Devon Irons originally released 'Ketch Vampire' as a 7" single on Lee Perry's Black Art label in 1976, but the following year Scratch piled on the reverb, added a toast by Dr Alimantado and reissued the whole shebang as, simply, 'Vampire'. The song comments on the then pervasive 'false rasta' phenomenon, where imposters wore dreadlocks as a cover for all manner of nefarious activities.
'...a true Rastaman no fire no long gun, a true Rastaman no throw homemade bomb, a true Rastaman him no drink fi drunk, a true Rastaman do not gamble...'
This peculiar version, from a 2022 Lee Perry compilation, features the 12" mix of 'Vampire' with 'Ketch a Dub', the non-reverbed flip-side of the 1976 7", crudely tacked, after an uncomfortable pause, onto the end. A mighty tune for sure, but quite an odd presentation.
