2 and 3 (2009). These volumes featured Jahdan Blakkamoore as dancehall singer, and then Chrome Optimism (2010) which featured American filmmaker David Lynch. In 2010, Perry and Ari Up from the Slits collaborated to release a Subatomic Sound System 7″ limited edition called “Hello, Hell Is Very Low”, which would be Ari Up’s final recording and her last release in her life. Perry held his first solo exhibition of art in Los Angeles at Dem Passwords gallery. The show, called “Secret Education”, featured works of paper, canvas and a video installation. Benicio de Toro narrates Perry’s documentary, The Upsetter. It was released in cinemas worldwide in 2011. American film producers Adam Bhala Lough and Ethan Higbee directed the film. It opened in Los Angeles in March 2011. The film continued to screen internationally into 2012, with the DVD and iTunes following shortly thereafter. Perry and the Orb teamed up to create The Orbserver at the Star House in 2012. The Orbserver was recorded in Berlin over several months. The album received critical acclaim and featured “Golden Clouds”, a single that was named after the historical property near Perry’s Jamaican hometown. Volker Schaner filmed the recording sessions as part of Lee Scratch Perry’s Vision of Paradise. In August 2012 it was announced Perry would be receiving Jamaica’s sixth highest honour, The Order of Distinction Commander class. Perry was a performer at the 2013 Dub Champions Festival in Vienna. The performance was a sell-out. Perry was accompanied by Dubblestandart, with Adrian Sherwood mixing the dub mix. Perry performed with Subatomic Sound System at the first two Dub Champions Festivals, in New York City, in 2011 and 2012. Perry performed at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2013, Indio, California. Perry is the DJ at the dub-and-reggae radio station “The Blue Ark”, in Grand Theft Auto V. The station features a variety of Perry and the Upsetters’ dubs, including “Disco Devil”, and “Grumblin’ Dub”. The Institute of Jamaica announced in October 2013 that Perry would be receiving a Gold Musgrave Medal. Perry recorded an album in London with Daniel Boyle, which was released May 2014 under the name Lee “Scratch” Perry – Back on Controls. Later that year, the album was nominated for a Grammy. Perry remixed “Thor’s Stone”, a song by Forest Swords, in November 2013. After premiering at London’s East End Film Festival, Lee Scratch Perry’s Vision of Paradise received a worldwide release. After Volker Schaner, director of the Upsetters spent over 15 years filming Perry’s secret laboratory in Switzerland, the film offers a glimpse into Perry’s spiritual world. Filmed in Switzerland, London, Jamaica, London and Berlin, the film also features scenes from Aksum, Lalibela and Ethiopia to give background information. Schaner has collected more than 100 hours of footage over the years. The two still work together and plan to release a sequel. Perry and Pura Vida, a Belgia-based band, collaborated in 2015 to release The Super Ape Strikes again. The mix was done at The Last Ark Studio, Belgium, using both vintage gear and modern recording techniques. Perry and Subatomic Sound System began a 40th anniversary tour in September 2015 to celebrate Perry’s 1976 album Super Ape. It began at Dub Champions Festival. The tour continued for two years, with more than 50 dates across North America and a few select dates in Europe. On the 2015 and 2016 tours, nearly every show sold out. The Super Ape returns to conquer album was released in September 2017. It debuted at number 2 on iTunes US reggae charts behind Bob Marley’s remastered Legend album and at number 3 on Billboard reggae charts. Larry McDonald was a part of the band as well as the recording album. Emch of Subatomic Sound System organized a Kickstarter campaign in 2015 to raise funds for a custom 15-foot tall gorilla. It was similar to the one featured on the album cover. The Kickstarter campaign met its goal, and the gorilla was on stage during the 2015 and 2016 tours. Perry and Subatomic Sound System began a 45th anniversary tour in October 2018 to celebrate the 1973 album Blackboard Jungle Dub. Perry produced it. The tour started in North America. Tour posters include the tag line “World’s 1st Dub Album, Live for the First Time”. Rolling Stone published a preview for the tour. 2019 saw the release of The Revelation of Lee “Scratch”, a documentary about Perry’s 2010 album Revelation. It was directed by Steve Marshall at State of Emergency. This film shows Perry working in his Swiss studio at home and includes an intimate interview. [citation needed] Mr. Green, hip-hop producer, announced in April 2019 that he would release a record using Perry’s audio stems. Perry announced in July 2019 that the record would be called Super Ape vs. Lu – Open Door. It will be released by Tuff Kong Records on August 19. It combines more than 20 genres of music, and it was highly acclaimed. Hypebeast called it Perry’s “best work in years” while stating that it “pushes the boundaries of different genres. It reached the Top 10 on iTunes’ reggae charts, and the Top 100 on billboard reggae lists. Perry lived in Switzerland with Mireille, his wife and their two children. Perry had four more children, Omar Perry (Marsha Perry), Omar Perry and Cleopatra Perry (Marsha Perry). They lived in different parts of the globe. [citation needed] His new studio in Switzerland, “Secret Laboratory”, was also damaged by a fire which also destroyed his stage costumes. Perry, 85, died at the Noel Holmes hospital, Lucea, Jamaica on 29 August 2021 from an unknown illness.
