"Chase the Devil" is a

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

song, recorded in 1976 by

Max Romeo Maxwell Livingston Smith (22 November 1944 – 11 April 2025), known professionally as Max Romeo, was a Jamaican reggae and roots reggae recording musician who achieved chart success in his home country and in the United Kingdom. He had several ...

, with the backing of

Lee "Scratch" Perry Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, songwriter and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development ...

house band A house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play at an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to bands which ...

The Upsetters The Upsetters was the name given to the house band for Jamaican reggae producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. The name of the band comes from Perry's nickname of Upsetter, after his song "I Am the Upsetter", a musical dismissal of his former boss Coxs ...

Background

Composed by Perry and Romeo, "Chase the Devil" was released on the album ''

War Ina Babylon ''War Ina Babylon'' is a studio album by Max Romeo and Lee Perry's backing band the Upsetters, released in 1976. Along with the Heptones' '' Party Time'' and Junior Murvin's '' Police and Thieves'', both released in 1977, this album is a part of ...

'' in 1976. Also in 1976, The Upsetters recorded a version with different lyrics. The track, called "Croaking Lizard" and credited to The Upsetters and

Prince Jazzbo Linval Roy Carter (3 September 1951 – 11 September 2013), better known as Prince Jazzbo, was a Jamaican reggae and dancehall Deejay (Jamaican), deejay and record producer, producer. Career Born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, and raised in King ...

, was included in their album '' Super Ape''. Later, Perry made a dub remix of both versions, called "Disco Devil". In a BBC interview recorded in 2010 Romeo describes the meaning of the song. He explains that the devil is everything negative in our minds, the iron shirt is our strength of spirit that allows us to cast out the devil.

Track listing

*7" UK Single :A. Max Romeo – "Chase the Devil" :B.

featuring

– "Croaking Lizard" *7" French Single :A. "Chase the Devil" – 3:25 :B. "One Step Forward (Oye Oye Reggae)" – 5:00

Cover versions

* The line "'I'm gonna send him to outer space to find another race" was sampled in " Out of Space" by

The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured Rapping, MC and vocalist Maxim (musician), Maxim, dancer and occasi ...

(1992). *

Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer and record producer. One of the most prominent figures in hip-hop, he is known for his varying musical style and polarizing cultural and political commentary. After ...

has used resung samples from "Chase the Devil" to produce

Jay Z Shawn Corey Carter (born December 4, 1969), known professionally as Jay-Z, is an American rapper, businessman, and record executive. Rooted in East Coast hip-hop, he was named the greatest rapper of all time by ''Billboard'' and '' Vibe'' i ...

's song "Lucifer", which appeared on Jay Z's 2003 release, '' The Black Album''. * Madness covered the song for their cover album, '' The Dangermen Sessions Vol. 1'', released in 2005. *

Dreadzone Dreadzone are a British electronic music group formed in 1993 in London by ex-Big Audio Dynamite drummer Greg Roberts and musician Tim Bran. They have released nine studio albums, two live albums, and two compilations. They gained a reputatio ...

sampled the song for their 2006 track "Iron Shirt". *

Earl Sixteen Earl Sixteen (born Earl John Daley, 9 May 1958)Gregory, Andy (2002) ''International Who's Who in Popular Music 2002'', Europa, , p. 152 is a Jamaican reggae singer whose career began in the mid-1970s. Biography Daley grew up in Waltham Park R ...

covered the song in 2008: other reggae acts who have recorded their own versions include

Macka B Christopher MacFarlane, better known as Macka B, (born 1966) is a British-born Jamaican reggae artist, performer and activist with a career spanning thirty years and one of Britain's most influential dancehall DJs. As a practicing Rastaman, Ma ...

, Susan Cadogan and

Mad Professor Neil Joseph Stephen Fraser (born 27 March 1955, Georgetown, Guyana) known by his stage-name Mad Professor, is a British dub music producer, engineer and remixer. He has collaborated with reggae artists Lee "Scratch" Perry, Sly and Robbie, ...

References

External links

* Max Romeo & The Upsetters: * The Upsetters feat.

: * Lee Perry & The Full Experiences: {{authority control 1976 singles 1976 songs Jamaican reggae songs Songs written by Lee "Scratch" Perry Songs written by Max Romeo Madness (band) songs