Editing Lee "Scratch" Perry (section)

===Early work===
Perry's musical career began in the late 1950s as a record seller for [[Coxsone Dodd|Clement Coxsone Dodd]]'s [[sound system (DJ)|sound system]]. As his sometimes turbulent relationship with Dodd developed, he found himself performing a variety of important tasks at Dodd's [[Studio One (record label)|Studio One]] hit factory, going on to record nearly thirty songs for the label.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/> Disagreements between the pair due to personality and financial conflicts led him to leave the studio and seek new musical outlets. He soon found a new home at [[Joe Gibbs (record producer)|Joe Gibbs]]'s Amalgamated Records.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography"/>

Working with Gibbs, Perry continued his recording career but, once again, financial problems caused conflict. Perry broke ranks with Gibbs and formed his own label, [[Upsetter Records (Jamaican record label)|Upsetter Records]], in 1968. His first major single "People Funny Boy", which was an insult directed at Gibbs, sold well with 60,000 copies sold in Jamaica alone.<ref name="Gavin"/> It is notable for its innovative use of a [[Sampling (music)|sample]] (a crying baby) as well as a fast, chugging beat that would soon become identifiable as "reggae". Similarly his acrimonious 1967 single as Lee "King" Perry, "[[Run for Cover (Lee Perry song)|Run for Cover]]", was likewise aimed at Sir Coxsone.

From 1968 until 1972, he worked with his studio band [[the Upsetters]]. During the 1970s, Perry released numerous recordings on a variety of record labels that he controlled, and many of his songs were popular in both Jamaica and the United Kingdom, where his instrumental "The Return of Django" was a top five hit in 1969. He soon became known for his innovative production techniques as well as his eccentric character.<ref name="The Great Rock Discography" />

In 1970, Perry produced and released the Wailers track "[[Mr. Brown (song)|Mr. Brown]]" (1970) with its unusual use of studio effects and eerie opening highlighting his unique approach to production.