To some he is a genius, to others a madman or an eccentric. Perhaps he is all of the above, but there are few dissenters to the claim he is not only one of the greatest reggae producers of all time – he is one of the greatest record producers full stop.
The organisers of this year’s WOMAD (World Of Music And Dance) festival have managed to pull out the stops by replacing reggae legend ‘Toots’ Hibbert with another, in the form of Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry.
The veteran Grammy-winning producer/songwriter/performer will now grace the annual world music celebration at Charlton Park near Malmesbury, following the withdrawal through injury of the Toots and the Maytals front man.
Dub pioneer Perry, who produced some of The Wailers’ finest work before Bob Marley’s split from Peter Tosh and ‘Bunny’ Livingston, will appear at the four-day event from Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28.
Perry’s incomparable track record includes a string of timeless Jamaican gems cut during the genre’s purple period from the mid-Sixties to the Late-Seventies, including his own Return of the Django (as The Upsetters) and Junior Murvin’s Police and Thieves.
Perry-produced albums, such as George Faith’s To Be a Lover and his own Super Ape are today rightly held as absolute as pinnacles of the genre. Many consider The Wailers’ Perry-produced album, African Herbsman, – including original versions of Trench Town Rock, Lively up Yourself and Small Axe – as the group’s best work.
Now 77 and based in Switzerland, the enigmatic Perry continues to tour and record.
He will be accompanied at WOMAD by veteran singer Max Romeo, for whom Perry produced the classic War Ina Babylon album, containing not only the superb title track but also the ever-magnificent Chase the Devil. Romeo is also responsible for the infamous Wet Dream, a Top Ten UK hit in the Sixties and one of the first songs ever banned by the ‘decency police’ at the BBC – thus ensuring its success.
Scratch and Romeo have been touring Europe together and have manage to squeeze in the gig at WOMAD, a 30 to 40 minute drive from Swindon, after heeding the organisers’ call. Festival director Chris Smith said: “We are delighted to be able to host two of the greatest reggae legends within this already exciting and unique line-up.
“I am positive they will be a highlight of the festival and the WOMAD audience will have them on their must-see list.”
Other highlights this year include; Malian star Rokia Traoré, the world-famous Gilberto Gil, the extraordinary Mokoomba from Victoria Falls, everyone’s favourite Afrocentric hip-hoppers Arrested Development, the irrepressible ska, punk, jazz and swing duo from France, Babylon Circus, and with their very own brand of Afrobeat, Nigerian’s Seun Kuti, son of the Fela and his band Egypt 80.
