‘Angels’ is the first single from ‘Scratch is Alive’, the forthcoming album by legendary Jamaican producer, artist and singer Lee “Scratch” Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry) and English producer and musician Steve Marshall, due out 13 November via State of Emergency. Marking what would have been Lee’s 90th birthday in 2026, the anniversary release features a special mix by dub master and UK Lovers Rock pioneer Dennis Bovell, with lyrics and vocals by British soul and R&B artist Geo Baddoo.
LISTEN TO ‘ANGELS’ FEAT. GEO BADDOO HERE
For ‘Angels’, Scratch recorded his vocal at Black Ark Studio Switzerland over a rough beat. He said at the time: “When I recorded the vocals, I only listened to the heartbeat”. When Steve returned to work on the rhythm, adding new drums, electric guitars, piano and synth, he reimagined it as a Lovers Rock track. Later, Geo Baddoo joined the project, bringing a gentle, soulful melody and contemplative lyric that pushed the track further into Lovers Rock territory.
Scratch was already in that heavenly zone when he recorded his part, but it took more than a decade for the music to fully meet the vocal. Geo says: “The first thing I heard was Lee’s refrain – ‘Singers and players of the instruments will be there’. Drawn from Psalm 87:7 and delivered in Lee’s gentle, hopeful, magical way, it immediately painted a picture of togetherness and celebration. He encouraged me to reflect on our shared experience of being human, and our unique versions of divinity and purpose.”
‘Angels’ brings together artists from different generations whose work is rooted in a shared spirit of innovation. Pairing the visionary legacy of Lee “Scratch” Perry with Steve Marshall’s production, Dennis Bovell’s pioneering dub mix, and the voice and songwriting of Geo Baddoo, the collaboration bridges reggae, dub, Lovers Rock and contemporary Soul/R&B, bringing together four distinct creative voices in a record that honours Scratch’s enduring legacy while looking forward.
‘Angels’ artwork (download hi-res)
In the 1960s and 70s, Scratch was a pioneer of ska, reggae, and dub music. With his early adoption of remixing and his use of studio effects to create new instrumental and vocal versions of existing tracks, he blazed the trail not only for reggae, but for all genres of modern music. From his Black Ark Studio in Kingston, Jamaica he worked with and produced a wide variety of artists, including Bob Marley and the Wailers, Junior Murvin, Susan Cadogan, The Congos, and Max Romeo. Later he moved, first to London, and then to Switzerland where he reinvented himself as a performer and visual artist. In his later years he continued to produce innovative music. Collaborations include The Beastie Boys, The Clash, George Clinton, The Orb, and Adrian Sherwood.
‘Scratch Is Alive’ is the fifth in a series of records he made with Steve Marshall a.k.a. John Saxon. The album contains previously unreleased vocal and dub tracks recorded in Switzerland and London and continues the legacy of one of the world’s truly original artists. The style is experimental, and brings together elements of reggae, dub, R&B, soul, blues, and electronic music. The other Lee Perry/Steve Marshall records are ‘The End Of An American Dream’, ‘Scratch Came Scratch Saw Scratch Conquered’, ‘Revelation’, and ‘Scratch’d’, an EP of collaborations with Keith Richards.