The Soulettes - Let It Be / The Upsetters - Big Dog Bloxie - HSRSS-0030

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Introducing two Lee Perry’s Boss Reggae anthems:

the beautiful "LET IT BE"

by THE SOULETTES

+

 the wicked version “BIG DOG BLOXIE”

by THE UPSETTERS

7" VINYL 45 RPM

Catalogue number: HSRSS-0030

RELEASE INFORMATION: 

Format: 7" vinyl - 45 RPM - Stereo
A side: THE SOULETTES – LET IT BE

B side: THE UPSETTERS – BIG DOG BLOXIE

Label: Harlem Shuffle Records    
Sleeve: Generic all black paper cover with round cut-outs on both sides

This is the very first reissue of the much in demand double sided killer single released in 1970 on the Upsetter label. Both tracks were produced by Lee Perry. 

The A side is a beautiful yet wicked cover of LET IT BE by the Beatles, produced by Lee Perry and performed by the Soulettes. 

The B side is BIG DOG BLOXIE, an even whackier version of the A side by Lee Perry.

This exceptional release will be on sale on our website and in all good shops worldwide from September 20, 2024.

ABOUT LEE SCRATCH PERRY:

Lee "Scratch" Perry was born Rainford Hugh Perry on the 20 March 1936 in Kendal Jamaica. An eccentric Reggae artist and a genius producer, Lee has written, sung and/or produced unique tracks for himself and everybody else worldwide from Bob Marley and Junior Murvin to the Clash and many more… Under his own name, he recorded over 80 albums, countless singles and covered every musical style from Ska, Rocksteady and early Reggae to Dub, Roots Reggae and their electronic variations... His influence on Jamaican music and Reggae is just immense.

Perry died on 29 August 2021 in Lucea, Jamaica, during the Covid outbreak, aged 85. 

ABOUT THE SOULETTES:

The Soulettes initially comprised Alpharita Anderson, born in Cuba, her male cousin Constantine Walker and her school friend Marlene Gifford and started recording as backing vocalists at Studio One from 1964 including the first Wailing Wailers’ hit “Simmer Down”.  They also backed Lee Perry on a series of dirty songs such as ‘Rub & Squeeze’ and ‘Doctor Dick’. Under their own name The Soulettes were moderately successful have a string of minor hits such as ‘Opportunity Knocks’ and the lovely  ‘Friends And Lovers’. Alpharita married Marley in in 1966 and the Soulettes disbanded. In 1969, Rita Marley re-formed the Soulettes with Nora Dean (later replaced by Hortense Lewis) and Cecile Campbell, Cornel’s sister.

The new line-up with Nora Dean and Cecile Cornell started working Lee Scratch Perry for a couple of songs including the outstanding cover of the Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ which became their main hit in 1970. Following the group’s demise around 1973, Rita joined Marcia Griffiths and Judy Mowatt to form the I-Threes whom became the de facto female backing trio for Bob Marley…

A SIDE: 

Title: "LET IT BE" Artist: THE SOULETTES (Rita Maley, Nora Dean, Cecile Campbell)
Genre: Boss Reggae
Release date: 1970

Produced by Lee Perry

This single released in 1970 on the Upsetter label and was never reissued until now.

Lee Perry’s genius particularly shines in this this minimalist but beautiful cover of the Beatles’ masterpiece. Minimalist because out of the 242 beautiful words in the original song the iconoclast just kept the chorus i.e. just two sentences: “Let it be, let it be, let it be, Whisper words of wisdom, let it be”. The rest of the lyrics are just “da da da” making up a surprisingly gorgeous melody beautifully sung by the Soulettes…

He also scrapped most of the music, kept the short piano introduction followed by a syncopated Boss rhythm made mostly of organ and guitar bursts, the outstanding vocals coming out dramatically on the minimalist beat.

The resulting song became the Soulettes’ main hit and a Boss Reggae anthem. Beautiful stuff…

B SIDE:

Title: "BIG DOG BLOXIE" Artist: THE UPSETTERS

Release date: 1970
Genre: Boss Reggae instrumental

BIG DOG BLOXIE is in fact a Lee Perry version of the A side. It was never repressed until now.

In this version, Perry took the beautiful song by the Soulettes and scraped all the vocals, leaving the bare instrumental basking in its nasty Boss glory. True it does not sound much like The Beatles anymore but it’s sure is Skinhead music at its finest! Sorry Paul…