This release is exceptional for a couple of reasons…
“Fever” and its version “Influenza Dub” were released together around 1974 (exact year unknown but it has been registered for copyrights in 1974) in Jamaica only on the Upsetter label under the name Suzan Cardogan.
This is therefore the very first release on 7” vinyl of these two Reggae masterpieces outside of Jamaica!
Secondly, this is the very first reissue of the original single on 7” vinyl, finally making these two exceptional and popular tracks available again in their original iconic format.
The original Jamaican pressings are now quite rare, expensive and highly in demand among collectors and Reggae enthusiasts alike.
Fever
Originally issued on Jamaican Upsetter 7" singles under the name Suzan Cardogan.
Written by Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell (as John Davenport), first recorded by Little Willie John in 1956, and made into an international standard by Peggy Lee in 1958.
Susan Cadogan’s Reggae interpretation, produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry, is exceptional in the way it transforms a jazz torch ballad into a sultry reggae anthem. Susan delicate yet sensual vocal delivery floats over Perry’s stripped-down, bass-heavy rhythm.
Among the hundreds of versions of “Fever,” Cadogan’s stands out as the definitive reggae interpretation, praised for its intimacy and hypnotic atmosphere.
Influenza Dub
This is the version counterpart to “Fever”, recorded by The Upsetters and produced by Perry in the early 1970s (exact year unknown but it has been registered or copyrights in 1972). Perry deconstructed the rhythm, removing most of the vocals, pushing bass and drums forward, and layering echo and reverb. The result is a slow, haunting, immersive soundscape that exemplifies Perry’s pioneering dub style. It is regarded as one of the early top tracks of dub experimentation.
About Susan Cadogan
Susan Ann Cadogan was born in 1951 in Kingston, Jamaica, a daughter of Rev. Claude Cadogan and Lola Cadogan, a gospel singer who had released several Christian music records. Susan took up a position as a librarian at the University of the West Indies near Kingston.
Her path to music began through a schoolfriend whose boyfriend, local DJ Jerry Lewis, recognized Susan’s vocal talent and arranged a recording session. By chance, Lee "Scratch" Perry was in the studio that day. Impressed by her voice, Perry invited her to record materials for an album, which included several standout tracks “Hurt So Good”, “Do It Baby (Nice And Easy)”, “I Keep On Loving You” and of course… “Fever”. "Hurt So Good" a cover of Millie Jackson's soul hit, flopped in Jamaica but was released in the UK on the DIP label and topped the UK reggae chart. She would enjoy one more UK chart entry in 1975 with “Love Me Baby” which reached number 22.
Susan returned to her role as a librarian, recording from time to time only and re-emerged in 1981, scoring a series of Jamaican hits with soulful reggae renditions of classics like “Tracks of My Tears” and “Piece of My Heart.” In 1982, her duet with Ruddy Thomas — a Reggae cover of “You Know How to Make Me Feel So Good” — dominated the UK Black chart for eight consecutive weeks.
Susan continued to record throughout the 1990s and beyond including a couple of albums produced by Mad Professor on Ariwa Records.
Today, Susan Cadogan, remains an icon of romantic Reggae performing regularly on the UK reggae circuit, at festivals and cultural events...
About Lee 'Scratch' Perry
Rainford Hugh “Lee Scratch” Perry was born on 20 March 1936 in Kendal, Hanover, Jamaica, the 3rd child of Henry Perry and Ina Davies from whom he inherited deep Yoruba spiritual traditions…
At fifteen, he left school to work as a labourer helping building Negril’s first road before a mystical vision of stones guided him to Kingston where he apprenticed as a record seller for Clement “Coxsone” Dodd. He moved up and soon recorded nearly thirty tracks at Studio One.
After financial and creative clashes, he moved to Joe Gibbs’s Amalgamated Records, refining his craft but still chafing at constraints. After more financial and creative clashes, he founded the Upsetter Records label and in 1968 released “People Funny Boy,” which was a musical dig at Gibbs and catalysed the shift from Rocksteady to Reggae.
From 1968 to 1972, he recorded intensively with his studio band the Upsetter and released lots of records. Many of his tracks were big hits in Jamaica and in the UK—his instrumental “The Return of Django” even made the British top five in 1969.
He quickly became famous for his creative studio techniques and his eccentric personality.
Perry produced several early songs and albums for Bob Marley and the Wailers, including the albums Soul Rebels and Soul Revolution in the early 1970s.
Perry’s sonic experiments with Dub unveiled on “Blackboard Jungle Dub,” where echo chambers became instruments. His back yard Black Ark Studio, built in 1973, served as a four‐track laboratory for Dub and revolutionary productions. There he crafted dub landmarks such as “Super Ape,” “Disco Devil,” and the evocative “Roast Fish & Cornbread.” He produced iconic Reggae tracks, including Junior Murvin’s “Police and Thieves” and Max Romeo’s “Chase the Devil.”
Perry’s eccentric genius attracted The Heptones, The Congos, and Delroy Wilson to his sessions. In the late ’70s, he produced the music for two Linda McCartney tracks, merging rock and reggae. Keith Richards joined Perry on “Book of Moses” and other tracks… UK punk icons The Clash cut their own “Police and Thieves,” influenced by Perry’s style, while the Beastie Boys featured him on “Dr. Lee, PhD.” Just to name a few.
Jamaica honoured him with the Order of Distinction for his transformative contributions to music and culture. Lee “Scratch” Perry passed away on 29 August 2021, leaving a legacy of sonic alchemy that forever reshaped Jamaican music and beyond.
Tracklist
A. Marcia Griffiths - Fever
B. The Upsetters - Influenza Dub
