Lee "Scratch" Perry
Jamaica, 1959–2021
Jamaican producer (1936-2021), the wizard of dub. Working up from janitor at Studio One to his own Black Ark, he treated the mixing desk as an instrument - drenching tracks in echo, reverb and stray noise - and shaped early Bob Marley and the Wailers into an international force.
MusicRoots documents 2 artists who influenced Lee "Scratch" Perry and 4 artists Lee "Scratch" Perry influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.
Who influenced Lee "Scratch" Perry?
- Coxsone Dodd — Perry learned the record business inside Coxsone Dodd's operation, working up from janitor to producer at Studio One before setting out on his own.
- Prince Buster — One of the recording houses Perry worked his way up through, from janitor to producer.
Which artists did Lee "Scratch" Perry influence?
- Bob Marley — Perry produced the young Marley and reconfigured his sound - rawer, more Jamaican, built on the Upsetters' rhythm section - which is the sound that carried him to Island and the world.
- The Wailers — Perry was largely responsible for getting the Wailers to a global stage, cutting the Soul Rebels and Soul Revolution sessions that defined them.
- Martin Hannett — Hannett worked in the line of Perry's dub - the studio played as an instrument, the mix rebuilt with delay and space rather than captured live.
- The Slits — Ari Up named Perry's dub among the records she listened to, and Cut answers them — punk speed replaced by dub space.