Grammy winning reggae legend Lee Scratch Perry on his L.A. gig, Keith Richards and more

 The Upsetter (Drew Goren)

HERE I COME TO DUB THE NATION :                      THE UPSETTER IN THE U.S.

INTERVIEW BY PHYLLIS POLLACK

This is part one of a two part interview.

Grammy winning reggae icon Lee "Scratch" Perry, the legendary mastermind behind reggae music and dub, will be performing in Los Angeles on August 25 at the Key Club.

In addition to his seminal work in reggae, blessing the world by creating a new musical genre, Perry is also directly responsible for scratching vinyl. His brilliant studio production is heard on some of the most historic reggae albums recorded. His innovative studio work changed the face of music, as Perry became a major influence, not only to the reggae artists he produced, who have included the likes of Bob Marley and The Wailers, Max Romeo and Junior Murvin, but Perry also cast his spell on countless other artists that have included rockers like The Clash, with whom he worked on "Complete Control."  His immeasurable influence is also the direct flashpoint for DJs who scratch on their turntables, one of the elements of hiphop. Perry, whose prolific volumes of work began to amass during the Fifties, received the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album for his album Jamaican E.T, and his Repentance album was nominated for that title earlier this year.  As if his already immeasurable contributions to the world of music are not enough, and despite the countless tracks he has recorded, Perry continues to record and perform, and his voluminous work continues to expand.

In this interview, Perry responds to questions much in the same way in which he expresses himself on his albums. Spiritual, profound, witty, wry, direct, honest and deep. 

You have always been an original, an originator on the creative side both musically and lyrically in a myriad of ways.  You speak your mind politically on your albums, and you encouraged other artists like Bob Marley to do the same. Was there a record that changed your life, one where you said, "This it it. This is where I'm going to go, this is my mission, and this is why God has me here on this planet?"

The first record that I did was like saying something about people who have to faith, and it manifest like people funny. "People Funny" ("People Funny Boy") was my fate. When I was with Cox (Clement Coxone Dodd), and we were together, and then after a time, things wasn't so lovely, so I break away, and would go "People funny," because I think that people really funny. "People Funny Boy." So that was one. Another one was "Curley Locks." I did not have (dread) locks or anything like that. But I like to partake of other things that other people partake, but I look like something different. And I didn't like locks, I didn't grow them, even now I don't grow locks. I wanted to do something different, something original. Those are the two tracks that mean a lot to me, "People Funny" and "Curley Locks." They really changed my life.

Did you realize it at the time, or was it something that hit you later?

Yeah. It changed me from taking me out of the struggle with other people, and put me on the map, out to the people, and the rock for me to stand and support myself, and I don't have to depend on Coxone and Joe (Gibbs) any more. And when I put up my first studio, Black Ark Studio, we tried everything, and nothing didn't make a hit  until the track "Curley Locks." Then "Curley Locks" make a hit, and then everybody were looking  at my side of the fence. My music had a different sound. I know it sound like something coming from spirits. And those two songs make a big change in my life, so that's it.

Since the '70's, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards certainly expanded the awareness of reggae and dub that was coming out of Jamaica, more so than any other rock and roll artist, because of his passion for it, and it created this sort of osmosis. You pay tribute to Keith in "Where There's A Will There's A Way." You also refer to your own power in the song. You are the one who can redeem yourself, and it is you who controls your own fate.  In your music, you have consistently expressed your views on spirituality, and that you should never passively resign yourself to fate, nor to anything else out there.

In my mind, my program, once there's a will, there's a way, never give up. Because if you give up your will, there won't be any will, and there won't be any way. So I am always willing that there has got to be a way, and I learned to know to have my will, and I have my will not to give up, and I have my will and faith together there must be a way. That's my belief.

Is there anything you want to say about working with Keith, as far as the two tracks "Heavy  Voodoo" and "Where There's A Will There's A Way?"

Working with Keith is a pleasure, and also a blessing. Keith is a pleasure and a blessing. Keith is a very clean person. He will do anything he can to boost up your spirits, and he still has his soul together. And he played on this record, he didn't charge me anything, like he did it as a gift of his self, and you can see that he is a real, honest, clean gentleman. He didn't charge a cent playing on those records on that album, on that CD. When he did it, he said, "It is my gift to you." He is the first man shall ever do that to me, so I think of Keith Richards as one of the greatest men ever on the planet earth. He's not running down money. He is pure love. And I am wishing him the best, and I am wishing him the best of health, and I'm wishing him a part in Zion in "Where There's A Will I Am The way." I would like to make a special will for Mr. Richards.

Do you think you will ever perform live together?

While there’s a will there’s a way. Anything is possible (laughs). Only hope that Mick Jagger don’t feel any way funny about it (laughs). I’m hoping end up come that Mick Jagger don’t feel any way funny about it (laughs). He’ll be a part of it, and know this is the will, and then we will have to provide and prepare to do the will of God and work together.

What can people expect for the upcoming gig in Los Angeles at the Key Club?

It will be wonderful. The people who come out to see me, they comes out with love, happiness, welcome, like they expect something to leading to the light, like they expect to be blessed by God in same way they come to church (laughs). But they do. They do. Yes.

Do you have a stockpile of unreleased recordings of your music? The amount of your work has been prolific. How much do you have stashed in the vaults?

Oh. Uncounted amount. I have lots holding.

Right now, the economy in The States, as you know, is really bad. These are tough times for a lot of people in America. It has long been your intent that listening to the vibrations in your music, and hearing the spirituality and hope expressed in it is uplifting. You will also be playing in New Orleans soon, and you are aware of what people have been through there. To many people, your music is like a church or a temple.

That is my part of my job. I am glad. I love it. You are really educated in what I can get out . Exactly like that. You are really on the right line, exactly what it is. You understand, because you understand if you have King David at your right hand. He tells you The King, Holy Ghost is coming (laughs), and the Holy Ghost is coming in full force. Right? The Holy Ghost is the music.

What do you see has changed in the people in America since Obama has won the election? Do you notice anything different?

The people are more confident. They are looking for something to believe in, and the people of America are not really believe in the war, but they were kind of pushed into the war. And since Obama in there, people more confident as a country that they are free from war, and they have that feeling that they want to be free from war a long time, so they have that trust in Mr. Obama will try to make peace instead of making war. People want peace, people don’t want to have war. And they believe that he can help them, and lead them to live a more peaceful life. Let’s work on this will, because I think it can work the way it is supposed to work.

You recently performed with Doublestadart gig in New Jersey. It was kind of a surprise gig of sorts. You performed “Equal Rights And Justice“ with Ari (Arianna Forster) from The Slits.

Right. To make peace, love, unity and harmony at this time, for a change, people looking for something black, beyond a white rule of the people of these countries have. I am not disputing to you essentially about black people or white people. But white people love black people so much that when they see black people and white people on stage together, they go crazy. So I think it’s the same type of love they have the black President. They did want that, too.

You come up with some extremely clever lyrics. You also have a great sense of humor. Where do does it come from?

The Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost is the music. And I make myself a temple that accepts the Holy Spirit. So I am a servant of the Holy Spirit. So when I speak in it, it tell me what to tell to the people who believe in the Holy Spirit. So I just put business away, and was doing free, until people started taking advantage of me. Because I saw that they were using me, because I am not a business man, I was not making any money, but people can make business through me. Yes, I can do business. I will do God’s business, and have someone smart enough that make some money, themselves, like Bob Marley and Chris Blackwell (laughs). You understand? So you know the feeling. So people come, and they and scream, then they see God come, giving thanks to God and go home extremely happy. They have seen the light, and it’s wonderful, very great.

Do you think you are misundersood, anything about you that they don’t have quite right, especially after you burned down The Black Ark Studios?

They do, but it doesn’t bother me. Some people are very different. People think, "He is not normal." The job I be taking is not a common person job. We don’t care what people say or what people think. But there are people who are enlightened by what I do. So I am happy about the people who understand I am doing. If there is too much corruption in the place where you do things, you have to burn it, or you have to flood it. Either by water or by fire. So people wonder, how do you have the best studio in the world and burn it down. Look how much I believe in God that I sacrifice it.

Great things arise from the ash.

I have my faith. I believe in Haile Selassie one hundred percent.

What is your next project? What are you working on?

My next songs is all about the creation itself, and the changing that we have to make. Like first, we have to repent, and find our original self, channel original form, find whoever created us, and why we are struggling, and why we done something wrong that we are now on the wrong track that we are suffering, because what have been created should take care of each of us. Yet we don’t do this. Once, we have to the will, then we have to find the way to the future, and leave trials and tribulations and problems and bad luck and destruction behind, and finally, we see what we have to do. Life requires transfiguration, spiritual transfiguration, body transfiguration, mind transfiguration, and also transfiguration from where we are suffering, into a new paradise, looking for a new paradise (laughs). I am making a film about it, paradise. We can get to paradise. It is my will that we get to paradise, and I have to find the paradise. And if there is no paradise, I am going to create it myself out of my will. I am making a movie about it. I think it will be out next year.

What is the name of the film you are working on?

Vision of Paradise.

How will it be released? Who will be distributing it?

I want him to tell you.

(At this point, Perry asks me to confirm it with Voltker Schaner, who is present. Schaner says, “We want to release it on cinema and DVD, and television also. Yes , I am a film producer, and we will come together on this vision." Perry then continues speaking.)

Yes, the name is Vision Of Paradise.

Your film is going to be a documentary talking about your life and work? Hopefully, it will feature a lot of your music.

Yeah, yeah. And that’s the nature of it, interviews and things like that, explaining my view to the people and everything like that, and sharing my blessing. “People Funny”’ and “Curley Locks.” People of the world know the people who are funny won’t be in the new vision of paradise. The people who are funny will be left out of the vision of paradise (laughs), and the people who don’t respect themselves, and don’t love them color also will be left out of the vision of paradise (laughs). You have to love what God give you, the gift of God is eternal life. So what God give us is good luck, and eternal life. And what God did not give us, the result of that is death. What he, God blesses us with, and that what we won’t take it unto ourselves is death.

There are a wealth of musical innovations that you have contributed to the this world, along with and your volumes of work. What do you consider to be your most important accomplishment?

I picture myself as somebody who want to be an honest human being, I believe in human beings honestly. Life would be boring without them. I believe human beings have to be here to do the work that the angel request. The angel have to go into the body of the human to perform what needs to be performed. Right? And to set it clear, for my original self, I am a fish. And to come to come to this planet to do the job that I have done, I have to take on the form of a human being. My original born being an angel fish. All right? (Laughs.) And I believe in my black king one hundred percent. I believe in King Selassie I one hundred percent. And I even look at his Imperial Majesty Selassie I, one hundred percent. That means even before I was a human being, I was a being of His Majesty, Emperor Haele Selassie I. I believe in him a hundred percent.

Part 2 of this interview is here.