September 23, 2022

King Scratch

Jamaican popular music has long been a producer's medium, and no Jamaican producer has ever been more prolific, confounding or just plain unique than Lee "Scratch" Perry.  Perry's oeuvre runs the gamut from unlistenable to transcendent (often from the same session), and his output was so vast that it's hard for the uninitiated to get a handle on it.
 
The folks at Trojan and Sanctuary Records have done all of us the great favor of putting together what is for the moment the definitive Lee "Scratch" Perry beginner's compilation.  Entitled King Scratch (Musical Masterpieces From The Upsetter Ark-ive), its short version includes 40 mostly essential tracks, and its long version expands to a box of 4 LPs, 4 more CDs and a 50 page book.  I'll play you a few tracks from the short version this week, and add a couple more that I assume they just weren't able to license.

Also this week (Sunday September 25, 1:00-3:00 PM on WRIR, for two weeks afterwards on the wrir.org archive player, check your local listings for airing on other radio stations, and any old time at my podcast site): Nigerian highlife's Etsako Super Star, new music from the James Brown of Ghana, Al-Qasar's Arabian fuzz, songs Bio Ritmo has covered and hot new Haitian mizik rasin by Wesli.

 
 
Artist | Country | Song | Recording | Label | Year
 
Oliver Lake | USA | Separation | Matador Of 1st & 1st | Passin' Thru | 1997
Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros | England UK | Global A Go-Go | Global A Go-Go | Hellcat | 2001
 
Alhaji Waziri Oshomah | Nigeria | Omhona-Omhona | World Spirituality Classics 3: The Muslim Highlife Of Alhaji Waziri Oshomah | Luaka Bop | 2022-1980
Osayomore Joseph & The Creative Seven | Nigeria | Africa Is My Root | Life Is War | Fontana | 1980
 
Anthony Joseph | Trinidad & Tobago-England UK | Calling England Home | The Rich Are Only Defeated When Running For Their Lives | Heavenly Sweetness | 2021
Chicago Afrobeat Project | USA | Inner City Blues Makes Ya Wanna Holler | Nyash Up! | CAbP Music | 2013
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley | Ghana | Yekor Ye A Yeaba | Yekor Ye A Yeaba - Single | Agogo | 2022
 
Hamdi Benani, Mehdi Haddab & Speed Caravan | Algeria-France | Jani Ma Jani | Nuba Nova | Buda Musique | 2021
Al-Qasar | France-USA-Morocco-Algeria-Egypt-Sudan-Yemen | Hobek Thawrat (feat Alsarah) | Who Are We? | Glitterbeat | 2022
Rachid Taha | Algeria-France | Andy Waloo | Je Suis Africain | Believe | 2019
 
Watty Burnett | Jamaica | Open The Gate | King Scratch (Musical Masterpieces From The Upsetter Ark-ive) | Trojan | 2022-1977
The Congos | Jamaica | Children Crying | Heart Of The Congos | Black Art | 1977
The Heptones | Jamaica | Sufferer's Time | King Scratch (Musical Masterpieces From The Upsetter Ark-ive) | Trojan | 2022-1976
Max Romeo | Jamaica | Fire Fe The Vatican | King Scratch (Musical Masterpieces From The Upsetter Ark-ive) | Trojan | 2022-1976
Bob Marley & The Wailers | Jamaica | Duppy Conqueror | Duppy Conqueror - Single | Upsetter | 1970
 
Wganda Kenya | Colombia | Tifit Hayed | Africa 5000 | Vampisoul | 2022-1975
Mita Y Su Monte Adentro | Peru | El Yoyo | 14 MAGníficos Bailables | Vampisoul | 2022-1968
Cortijo & His Time Machine | USA | Carnaval | Cortijo Y Su Maquina Del Tiempo | Coco | 1973
 
Wesli | Haiti-Canada | Fè Yo Wè Kongo Banda | Tradisyon | Cumbancha | 2022
Boukman Eksperyans | Haiti | Kalfou Danjere | Kalfou Danjere / Dangerous Crossroads | Mango | 1992

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