Artist
The Upsetters
38 releases · 44 collaborators · 24 labels
- Date active
- 1977 – 2024
- Relevance
- Medium, weak ties with the core dub techno cluster, here because linked to roots dub, the Jamaican sound dub techno grew out of
Bio
Do not confuse with the early 1960s ska band; artist 1221416, or Little Richard's The Upsetters (2).
Lee Perry's studio band for the Upsetter label - the same as in Lee Perry & The Upsetters. Formed in 1968 the Upsetters had three distinct line-ups. The first line-up was comprised of Gladdy Anderson & Winston Wright (keyboards), Jackie Jackson (bass), Hugh Malcom & Lloyd "Tin Legs" Adams (drums). This line-up was also known as Gladdy's All-Stars. They recorded "Man from MI5", "Return of Django" & "Live Injection" with Perry.
In 1969, Perry was approached to go on tour in Europe, but Gladdy's All-Stars were not able to make the trip. Perry turned to another young band called The Hippy Boys who were working with Edward "Bunny" Lee. The Hippy Boys consisted of Glen Adams (keyboards), Alva "Reggie" Lewis (guitar) Aston "Family Man" Barrett (bass) and Carlton Barrett (drums).
After the European tour Perry and the Upsetters worked closely with The Wailers up until their falling out in 1971. The Barrett brothers went on with Bob Marley at this juncture.
By 1972, The Upsetters were a true "floating" band. Perry decided to forego a permanent line-up and simply used the best musicians he could find at the time.
During the Black Ark era (1974-1979), the core of the band was Boris Gardiner (bass), Mikey Richards and Benbow Creary (drums), Earl "Chinna" Smith and Robert Johnson (guitar), and Winston Wright and Keith Stirling (keyboards).
The Upsetters 1968 - 1986
Bass:
Aston "Family Man" Barrett, Jackie Jackson, Boris Gardiner, Radcliffe Bryan, Robbie Shakespeare, Spike
Drums:
Carlton Barrett, Lloyd "Tin Leg" Adams, Lloyd Knibb, Mikey Richards, Sly Dunbar, Benbow Creary, Winston Grennan, Hugh Malcolm, Peng
Keyboards:
Glen Adams, Winston Wright, Ansel Collins, Gladstone Anderson, Keith Stirling, Theophilus Beckford, Robbie Lyn, Augustus Pablo, Mark Downie, Russ Cummings
Guitar:
Alva Lewis, Hux Brown, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Ron Williams, Ernest Ranglin, Willie Lindo, Michael Chung, Robert Johnson, Geoffrey Chung, Mark Downie, Tarlok Mann
Saxophone:
Val Bennett, Tommy McCook, Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall, Glen DaCosta, Lloyd Clarke
Horns:
Vin Gordon, Ron Wilson, Bobby Ellis, David Madden, Egbert Evans, Trevor Jones
Vocals:
Lee Perry, Dave Barker, Leo Graham, Max Romeo, Jah Lion
Lee Perry's studio band for the Upsetter label - the same as in Lee Perry & The Upsetters. Formed in 1968 the Upsetters had three distinct line-ups. The first line-up was comprised of Gladdy Anderson & Winston Wright (keyboards), Jackie Jackson (bass), Hugh Malcom & Lloyd "Tin Legs" Adams (drums). This line-up was also known as Gladdy's All-Stars. They recorded "Man from MI5", "Return of Django" & "Live Injection" with Perry.
In 1969, Perry was approached to go on tour in Europe, but Gladdy's All-Stars were not able to make the trip. Perry turned to another young band called The Hippy Boys who were working with Edward "Bunny" Lee. The Hippy Boys consisted of Glen Adams (keyboards), Alva "Reggie" Lewis (guitar) Aston "Family Man" Barrett (bass) and Carlton Barrett (drums).
After the European tour Perry and the Upsetters worked closely with The Wailers up until their falling out in 1971. The Barrett brothers went on with Bob Marley at this juncture.
By 1972, The Upsetters were a true "floating" band. Perry decided to forego a permanent line-up and simply used the best musicians he could find at the time.
During the Black Ark era (1974-1979), the core of the band was Boris Gardiner (bass), Mikey Richards and Benbow Creary (drums), Earl "Chinna" Smith and Robert Johnson (guitar), and Winston Wright and Keith Stirling (keyboards).
The Upsetters 1968 - 1986
Bass:
Aston "Family Man" Barrett, Jackie Jackson, Boris Gardiner, Radcliffe Bryan, Robbie Shakespeare, Spike
Drums:
Carlton Barrett, Lloyd "Tin Leg" Adams, Lloyd Knibb, Mikey Richards, Sly Dunbar, Benbow Creary, Winston Grennan, Hugh Malcolm, Peng
Keyboards:
Glen Adams, Winston Wright, Ansel Collins, Gladstone Anderson, Keith Stirling, Theophilus Beckford, Robbie Lyn, Augustus Pablo, Mark Downie, Russ Cummings
Guitar:
Alva Lewis, Hux Brown, Earl "Chinna" Smith, Ron Williams, Ernest Ranglin, Willie Lindo, Michael Chung, Robert Johnson, Geoffrey Chung, Mark Downie, Tarlok Mann
Saxophone:
Val Bennett, Tommy McCook, Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall, Glen DaCosta, Lloyd Clarke
Horns:
Vin Gordon, Ron Wilson, Bobby Ellis, David Madden, Egbert Evans, Trevor Jones
Vocals:
Lee Perry, Dave Barker, Leo Graham, Max Romeo, Jah Lion
Also known as
Black Ark Players
6
Addis Ababa Children
The Upsyndicates
T.N.T. Players
The Upsetter Revue
Black Art (5)
Rhythm Jah Band
The Medetators
Members
Earl "Chinna" Smith
937
Noel "Scully" Simms
930
Aston "Family Man" Barrett
766
Carlton Barrett
702
Winston Wright
663
Vin Gordon
659
Geoffrey Chung
645
Bobby Ellis
604
Michael Richards
414
Herman Marquis
209
Richard "Dirty Harry" Hall
158
Boris Gardiner
123
Cedric Myton
55
Robert Johnson (5)
49
Glen Adams
48
Alva "Reggie" Lewis
32
Lloyd Adams
25
George Faith
13
Anthony Creary
13
Rainford Perry
10
Don Grant (2)
3
Errol Nelson
The Upsetters (Artist)
Label
Relevance
Releases
Active
- Releases: 8 Relevance: very high Active: 1989 – 2018
- Releases: 1 Relevance: very high Active: 2012
- Releases: 1 Relevance: high Active:
- Releases: 3 Relevance: medium Active: 2019 – 2020
- Releases: 2 Relevance: medium Active: 1990 – 2003
- Releases: 1 Relevance: medium Active: 1989
- Releases: 4 Relevance: low Active: 2012 – 2019
- Releases: 3 Relevance: low Active: 1996
- Releases: 3 Relevance: low Active: 1990 – 1991
- Releases: 3 Relevance: low Active: 1990 – 2022
- Releases: 2 Relevance: low Active: 2021 – 2022
- Releases: 2 Relevance: low Active: 1998 – 1999
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active: 1988
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active: 2004
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active: 1977
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active: 1999
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active:
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active: 2024
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active: 2012
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active:
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active: 2005
- Releases: 1 Relevance: low Active: 1990
- Releases: 3 Relevance: extremely low Active: 1998 – 1999
- Releases: 2 Relevance: extremely low Active: 1983