Sunday, November 19, 2006

Yes me friend, me friend, them set me free again

I have reached the part of "People Funny Boy," the Lee "Scratch" Perry biography by David Katz, in which Perry has combined with Bob Marley & The Wailers to create a true masterpiece of reggae: "Duppy Conqueror."
Marley had been living in Delaware with his mum, had received military service registration papers, decided he didn't really want to fight the Vietnam War and returned to Jamaica.
Perry has been concentrating on instrumentals -- the sonic experiments he became famous for -- and wasn't looking to collaborate with any singers. Until he crossed paths with Marley.
Perry convinced Marley to voice the songs in a new "revolutionary soul," with "Sun is Shining" being the first result of the approach.
Here is the soulful Marley who would conquer world music, backed by spooky organ and other weird-sounding hallmarks of Scratch.
They followed with "Duppy Conqueror," a song that bounces along and might prove to be the highlight of the careers of both Scratch and the Tuff Gong.
I think I hear a cooing pigeon at one point -- about 1:35 into the song -- and I wouldn't be surprised if sound-effects wizard Scratch didn't add it just for fun.

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