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Lee “Scratch” Perry’s Black Ark: 1973 Origins to 2024 Ritual

6/27/2026

Summary

Perry Launches BlackArk

Lee “Scratch” Perry opened Black Ark in 1973 with a £35 desk, a Ringo Starr drum kit and a four-track recorder.
He filled studio with weed smoke, poured whisky and urine on gear.
The studio closed in 1978 and burned down in 1982.
In a 2024 interview for David Katz’s *Dub Revolution*, Perry demanded Katz bring “13 stones from your country” and placed them in a TV monitor before starting.

Summary

Perry Acts Madman

Lee “Scratch” Perry wore fluorescent clothes, dyed his hair and beard red, and called himself a “madman.”
In a 2009 interview, Krishnan Guru-Murthy heard Perry answer in rhyming couplets while sticking out his tongue.
When Jools Holland asked about a toaster on a breeze-block wall, Perry replied, “I’m a toaster.”
Adrian Sherwood said Perry constantly sought mischief, elbowing him and laughing, leading European fans to call him reggae’s “court jester.”

History

Historical Context

In 1963, Clement “Coxsone” Dodd began recording at Studio One on Brentford Road, turning the label—founded in 1954—into Jamaica’s primary hub for ska, rocksteady and early reggae. The studio’s house band produced the iconic 1965 instrumental “Real Rock,” a foundation for dub. Producer Lee “Scratch” Perry, an early Studio One collaborator, is highlighted in 2024 retrospectives that trace this DIY lineage.

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Perry Launches BlackArk

Lee “Scratch” Perry opened Black Ark in 1973 with a £35 desk, a Ringo Starr drum kit and a four-track recorder.
He filled studio with weed smoke, poured whisky and urine on gear.
The studio closed in 1978 and burned down in 1982.
In a 2024 interview for David Katz’s *Dub Revolution*, Perry demanded Katz bring “13 stones from your country” and placed them in a TV monitor before starting.

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