CLICK TO LISTEN

Introducing

the super rare double-sided killer single

HAUNTED HOUSE + DOUBLE WHEEL

By THE UPSETTERS

Produced by LEE PERRY

7" VINYL 45 RPM
PREORDER ONLY - RELEASE MARCH 28, 2025. 

RELEASE INFORMATION: 

Format: 7" vinyl - 45 RPM - Stereo
A side: THE UPSETTERS - HAUNTED HOUSE
B side: THE UPSETTERS - DOUBLE WHEEL
Label: Harlem Shuffle Records
Sleeve: Black paper cover with round cut-outs on both sides

These two tracks are wild instrumental interpretations of the huge hit "Spinning Wheel" by Blood, Sweat & Tears in 1969.

Both tracks were produced by Lee 'Scratch' Perry on the much looked after SPINNING WHEEL label in 1970. Only 10 singles have been released on this label and this very single was the first one.

These two very much in demand Reggae instrumental gems were only rereleased in a Trojan singles box called HAUNTED HOUSE that is now also extremely rare and expensive.

This exceptional release will be on sale on our website and in all good shops worldwide from March 28, 2025.

 ABOUT MELANIE JONAS:

Although these two tracks were indeed produced by Lee "Scratch" Perry, they were credited to Melanie Jonas on the 1970 single. Melanie Jonas, also known as "Mel," was part of the Mel and Dave (Dave Barker) who recorded the infamous duet "Spinning Wheel" also on this label.  Altogether Perry produced four covers of the Blood, Sweat & Tears hit: “Spinning Wheel” + “Spinning Wheel version 2” which is the instrumental of the song, and “Haunted House” & “Double Wheel” featured on this single.

Melanie also sang on another Perry-produced duet, "Melting Pot" by The Heaters in 1970.

According to David Katz's book “People Funny Boy: The Genius of Lee 'Scratch' Perry”, Perry and Melanie Jonas had an affair around 1969. When Perry’s wife, Pauline, discovered this, she reportedly stabbed Perry so badly that he had to postpone his first U.K. tour by a month. This caused him to miss the Top of the Pops broadcast of "Return of Django," which was his very first U.K. hit! Instead of having the Upsetters live on set, Top Of The Pops stuck a lame video of the dancing girls of People’s Pan with “Return Of The Django” playing in the background...

Rumours suggest that Pauline had retaliated by having an affair with Toots Hibbert from the Maytals. Incredibly, Perry responded by recording with Melanie the great track "Do You Like It" under the name “Toots”!!

Perry and Pauline remained together for several more years despite all the drama surrounding this affair…

 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 UPSETTERS:

The Upsetters were originally Gladdy's All-Stars, led by pianist Gladstone Anderson, and it was they who originally recorded the international hits "Live Injection" and "Return of Django." The double A-side release of "Return of Django" / "Dollar in the Teeth" peaked at #5 in the UK Singles Chart in November 1969. When other commitments prevented the All-Stars from participating, another band named The Hippy Boys were recruited to do the subsequent tour in the United Kingdom. This line-up remained the studio band most associated with the name, eventually forming the nucleus of Bob Marley's backing band The Wailers.

The band included guitarist Alva Lewis, organist Glen Adams, and brothers Aston "Family Man" Barrett and Carlton Barrett on bass guitar and drums, respectively. Under Lee "Scratch" Perry's direction, the band backed Bob Marley on a near full-time basis, especially with his 1969 works *Soul Rebels* and *Soul Revolution*.

 A SIDE:

Title: "HAUNTED HOUSE"
Artist: THE UPSETTERS
Genre: Early Reggae / Boss Reggae
Written and produced by: Lee "Scratch" Perry

"Haunted House" was originally released in 1970 on the Upsetter label in Jamaica and later on Trojan Records in the UK.

Originally composed as "Spinning Wheel" by David Clayton-Thomas, "Haunted House" transforms the brilliant but weird psych soul jazz funk hit into an even weirder reggae instrumental, driven by syncopated rolling basslines and hypnotic skanking groove.

The track is a wicked Upsetters’ production, blending haunting elements with a driving reggae rhythm…

Pressings of this track are highly sought after by collectors, with prices reflecting its rarity and significance in early Reggae history.

B SIDE: 

Title: "DOUBLE WHEEL"
Artist: THE UPSETTERS
Genre: Early Reggae / Boss reggae
Produced by: Lee "Scratch" Perry

"Double Wheel" was released as a B side to “Haunted House” on the original single and serves as a perfect complement to the A-side.

Like "Haunted House," "Double Wheel" is an instrumental adaptation of the song "Spinning Wheel” similar to the A side but featuring a mesmerizing organ...

Both tracks are prime examples of Lee Perry’s early work before he fully transitioned into the deep, psychedelic dub that would define his later years. This reissue brings these wicked gems back to light, allowing a new generation of Reggae enthusiasts to experience their brilliance.