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The Upsetters

The Upsetters: Lee “Scratch” Perry’s house band. “Return of Django” / “Dollar in the Teeth” (UK No. 5, 1969); the Barrett brothers later became the core of Bob Marley’s Wailers.

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Origins

The Upsetters took their name from Lee "Scratch" Perry's 1967 song "I Am the Upsetter," aimed at his former employer Clement "Coxsone" Dodd of Studio One. After leaving Dodd and working with Joe Gibbs, Perry launched his own Upsetter label in 1968. The first studio band under the name was built around pianist Gladstone Anderson's Gladdy's All-Stars.

"Return of Django"

Perry's organ and saxophone instrumentals drew on the spaghetti westerns that were popular in Kingston cinemas. "Return of Django," with a tenor saxophone lead from Val Bennett, was paired with "Dollar in the Teeth" as a double A-side by Trojan's Upsetter imprint. It reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1969, and the album Return of Django came out the same year.

The Hippy Boys line-up and the Wailers

When the studio band could not travel, the Hippy Boys were recruited for a 1969 UK tour as The Upsetters: guitarist Alva Lewis, organist Glen Adams, bassist Aston "Family Man" Barrett and drummer Carlton Barrett. This line-up backed Bob Marley and the Wailers on Perry's Soul Rebels (1970) and Soul Revolution Part II, and the Barrett brothers went on to form the rhythm section of Marley's Wailers band. Other albums of the period include The Upsetter (1969) and Eastwood Rides Again (1970).

Black Ark era

After the Barretts left, Perry used the Upsetters name for a changing group of session players at his Black Ark studio, including Boris Gardiner, Sly Dunbar, Hux Brown and Earl "Chinna" Smith. Dub albums such as Upsetters 14 Dub Blackboard Jungle (1973) and Super Ape (1976) came out of this period, and the band backed Max Romeo on War Ina Babylon (1976).

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Now playingThe Upsetters - Return of Django (Official Audio)
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The Upsetters - Return of Django (Official Audio)
The Upsetters - Return of Django (Official Audio)Trojan Records Official
Dollar in the Teeth
Dollar in the TeethThe Upsetters - Topic
Clint Eastwood
Clint EastwoodThe Upsetters - Topic
Night Doctor
Night DoctorThe Upsetters - Topic
Eight for Eight
Eight for EightThe Upsetters - Topic
Every record

Discography

Pulled from Discogs. Titles in yellow have a full page on Breakbeat Archive.

Studio albums 8

  1. 1969Return Of DjangoUpsettereBayDiscogs
  2. 1970Scratch The Upsetter AgainUpsettereBayDiscogs
  3. 1970The Good, The Bad & The UpsettersTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  4. 1970Clint EastwoodPama RecordseBayDiscogs
  5. 1971Good Bad & The UpsettersUpsettereBayDiscogs
  6. 1976Super ApeIsland RecordseBayDiscogs
  7. 1978Return Of The Super ApeLion Of JudaheBayDiscogs
  8. 1981Blackboard Jungle DubClocktower RecordseBayDiscogs

Collaborative albums 13

  1. 1970Eastwood Rides AgainUpsetters* · Trojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  2. 1970Prisoner Of LoveDave Barker Meets The Upsetters · UpsettereBayDiscogs
  3. 1973Double SevenUpsetters* · Trojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  4. 1973Upsetters 14 Dub Black Board JungleUpsetters* · UpsettereBayDiscogs
  5. 1974Cloak And DaggerUpsetters* · The TurntableeBayDiscogs
  6. 1976War Ina BabylonMax Romeo & The Upsetters · Federal RecordseBayDiscogs
  7. 1988TransitionMax Romeo & The Upsetters · NEC AvenueeBayDiscogs
  8. 1999Solid GroundMikey Brooks* + The Upsetters · Tabou 1eBayDiscogs
  9. 1999In DubLee Perry & The Upsetters · Creole RecordseBayDiscogs
  10. 2013Roaring Lion (16 Untamed Black Art Masters & Dub Plates)Lee Perry & His Upsetters* · Pressure SoundseBayDiscogs
  11. 2020Musical BonesThe Upsetters With Vin Gordon · DipeBayDiscogs
  12. —Val Bennett & The UpsettersVal Bennett & The Upsetters · Carl's RecordseBayDiscogs
  13. —Classic TracksTony Tribe - Eric Donaldson - The Upsetters - Toots & The Maytals · Classic TrackseBayDiscogs

EPs & mixtapes 1

  1. 2016Sun Is ShiningBlack Art, Pressure Sounds, HMV Record ShopeBayDiscogs

Compilations 12

  1. 1970Many Moods Of The UpsettersEconomyeBayDiscogs
  2. 1981The Upsetter CollectionTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  3. 1985The Upsetter Box SetTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  4. 1989Version Like RainTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  5. 1990Build The ArkTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  6. 1993The Upsetters And Friends 1969-1970 - Upsetting The NationTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  7. 1995Upsetters A Go GoHeartbeat RecordseBayDiscogs
  8. 1995Lee Perry The Upsetter & The StudentRhino RecordseBayDiscogs
  9. 2002Return Of Django - The Best Of The UpsettersTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  10. 2002At Black Ark StudioGraylaneBayDiscogs
  11. 2006War Ina Babylon + ReconstructionIsland RecordseBayDiscogs
  12. 2012Super Ape & Return Of The Super ApeIsland RecordseBayDiscogs
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