The Wonderman Years

Compilations of the work of producer Lee "Scratch" Perry — and biographical essays that survey his career — invariably focus on the period during the late-'60s when that work was being released on the British Upsetter label, and on the subsequent period in the early-to-mid-'70s when he opened his Black Ark studio and made some of the most strange and inspired reggae recordings ever to hit the marketplace. What compilers and essayists generally overlook is the period around 1970-1971, when he released a series of Jamaican singles on the Justice League label, billing himself as "Lee Perry — Wonderman" (these were mostly released in England under the Upsetter imprint). Under that moniker he produced some of the most enduring songs of his career, though most fans think of them as either Upsetter or Black Ark releases. These songs include the Wailers' immortal "Keep on Moving," the Gatherers' "Words of My Mouth," and Junior Byles brilliant take on the pop hit "Fever." There were numerous deejay versions as well, including Big Youth's cut on "Keep on Moving" (titled "Mooving Version"), Dennis Alcapone's very fine "Master Key," and a deejay version of Junior Byles' "King of Babylon." The Wonderman Years should not take the place of a solid compilation of Black Ark material in anyone's collection, but it offers an excellent overview of an often-neglected period in Perry's history.