Charley Ace

Charley Ace - Swing A Ling - Selection

Lee Perry was asked by John Williams author of the forthcoming book 'In The Dark'

Who he would have liked to record. Lee Perry - considered the matter for a while - and then said Charley Ace. Lee only did three tunes with Charley "Everytime I went to look for him, he was always busy." Now Scratch might be a few things - including an Alien, but knows all about busy.So what was Charley Ace up too. Well we know he was working hard selling all kind Of music in his 'Swing A Ling' mobile records shop that traveled the high road and low roads of Kingston. The rest of the time he must have been in the Studio making some of the wildest tunes DJ's you could think of. From 1972 to 1975 he made enough music to fill at least four albums - all self produced and released on Swing a Ling or Scorpion his two labels. He also produced music with other people, including Jah Lloyd, Glen Brown, U Roy Junior, Jah Woosh. And of course Fay Bennett. And with Fay he scored his biggest hit 'Punanny' a slack tune with a lot of style. One of his best loved tunes was 'Cow Thief Skank' not such a song - or a DJ tune but a story. Complete with sound FX - and he of course recorded it for Lee Perry.