The Upsetters

Originally known as Gladdy's All Stars, The Upsetters were a group of Jamaican session musicians who formed the house band for legendary producer Lee "Scratch" Perry's Upsetter record label, appearing on many iconic reggae records during the 1960s, '70s, and beyond. Bass player Aston Barrett, drummer Carlton Barrett, organist Glen Adams, and guitarist Alva Lewis were among several instrumentalists who played with The Upsetters during the band's run, and this original lineup appeared on the Bob Marley records Soul Rebels and Soul Revolution in 1969. The two Barrett brothers eventually left The Upsetters' roster in order to join Bob Marley's band, The Wailers. Perry brought in new players to replace them, and the Upsetters made their own debut on the 1969 album Return of Django, whose title track became a Number 5 in the UK that same year. The group then hit a prolific streak in 1970, releasing Clint Eastwood, Many Moods of the Upsetters, Scratch the Upsetter Again, The Good, the Bad and the Upsetters, and Eastwood Rides Again during a single year's span. During the years that followed, The Upsetters' lineup included reggae icons like bass player Boris Gardiner, guitarist Earl 'Chinna' Smith, keyboard players Keith Sterling and Winston Wright, and dummers Sly Dunbar, Benbow Creary and Mikey Richards. Although they continued to release solo works like 1974's Double Seven and 1975's Revolution Dub, The Upsetters were perhaps best known as a support act for others, playing on records like Junior Murvin's Police and Thieves (1977) and the Heptones' Party Time (1977). A 53-track compilation, Lee Perry & the Upsetters: The Trojan Albums Collection 1971-1973, came out in 2017 and commemorated the band's early work. Four years later, Lee "Scratch" Perry died of an unspecified illness, passing away on August 29, 2021 at 85 years old.

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