Hear Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Divinely Inspired ‘Jesus Is a Soul Man’
“When Jesus in the mix, everything is perfect,” dub mainstay Lee “Scratch” Perry says at the beginning of his echoey new song “Jesus Is a Soul Man,” a collaboration with hip-hop producer Clams Casino. Perry sings the title with a passionate swoon and the producer creates a shimmery, new agey backdrop for the preaching. The track is available for (legal) torrenting via BitTorrent as part of what has been dubbed (no pun intended) the Upsetter Bundle; the track is streaming at Pitchfork.
From the Archives: Lee “Scratch” Perry, Reggae’s Mad Scientist
The bundle includes the trailer for the 2008 documentary, The Upsetter: The Life and Times of Lee “Scratch” Perry, documenting the flamboyant artist’s life, his role in the birth of dub and his experiences producing the Wailers, the Heptones, the Congos and more, and it also includes behind-the-scenes photos on the set and artwork Perry has created. The film is narrated by Benicio Del Toro and features commentary from the likes of Junior Murvin, Bob Marley, Paul McCartney, Joe Strummer and the Beastie Boys.
“This is my movie and this is the truth,” Perry said in a statement.
“He’s lasted thanks to the support of his fans and his own superior righteousness,” filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough said. “He’s outlasted the music industry with truth, which he wields as a sword. His legacy is as one of the most creative and inspiring human beings to ever walk this earth.”
Here is the trailer for The Upsetter: The Life and Times of Lee “Scratch” Perry: