Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Black Ark Studio opened its doors in 1974. Situated in his backyard
at 5 Washington Gardens,Kingston, Jamaica. Using only basic
equipment, a Teac Four-Track Recorder, a Soundcraft mixing desk, an Echoplex delay
unit and later adding a Phaser effects unit that he used in conjunction with his Roland
RE201 Space Echo. He managed mixing down the tracks from Four track to Two track
to make his distinctive whirling sound that sets apart the Black Ark Sound from the other
Jamaican Studios.

Born Rainford Hugh Perry, 28 March 1936, Hanover, Jamaica. He began his career at
the grand age of 16, working for Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd’s sound
system, rising quickly to the position of record scout and organising recording sessions
during his 3 year period 1963-1966. Restlessness and unsatisfied with credit he felt due
to him he moved on to work with Producers J.J. Johnson and Clancy Eccles, the later of
which would help him set up his ‘Upsetter’ label in 1968,which would see his first of
many recordings telling the injustices done to him by previous employers.
‘The Upsetter’ track itself pointed at Mr Dodd but reflected back to Perry when he
inherited it as a nick name alongside many
others during the course of his career, including ‘Scratch’, again taken from one of his
recordings ‘Chicken Scratch’ recorded in 1965/1966. Perrys work in 1968 with producer
Joe Gibbs was fruitful and resulted in many successful releases, but again feeling a lack
of credit and itchy feet, it was time to move on. Still not having a studio of his own, Perry
recorded at the various Kingston
establishments at the time, Randy’s Studio 17 on North Parade, Dynamics on Bell Road
and Harry J’s on Roosevelt Avenue where the bulk of the
aforementione.......
more

Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Black Ark Studio opened its doors in 1974. Situated in his backyard
at 5 Washington Gardens,Kingston, Jamaica. Using only basic
equipment, a Teac Four-Track Recorder, a Soundcraft mixing desk, an Echoplex delay
unit and later adding a Phaser effects unit that he used in conjunction with his Roland
RE201 Space Echo. He managed mixing down the tracks from Four track to Two track
to make his distinctive whirling sound that sets apart the Black Ark Sound from the other
Jamaican Studios.

Born Rainford Hugh Perry, 28 March 1936, Hanover, Jamaica. He began his career at
the grand age of 16, working for Clement ‘Coxsone’ Dodd’s sound
system, rising quickly to the position of record scout and organising recording sessions
during his 3 year period 1963-1966. Restlessness and unsatisfied with credit he felt due
to him he moved on to work with Producers J.J. Johnson and Clancy Eccles, the later of
which would help him set up his ‘Upsetter’ label in 1968,which would see his first of
many recordings telling the injustices done to him by previous employers.
‘The Upsetter’ track itself pointed at Mr Dodd but reflected back to Perry when he
inherited it as a nick name alongside many
others during the course of his career, including ‘Scratch’, again taken from one of his
recordings ‘Chicken Scratch’ recorded in 1965/1966. Perrys work in 1968 with producer
Joe Gibbs was fruitful and resulted in many successful releases, but again feeling a lack
of credit and itchy feet, it was time to move on. Still not having a studio of his own, Perry
recorded at the various Kingston
establishments at the time, Randy’s Studio 17 on North Parade, Dynamics on Bell Road
and Harry J’s on Roosevelt Avenue where the bulk of the
aforementione.......
more