My NTS
Live now
1
13:00 - 14:00

Special guest shows from around the world.

2
13:00 - 14:00

Special guest shows from around the world.

The Upsetters

The Upsetters

The Upsetters has been played over 150 times on NTS, first on 20 January 2013. The Upsetters's music has been featured on 109 episodes.

There are at least four bands with the name The Upsetters: 1) The Upsetters was the name given to the house band for Jamaican reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. 2) The Upsetters was the name of Little Richard's backing band playing R&B and rock 'n' roll during the 1950s. 3) The Upsetters was a South African garage rock band active in the 1960s. 4) The Upsetters was a soul band.

"The Upsetters" was the name of the studio backing band of Jamaica Reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, a.k.a. "The Upsetter". The members most associated with that name included guitarist Alva Lewis, organist Glen Adams and brothers Aston Barrett and Carlton Barrett on bass and drums respectively, a.k.a. The Hippy Boys. As Lee Perry's studio band, the Upsetters had three distinct line-ups, though, throughout the years 1968-1986.

1968-1969: Gladdy's All Stars with Gladston Anderson and Winston Wright (keyboards), Jackie Jackson (bass), Hugh Malcom and Lloyd Adams (drums). They recorded the UK hits Man from M.I.5, Return of Django and Live Injection. According to Perry, "in a spectacular case of bad timing, the original Upsetters couldn't make the trip" for a tour of Britain. He went with the Hippy Boys instead.

1969-1971: The Hippy Boys included Glen Adams (keyboards), Alva Lewis (guitar), Aston Barrett (bass) and Carlton Barrett (drums). They were collaborating with Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer a.k.a The Wailers during that time. Even though Marley and Perry didn't get along very well, musically wise, they laid the foundation of reggae music for years to come with classics like Small Axe, Duppy Conqueror or 400 Years. In the rise to superstardom the bands began to go their separate ways early in 1972. The Barrett brothers, the most creative reggae rhythm section before Sly & Robbie, joined Marley to become known as the new Wailers which Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left later on for successful solo careers. As a consequence Perry's Upsetters virtually didn't exist until he built his own Black Ark Studio.

1974-1979: Black Ark Players of which Boris Gardiner (bass), Mikey Richards, Sly Dunbar and Benbow Creary (drums), Earl "Chinna" Smith (guitar), Winston Wright and Keith Stirling (keyboards) can be considered the core of the band. They developed the new psychedelic sound unique to the Black Ark which was impressively captured on albums like Heart Of The Congos or War Ina Babylon.

Perry himself purported that he deliberately burned down the Black Ark one morning in 1983, to eventually turn his back on Jamaican Reggae for good. The story of the Upsetters ends around 1986 and can be told in various different ways.

"The Upsetters" was the name of Little Richard's backing band playing R&B and Rock'n'Roll during the 1950s. One of their instrumental tracks is The Strip.

The Upsetters was a South African garage rock band active in the 1960s.

The Upsetters was a soul band.

read more

The Upsetters

The Upsetters has been played over 150 times on NTS, first on 20 January 2013. The Upsetters's music has been featured on 109 episodes.

There are at least four bands with the name The Upsetters: 1) The Upsetters was the name given to the house band for Jamaican reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. 2) The Upsetters was the name of Little Richard's backing band playing R&B and rock 'n' roll during the 1950s. 3) The Upsetters was a South African garage rock band active in the 1960s. 4) The Upsetters was a soul band.

"The Upsetters" was the name of the studio backing band of Jamaica Reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry, a.k.a. "The Upsetter". The members most associated with that name included guitarist Alva Lewis, organist Glen Adams and brothers Aston Barrett and Carlton Barrett on bass and drums respectively, a.k.a. The Hippy Boys. As Lee Perry's studio band, the Upsetters had three distinct line-ups, though, throughout the years 1968-1986.

1968-1969: Gladdy's All Stars with Gladston Anderson and Winston Wright (keyboards), Jackie Jackson (bass), Hugh Malcom and Lloyd Adams (drums). They recorded the UK hits Man from M.I.5, Return of Django and Live Injection. According to Perry, "in a spectacular case of bad timing, the original Upsetters couldn't make the trip" for a tour of Britain. He went with the Hippy Boys instead.

1969-1971: The Hippy Boys included Glen Adams (keyboards), Alva Lewis (guitar), Aston Barrett (bass) and Carlton Barrett (drums). They were collaborating with Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer a.k.a The Wailers during that time. Even though Marley and Perry didn't get along very well, musically wise, they laid the foundation of reggae music for years to come with classics like Small Axe, Duppy Conqueror or 400 Years. In the rise to superstardom the bands began to go their separate ways early in 1972. The Barrett brothers, the most creative reggae rhythm section before Sly & Robbie, joined Marley to become known as the new Wailers which Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer left later on for successful solo careers. As a consequence Perry's Upsetters virtually didn't exist until he built his own Black Ark Studio.

1974-1979: Black Ark Players of which Boris Gardiner (bass), Mikey Richards, Sly Dunbar and Benbow Creary (drums), Earl "Chinna" Smith (guitar), Winston Wright and Keith Stirling (keyboards) can be considered the core of the band. They developed the new psychedelic sound unique to the Black Ark which was impressively captured on albums like Heart Of The Congos or War Ina Babylon.

Perry himself purported that he deliberately burned down the Black Ark one morning in 1983, to eventually turn his back on Jamaican Reggae for good. The story of the Upsetters ends around 1986 and can be told in various different ways.

"The Upsetters" was the name of Little Richard's backing band playing R&B and Rock'n'Roll during the 1950s. One of their instrumental tracks is The Strip.

The Upsetters was a South African garage rock band active in the 1960s.

The Upsetters was a soul band.

Original source Last.fm

Tracks featured on

Most played tracks

Bird In Hand
Lee Scratch Perry, The Upsetters
Goldenlane Records2021
Bird In Hand
The Upsetters
Lion Of Judah1978
Black Panta
The Upsetters
Trojan Records2005
One Step Forward
Max Romeo, The Upsetters
Federal Records1976
I Chase The Devil
Max Romeo, The Upsetters
Federal Records1976
Dollar In The Teeth
Upsetters
Upsetter1969
Dub It
Upsetters
Orchid0
Nymbia Dub
The Upsetters
Orchid0
Underground
The Upsetters
Island Records1976
Super Ape
The Upsetters
Island Records1976