Various Artists: Lee 'Scratch' Perry & Friends - People Funny Boy The Upsetter Singles 1968 - 1969, 2CD

• 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.

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