Coming from the first Upsetters LP of the same name, ‘Return of Django’ features that tough yet organic Perry sound which launched him onto the world stage. With its instantly recognisable horn line and bouncing bass-driven rhythm, the heavy Upsetters sound quickly became commercially popular, spreading beyond the Jamaican and becoming a cornerstone of the Trojan ska sound.
The tune evokes the swagger and bravado of the perennial western hero, and was inspired by the film Django released a few year prior. The cut was one of a whole series of spaghetti western references from the Upsetters including ‘For A Few Dollars More’ and ‘Eastwood Rides Again’. Perry was quoted in Black Music magazine in 1977 saying, “When I created that feeling (“Return Of Django”), Jamaica wasn’t ready for it yet. But Jamaican people like action and I’m a lover of movies and my favorite star was Django. I was just basing it off a theory, so any cowboy could be Django. Like we see a film and we name the star Django because he’s a rude boy. He had some bad deal and now he’s coming back to bad it up. Like three or four guys beat him up, but him still tough, so him come and fight another day, you know?”
This was recorded at a time where Perry was moving from ska to reggae, and indeed it was one of the first hits in the genre. The track inspired a young singer named Bob Marley to make the shift from the soulful early sounds of the Wailers to the emerging sound of rocksteady reggae. Soon after hearing the tune, Marley is known to have inducted the rhythm section who played on the tune, Aston “Family Man” Barrett and Carlton Barrett. The track was a big hit internationally, particularly with the skinhead/rudeboy scene in the UK and managed to reach number 5 on the UK singles chart.
This tune is still a ska staple for many current selectors, and with the influx of ex-UK selectors in Wellington specialising in ska and rocksteady, the tune remains an absolute anthem of the genre.
More info:
Return of Django on Discogs
