Mad Professor Pays Tribute to Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry: ‘I Am Missing Him Already’

Mad Professor, a longtime collaborator of Lee “Scratch” Perry who recorded prolifically with the producer over the past three decades, penned a tribute to the dub visionary following news of Perry’s death Sunday at the age of 85.

“The end of an era! We first worked in the early eighties, recording several tracks and doing [several] tours, having many laughs, sharing many dreams… we spoke together with his wife a week ago…,” the British-Guyanese dub producer wrote Sunday on Facebook.

“What a character! Totally ageless! Extremely creative, with a memory as sharp as a tape machine! A brain as accurate as a computer! We travelled the world together…Japan, Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Argentina, Columbia, All over the USA and Canada…and many more places. Never a dull moment! All the Bob Marley stories…all the [Coxsone] Dodd stories!! And many more…”

A student and acolyte of Perry’s dub recording techniques and studio wizardry, the producers first worked together on 1989’s Mystic Warrior, the first in a series of collaborations that spanned “about 20 album releases, and have another 20 albums waiting to be released,” Mad Professor wrote Sunday; other highlights from their joint LPs includes 1995’s Super Ape Inna Jungle and 1996’s Dub Take the Voodoo Out of Reggae.

“A clear understanding of the music and reggae industry…He guided me through the complicated reggae landscape, taught me how to balance a track to create hits… he knew it…I am happy to have learnt from him,” Mad Professor added. 

“Sometimes he is the father, other times the son, sometimes, he is the advisor, other times he is seeing advise! I am missing him already, but happy to have known him.”