Fisherman
August 29, 2021 11:07 AM Subscribe
Lee 'Scratch' Perry, pioneering reggae producer, has died at age 85. In addition to being one of the people who invented dub reggae, he's also known for his interesting interviews (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021), his epic discography, and the Black Ark Studio.
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posted by misteraitch at 11:11 AM on August 29, 2021
posted by misteraitch at 11:11 AM on August 29, 2021
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posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:14 AM on August 29, 2021
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:14 AM on August 29, 2021
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posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:15 AM on August 29, 2021
posted by DirtyOldTown at 11:15 AM on August 29, 2021
NOOOOOOOOOO. :(
posted by loquacious at 11:16 AM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by loquacious at 11:16 AM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
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posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 11:17 AM on August 29, 2021
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 11:17 AM on August 29, 2021
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posted by snuffleupagus at 11:25 AM on August 29, 2021
posted by snuffleupagus at 11:25 AM on August 29, 2021
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I feel I've lost an old weird friend, a fellow music and science lover
posted by philip-random at 11:38 AM on August 29, 2021 [5 favorites]
I feel I've lost an old weird friend, a fellow music and science lover
posted by philip-random at 11:38 AM on August 29, 2021 [5 favorites]
Thank you for this post.
For a long time now I've contemplated making a metafilter post about him but there's just too much to fit in. Inventing dub (with King Tubby) and through that directly influencing all modern music after it. Besides that producing some of the most stunning tunes ever made on this planet.
What a legacy. RIP
posted by Kosmob0t at 11:40 AM on August 29, 2021 [8 favorites]
For a long time now I've contemplated making a metafilter post about him but there's just too much to fit in. Inventing dub (with King Tubby) and through that directly influencing all modern music after it. Besides that producing some of the most stunning tunes ever made on this planet.
What a legacy. RIP
posted by Kosmob0t at 11:40 AM on August 29, 2021 [8 favorites]
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posted by May Kasahara at 11:57 AM on August 29, 2021
posted by May Kasahara at 11:57 AM on August 29, 2021
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posted by HandfulOfDust at 11:59 AM on August 29, 2021
posted by HandfulOfDust at 11:59 AM on August 29, 2021
I don't have a big enough dot for this. Instead I have one of my wild stories to share.
This guy was so influential on the music and sound system culture that I love and deeply influenced how modern electronic dance music was done both in the studio, on the sound systems and on the dance floor and the philosophy of the science of the vibe and how we did things. He wasn't the only influence, but he was a big one.
He definitely influenced modern ambient-dub-house artists like The Orb and the whole idea of dub techno.
Some time before I actually lived in Seattle I was visiting some friends there specifically to go to a Lee "Scratch" Perry show at the infamous Neumo's on Capitol Hill. This would have been maybe 2006 or 2007 or so.
It was really my first time going to any venue or bar in Washington state and I had no idea that they were really strict about ID checks because Washington State's Liquor Control Board sucks and hates fun. I didn't have valid ID then because I generally suck at being an adult.
So, I wasn't allowed to go in to Neumo's to see the show. We managed to sell off my ticket very quickly, and I accepted my reality and told my friends I could just hang out outside and manage myself just fine.
However if you know Neumo's you'll know they have a couple of side doors that are often left open when it's a packed and hot show, and they also used to pull back the curtains on the glass walls and windows that are there on the outside. I knew I was going to be able to see and hear what was going on inside even if I had to stand on the sidewalk for the whole time.
I also realized the show was going to be ridiculously packed, hot and loud inside so the introvert in me was fine with all of this.
So i walked the neighborhood and bought a nice coffee from Caffe Vita and enjoyed that. Then I went to the gas station down the road and bought some walking around beers and poured them into my water canteen and enjoyed a few of those while standing outside and digging the show. It was going off and there was a whole scene and party situation happening outside, what with all of the weed smoking and people trying to cool off outside of Neumo's.
So I'm getting my vibe going on outside and smoking with people and hanging out and it's good. I'm definitely not bored. I can hear the music just fine. Things are mellow and I'm having fun.
Then the band takes a break and disappears for a while and people come pouring out for smoke breaks and the sidewalk is suddenly more crowded. I'm leaning against a bike rack or something next to a big trailer and some of the vehicles in the parking that's reserved for touring acts at Neumo's and the whole block reeks of people smoking cannabis.
And then in this shoulder to shoulder throng of people, someone gently bumps my elbow and shoulder to get my attention and they say "Hey, hey man, you want a hit of this?" and I look down and someone is trying to hand me an absolutely enormous cone of a joint, and I look up and it's Lee motherfuckin' Scratch Perry grinning at me under a huge pile of funky rainbow dreads and asking me if I want to help him smoke this giant joint.
I remember my response crystal clear because it's one of the few times in my life I was that excited by meeting someone relatively famous and I blurt out in total gushing fan mode "OH HELL YES I WANT TO SMOKE WITH LEE SCRATCH PERRY" and so I did. I still remember how Lee and the band cracked up about how enthusiastic I was to be included in their circle and session.
And so we chatted for a moment because apparently they somehow noticed I wasn't inside and was outside peeking in through the door and windows for most of the first set of the show looking like I wanted to go in. Like, they actually noticed that and thought about some complete stranger - especially a very white and nerdy weirdo like me - which says so much about them as musicians, artists and people that they would even ask about why I wasn't in there with everyone else.
Someone in the band even offered to try to get me inside and give me a free ticket and I had to explain that I had a ticket but I didn't have valid ID and that I didn't want to break the rules, and further I was already having a fine time. I remember the nods and murmurs like "Yeah, that's some dumb bullshit but good on you for looking out for us and taking it easy." and getting props and respect for that. I remember cracking a joke that the beer was cheaper out here anyway.
Later my friends found me outside and they were full of concern that I wasn't having a good time and missing out on the show, but I corrected them that I might be having an even better time outside where it wasn't so crowded and hot and oh by the way I just smoked a fat joint with Lee and the band so I think I'm totally ok with how my night was going. Trust me, I'm solid and doing fine.
Mr. Perry? If you're out there, please rest assured that the almighty dub is going to keep on pulsing along. You helped change the world of music. We were listening. We heard you. We felt your love. It will go on. It's stronger than it's ever been and isn't going to go away.
PS: And if you run into my dad out there in the cosmos he'd probably love to smoke a fatty with you and jam. He was a pretty good rhythm guitar player who knew his way around some ska and skiffle.
posted by loquacious at 12:05 PM on August 29, 2021 [70 favorites]
This guy was so influential on the music and sound system culture that I love and deeply influenced how modern electronic dance music was done both in the studio, on the sound systems and on the dance floor and the philosophy of the science of the vibe and how we did things. He wasn't the only influence, but he was a big one.
He definitely influenced modern ambient-dub-house artists like The Orb and the whole idea of dub techno.
Some time before I actually lived in Seattle I was visiting some friends there specifically to go to a Lee "Scratch" Perry show at the infamous Neumo's on Capitol Hill. This would have been maybe 2006 or 2007 or so.
It was really my first time going to any venue or bar in Washington state and I had no idea that they were really strict about ID checks because Washington State's Liquor Control Board sucks and hates fun. I didn't have valid ID then because I generally suck at being an adult.
So, I wasn't allowed to go in to Neumo's to see the show. We managed to sell off my ticket very quickly, and I accepted my reality and told my friends I could just hang out outside and manage myself just fine.
However if you know Neumo's you'll know they have a couple of side doors that are often left open when it's a packed and hot show, and they also used to pull back the curtains on the glass walls and windows that are there on the outside. I knew I was going to be able to see and hear what was going on inside even if I had to stand on the sidewalk for the whole time.
I also realized the show was going to be ridiculously packed, hot and loud inside so the introvert in me was fine with all of this.
So i walked the neighborhood and bought a nice coffee from Caffe Vita and enjoyed that. Then I went to the gas station down the road and bought some walking around beers and poured them into my water canteen and enjoyed a few of those while standing outside and digging the show. It was going off and there was a whole scene and party situation happening outside, what with all of the weed smoking and people trying to cool off outside of Neumo's.
So I'm getting my vibe going on outside and smoking with people and hanging out and it's good. I'm definitely not bored. I can hear the music just fine. Things are mellow and I'm having fun.
Then the band takes a break and disappears for a while and people come pouring out for smoke breaks and the sidewalk is suddenly more crowded. I'm leaning against a bike rack or something next to a big trailer and some of the vehicles in the parking that's reserved for touring acts at Neumo's and the whole block reeks of people smoking cannabis.
And then in this shoulder to shoulder throng of people, someone gently bumps my elbow and shoulder to get my attention and they say "Hey, hey man, you want a hit of this?" and I look down and someone is trying to hand me an absolutely enormous cone of a joint, and I look up and it's Lee motherfuckin' Scratch Perry grinning at me under a huge pile of funky rainbow dreads and asking me if I want to help him smoke this giant joint.
I remember my response crystal clear because it's one of the few times in my life I was that excited by meeting someone relatively famous and I blurt out in total gushing fan mode "OH HELL YES I WANT TO SMOKE WITH LEE SCRATCH PERRY" and so I did. I still remember how Lee and the band cracked up about how enthusiastic I was to be included in their circle and session.
And so we chatted for a moment because apparently they somehow noticed I wasn't inside and was outside peeking in through the door and windows for most of the first set of the show looking like I wanted to go in. Like, they actually noticed that and thought about some complete stranger - especially a very white and nerdy weirdo like me - which says so much about them as musicians, artists and people that they would even ask about why I wasn't in there with everyone else.
Someone in the band even offered to try to get me inside and give me a free ticket and I had to explain that I had a ticket but I didn't have valid ID and that I didn't want to break the rules, and further I was already having a fine time. I remember the nods and murmurs like "Yeah, that's some dumb bullshit but good on you for looking out for us and taking it easy." and getting props and respect for that. I remember cracking a joke that the beer was cheaper out here anyway.
Later my friends found me outside and they were full of concern that I wasn't having a good time and missing out on the show, but I corrected them that I might be having an even better time outside where it wasn't so crowded and hot and oh by the way I just smoked a fat joint with Lee and the band so I think I'm totally ok with how my night was going. Trust me, I'm solid and doing fine.
Mr. Perry? If you're out there, please rest assured that the almighty dub is going to keep on pulsing along. You helped change the world of music. We were listening. We heard you. We felt your love. It will go on. It's stronger than it's ever been and isn't going to go away.
PS: And if you run into my dad out there in the cosmos he'd probably love to smoke a fatty with you and jam. He was a pretty good rhythm guitar player who knew his way around some ska and skiffle.
posted by loquacious at 12:05 PM on August 29, 2021 [70 favorites]
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posted by Richard Upton Pickman at 12:08 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by Richard Upton Pickman at 12:08 PM on August 29, 2021
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Total legend, no need for me to expound on that. I did see him live once, at a free show at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto in (holy cow, that long ago?) 2008. It was a strange (in a good way) night, due to a combination of the state I was in, his music and the crowd, which was a mix of hard-core reggae heads, curious gawkers and the usual weekender families and tourists just going for a walk down by the lake.
Gonna pay appropriate tribute tonight...if I had to pick a favourite song of his I guess I'd go with either Soul Man or The Upsetter.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:20 PM on August 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
Total legend, no need for me to expound on that. I did see him live once, at a free show at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto in (holy cow, that long ago?) 2008. It was a strange (in a good way) night, due to a combination of the state I was in, his music and the crowd, which was a mix of hard-core reggae heads, curious gawkers and the usual weekender families and tourists just going for a walk down by the lake.
Gonna pay appropriate tribute tonight...if I had to pick a favourite song of his I guess I'd go with either Soul Man or The Upsetter.
posted by The Card Cheat at 12:20 PM on August 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
"Hey, hey man, you want a hit of this?"
Was the weed good? I always assumed he had access to the kind of weed that would make Snoop frown in concern.
Also
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posted by thatwhichfalls at 12:39 PM on August 29, 2021 [7 favorites]
Was the weed good? I always assumed he had access to the kind of weed that would make Snoop frown in concern.
Also
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posted by thatwhichfalls at 12:39 PM on August 29, 2021 [7 favorites]
Sad news for a Sunday morning. Roast Fish Collie Weed & Corn Bread is one of my favorite albums, and Double Seven. The amount of great stuff that he wrote and sang and the amount of great stuff he produced for others is incredible, Junior Murvin, Max Romeo, The Congos, Junior Byles.
The second link in the post is to the full documentary The Upsetter, which is worth a watch if you like Scratch and haven't seen it (or if you're looking for some footage of Pipecock Jackxon.)
Upsetting news, but thank you for the post. I guess I will be spending the rest of the day listening to 1970s dub reggae.
Lee Perry - Curly Locks
the upsetters ~we are neighbors
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:40 PM on August 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
The second link in the post is to the full documentary The Upsetter, which is worth a watch if you like Scratch and haven't seen it (or if you're looking for some footage of Pipecock Jackxon.)
Upsetting news, but thank you for the post. I guess I will be spending the rest of the day listening to 1970s dub reggae.
Lee Perry - Curly Locks
the upsetters ~we are neighbors
posted by ActingTheGoat at 12:40 PM on August 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
Was the weed good?
It was fucking excellent and I'm difficult to impress. Very nice indica so heavy that it tasted purple. A very well done and handrolled king sized rice paper with a crutch.
I also appreciated that it wasn't a bluntwrap or a spliff. I'm not anti-tobacco but I don't like mixing it.
posted by loquacious at 12:45 PM on August 29, 2021 [15 favorites]
It was fucking excellent and I'm difficult to impress. Very nice indica so heavy that it tasted purple. A very well done and handrolled king sized rice paper with a crutch.
I also appreciated that it wasn't a bluntwrap or a spliff. I'm not anti-tobacco but I don't like mixing it.
posted by loquacious at 12:45 PM on August 29, 2021 [15 favorites]
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posted by Joey Michaels at 1:05 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:05 PM on August 29, 2021
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posted by SystematicAbuse at 1:06 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by SystematicAbuse at 1:06 PM on August 29, 2021
Row, fisherman, row / Keep on rowing your boat
posted by dmh at 1:43 PM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by dmh at 1:43 PM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
I was sorry to see this news. He was amazingly influential.
posted by Dip Flash at 1:49 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by Dip Flash at 1:49 PM on August 29, 2021
I am not entirely convinced that it's possible to even listen to as much music as he made during his lifespan. R.I.P. Lee "Scratch" Perry, one of the most important producers of all time in any genre.
posted by HunterFelt at 2:03 PM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by HunterFelt at 2:03 PM on August 29, 2021 [1 favorite]
A link I should've included in the og post: Wax Poetics, 'City Too Hot: The Apex and Sudden Fall of Lee 'Scratch' Perry.'
posted by box at 2:15 PM on August 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
posted by box at 2:15 PM on August 29, 2021 [4 favorites]
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posted by The Great Big Mulp at 3:00 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by The Great Big Mulp at 3:00 PM on August 29, 2021
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posted by octothorpe at 3:05 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by octothorpe at 3:05 PM on August 29, 2021
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Lucky enough to see Lee Perry a couple of times, absolute legend.
posted by brilliantmistake at 3:28 PM on August 29, 2021
Lucky enough to see Lee Perry a couple of times, absolute legend.
posted by brilliantmistake at 3:28 PM on August 29, 2021
I took delivery of this painting I commissioned of Lee just a few days ago. He was a true Master of Ceremony along with his other genius.
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posted by not_that_epiphanius at 4:12 PM on August 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
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posted by not_that_epiphanius at 4:12 PM on August 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
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So, so very grateful for his influence on the Orb and many others. The music means so much to me.
posted by Otherwise at 4:19 PM on August 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
So, so very grateful for his influence on the Orb and many others. The music means so much to me.
posted by Otherwise at 4:19 PM on August 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
customs official: How long are you planning to stay in this country?
Citizen Lee Perry: Maybe a year, Maybe a thousand years...
posted by ovvl at 5:15 PM on August 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
Citizen Lee Perry: Maybe a year, Maybe a thousand years...
posted by ovvl at 5:15 PM on August 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
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posted by Token Meme at 5:34 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by Token Meme at 5:34 PM on August 29, 2021
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posted by 20 year lurk at 5:55 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by 20 year lurk at 5:55 PM on August 29, 2021
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posted by lalochezia at 6:13 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by lalochezia at 6:13 PM on August 29, 2021
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posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:29 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by inflatablekiwi at 7:29 PM on August 29, 2021
so don't you fumble... just be humble...
posted by not_on_display at 9:08 PM on August 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by not_on_display at 9:08 PM on August 29, 2021 [3 favorites]
((((((((((((.))))))))))))
posted by ead at 10:50 PM on August 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
posted by ead at 10:50 PM on August 29, 2021 [2 favorites]
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posted by Mister Bijou at 11:17 PM on August 29, 2021
posted by Mister Bijou at 11:17 PM on August 29, 2021
People Funny Boy
is a favorite of mine,but so are so many more.
what a crazy creative guy.
posted by quazichimp at 1:26 AM on August 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
is a favorite of mine,but so are so many more.
what a crazy creative guy.
posted by quazichimp at 1:26 AM on August 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
I'm totally in awe of Lee Scratch Perry's studio techniques. I teach a class session in one of my courses about how in influenced so much pop production to come, based on Michael Veal's terrific book on soundscapes in dub.
I live in a state where cannabis is illegal, but a few years ago I spent a few days at a conference in Denver where it's very legal. After all the conference-y stuff was over, at midnight on the Saturday night before going back home on Sunday morning, I made the terrible decision to accept an edible that my friend offered me.
This was a terrible 'noob' decision.
1. I ate a full gummy, when I probably should have had a quarter of one.
2. I'm way out of practice. My friend's harvest from his mom's place on that artist colony of which we partook in high school was 10-20x gentler.
3. It appears that substances stay in my system around twice as long as they do in most people.
The effect peaked around 5 am. My brain was uncontrollably composing evil thought music that was unfortunately more Rammstein than Perry. I realized that I was still going to be stoned out of my gourd on my 10:00 am flight. And even though it was legal in Colorado, the thought of going through airport security still made me really skittish.
The morning was a blur, and I got to the airport all right. I got in a long airport security line, when this old guy with manic panic day glo hair and a visored cap with mirrors all over it got into the line directly behind me. I thought--no, it can't be. But then I googled 'perry denver' on my phone, and sure enough, he had played a show the night before. In my state of mind, I saw the one-way mirror that was on the wall next to the security checkpoint, and pictured it was a new TSA Denver service, with an agent behind the glass dispatching helpers: "Yep, no doubt about it. He had way too big a gummy last night. Deploy Scratch Perry out there, so that he'll realize that if Lee can go through airport security, he can too."
I finally got up the gumption to talk to him. I told him that I taught a class about his work and legacy, and he was friendly. He even let me give his bandmate my phone to take a picture, so I had proof later that I didn't just imagine the whole scenario.
posted by umbú at 6:49 AM on August 30, 2021 [18 favorites]
I live in a state where cannabis is illegal, but a few years ago I spent a few days at a conference in Denver where it's very legal. After all the conference-y stuff was over, at midnight on the Saturday night before going back home on Sunday morning, I made the terrible decision to accept an edible that my friend offered me.
This was a terrible 'noob' decision.
1. I ate a full gummy, when I probably should have had a quarter of one.
2. I'm way out of practice. My friend's harvest from his mom's place on that artist colony of which we partook in high school was 10-20x gentler.
3. It appears that substances stay in my system around twice as long as they do in most people.
The effect peaked around 5 am. My brain was uncontrollably composing evil thought music that was unfortunately more Rammstein than Perry. I realized that I was still going to be stoned out of my gourd on my 10:00 am flight. And even though it was legal in Colorado, the thought of going through airport security still made me really skittish.
The morning was a blur, and I got to the airport all right. I got in a long airport security line, when this old guy with manic panic day glo hair and a visored cap with mirrors all over it got into the line directly behind me. I thought--no, it can't be. But then I googled 'perry denver' on my phone, and sure enough, he had played a show the night before. In my state of mind, I saw the one-way mirror that was on the wall next to the security checkpoint, and pictured it was a new TSA Denver service, with an agent behind the glass dispatching helpers: "Yep, no doubt about it. He had way too big a gummy last night. Deploy Scratch Perry out there, so that he'll realize that if Lee can go through airport security, he can too."
I finally got up the gumption to talk to him. I told him that I taught a class about his work and legacy, and he was friendly. He even let me give his bandmate my phone to take a picture, so I had proof later that I didn't just imagine the whole scenario.
posted by umbú at 6:49 AM on August 30, 2021 [18 favorites]
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posted by hypnogogue at 9:27 AM on August 30, 2021
posted by hypnogogue at 9:27 AM on August 30, 2021
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posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 1:42 PM on August 30, 2021
posted by Mutant Lobsters from Riverhead at 1:42 PM on August 30, 2021
My neighbor told me that this old timey reggae guy was in town and we should go. So we did. Usually, we get tickets, but he didn't think this would sell out...but it did. We got back in the car and headed hom. I've been listening to recordings of this man's music since that night. I really wish we got to see that show but I am so humbled just to have been exposed to him.
posted by danep at 1:53 PM on August 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
posted by danep at 1:53 PM on August 30, 2021 [1 favorite]
Lee Perry at the Black Ark - 6hr Tribute Mix by Mikus
posted by philip-random at 4:37 PM on August 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
posted by philip-random at 4:37 PM on August 30, 2021 [3 favorites]
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posted by Thorzdad at 11:08 AM on August 29, 2021