Desmond Dekker - Cultural Jamaican Musical Talisman - uDiscover Music Early Life LONDON (AP) - Desmond Dekker, who brought the sound of Jamaican ska music to the world with hits such as "Israelites," has died, his manager said Friday. The initial line-up of The Aces consisted of Clive Campbell, Barry Howard, Carl Howard, and Patrick Howard. [1] The group came to the attention of Dekker, who supported them when they auditioned for Leslie Kong at Beverley's studio in 1965. [2] Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating popcorn. [2] While at St. Thomas, Dekker embarked on an apprenticeship as a tailor before returning to Kingston, where he became a welder. Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 - 25 May 2006) [1] was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. It was one of the first reggae songs to become an international hit, despite Dekker's strong Jamaican accent which made his lyrics difficult to understand for many listeners outside Jamaica.[10]. charts in the United States, and opened the ears of the world to the music Photo Courtesy:Desmond Dekker Reggae Facebook. [4] "007 (Shanty Town)" was a top 15 hit in the UK and his UK concerts were attended by a large following of mods wherever he played. version of ska. Albums include The Harder They Come, The Harder They Come, and Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music. 15 on the British charts. community, and in 1967 his song "0.0.7 (Shanty Town)" Mr. Dekker was divorced and is survived by a son and daughter. This was the sense used in the song's lyrics, which metaphorically tell of the problems that happens when someone (such as a lover) goes too far. This was followed by the release of the tracks "Sinners Come Home" and "Labour for Learning". Dekker, whose 1969 hit Israelites was the first reggae song to top the UK charts, collapsed at his Surrey home. "[4], The song also deals with a 'rude boy' who after being released from prison continues to commit crime. I don't think anyone knew how close we were - we go back so far. He had been due to perform at the Respect Festival in Prague on 2 June, and numerous dates across Europe . "Desmond Dekker and the Aces: Artist Chart History", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=It_Mek&oldid=1057544344, Short description is different from Wikidata, Single chart usages for Belgium (Flanders), Single chart usages for Belgium (Wallonia), Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 28 November 2021, at 07:27. In the 1960s, Jamaican Rastafarians were largely marginalized as "cultish" and ostracized from the larger society, including by the more conservative Christian church in Kingston. [5] Many of the hits from this era came from his debut album, 007 (Shanty Town). 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. Mr Dekker, who was divorced with a son and a daughter, played his last gig at Leeds University on May 11. "I saw him live dozens of times and he couldn't do a bad show - he was always magnificent.". Later that decade, however, there was a revival of interest in the resurgence of ska in England, and top-selling bands like Madness and Ska legend Desmond Dekker has died suddenly from a heart attack, his manager said today. Dekker had also begun working on new material with the production duo Bruce Anthony in 1974. Desmond Dekker Biography, Songs, & Albums | AllMusic Desmond Dekker, the orphan who trained as a welder alongside one Robert Marley and led the march of Jamaican music on to the global charts, has died aged 64. Orphaned at an early age, he was sent to live in a [1] By 1967, the only remaining members were Barry Howard and Winston Samuels and it was their backing vocals that featured on Dekker's track, "Israelites". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Despite declining sales, Dekker remained a popular live performer and continued to tour with The Rumour. Originally issued in Jamaica as "Poor Me Israelites",[7] it remains the best known Jamaican reggae hit to reach the United States Hot 100's top 10,[5] and was written almost two years after Dekker first made his mark with the rude boy song "007 (Shanty Town)". Desmond Dekker Biography, Life, Interesting Facts - Famous Birthdays By Los Angeles Times Free shipping for many products! 007: The Best of Desmond Dekker - AllMusic The 64-year-old Jamaican, best known for his 1969 smash hit Israelites, collapsed at his home in Surrey yesterday morning. For the secondary James Bond theme, see, O'Brien Chang, Kevin & Chen, Wayne (1998), Soundtrack for the ages: 40 Years of Harder They Come, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=007_(Shanty_Town)&oldid=1099693912, This page was last edited on 22 July 2022, at 03:53. journalist Jocelyn Y. Stewart. his music thanks to characterised by a fast, metronomic tempo and a strongly accented Track Listing - Disc 1 Track Listing - Disc 2 blue highlight denotes track pick of London obituary noted. The movie's hero, played by Jimmy Cliff, sang it this time, and Reggae legend, Dekker, dies - The New York Times [1], The original recording of "007" (without the 'Shanty Town') was produced by Leslie Kong and originally released as a single on the Pyramid label. the film introduced Jamaica's vibrant musical culture to the rest Several more hits followed, and Dekker became a major The Aces (Jamaican group) - Wikipedia "Israelites" brought a Jamaican beat to the British top 40 for the first time since Dekker's #14 hit "007 (Shanty Town)" in 1967. When Kong died in 1971, Dekker's career faltered, and the hits BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Reggae legend Desmond Dekker dies ", He added: "People like Desmond Dekker only come along once in a lifetime. [7], "007" was Dekker's first international hit. [1] The track was written by Dekker (under his real name of Desmond Dacres) and his record producer, Leslie Kong, and was recorded in Jamaica with the brass accompaniment added in the UK. A global million sales was reported in June 1969. Singer. At the time of his death, he was preparing as the headliner of a world music festival in Prague. His mother had passed away from a young age. "007 (Shanty Town)" has been called "the most enduring and archetypal" rude boy song. It Mek (sometimes appearing as "A It Mek" or German language "It Miek") was a 1969 hit song by the Jamaican musicians Desmond Dekker & the Aces. The song would return to the British charts in 1975 and was reissued as a single after being used in a commercial for Maxell recording tape in 1990. His first contract was with Leslie Kongs Beverleys label. The track was written by Dekker (under his real name of Desmond Dacres) and his record producer, Leslie Kong, and was recorded in Jamaica with the brass . The most successful track of his [1] Dekker's international success led to him touring overseas, although The Aces did not accompany him due to Samuels refusal to fly (Samuels stating that "Rastas did not fly on iron birds") and Barry Howard's decision to emigrate to the United States. Desmond Adolphus Dacres - Born in Saint Andrew Parish Kingston Jamaica 16th July 1941. Mr Williams described the singer as a private person who would go back to Jamaica from time to time but only to see his family rather than to perform: "He wasn't out there like other stars partying all the time, he just did his job. [3] In Dekker's words: "The students had a demonstration and it went all the way around to Four Shore Road and down to Shanty Town. The Jamaican rhythm of ska had already generated hits in the United States, notably Millie Small's 1964 hit, "My Boy Lollipop." Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Israelites (Official Lyrics Video) Trojan Records Official 109K subscribers Subscribe 40K Share 3.5M views 3 years ago #Pyramid #Israelites #rocksteady Between 1967. [3], Despite achieving a record deal, it was two years before Dekker saw his first record released. Desmond Dekker was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. , May 27, 2006, sec. of the biblical era. years earlier, when both worked as welders in Kingston, and Dekker The [2] From a child he regularly attended the local church with his grandmother and aunt. the Specials considered him their musical hero. The music began ", Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, Unflagging performer Desmond Dekker. 2, p. 11; introduced Marley to the record label executives who shaped his own 63K views 4 years ago A reggae hit in 1969 for Desmond Dekker and the Aces. [3], In 1968 Dekker's "Israelites" was released, eventually topping the UK Singles Chart in April 1969 and peaking in the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1969. Two Desmond Dekker was born on 16 July 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica. [1] Kong employed the group as backing singers for Dekker and they can be heard on the song "Get Up . "The Israelites" reached No. Photograph: PA. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Chicago Tribune Dekker was a native of Kingston, Jamaica's capital, where he was He was due to perform at the Respect festival in Prague on June 2, before heading on to Switzerland, Ireland, Poland, Belgium and London. Copyright Simbis Inc.All rights reserved. of the island," wrote Times "When he released Israelites nobody had heard of Bob Marley - he paved the way for all of them.". He was a composer, known for Fool's Gold (2008), Idiocracy (2006) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). [12][13], Dekker died of a heart attack on 25 May 2006, at his home in Thornton Heath in the London Borough of Croydon, England, aged 64[3] and was buried at Streatham Park Cemetery. Dekker was the first Jamaican artist to have a hit record in the US with Jamaican-style music. Together with his backing group The Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had one of the earliest international reggae hits with "Israelites" (1968). It hit #1 in the United Kingdom,[12] the Netherlands, Jamaica, South Africa, Canada, Sweden and West Germany. A man of many talents, Desmond Adolphus Dacres, a.k.a. their ska-inflected hit "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." Mr. Dekker's songs were rediscovered, and he was signed by Madness's label, Stiff Records. Rock it to me, children. Jamaican Spiced Easter Bun Recipe: Kerri-Anns 9 Side Dishes Jamaicans Serve with Jerk Chicken, The 6 Soups Every Jamaican Should Know How to Cook. New York Times [1] Little more was heard from the group until 1982 when they released "One Way Street". By 1971 the line-up had changed again, with Barry Howard now rejoined by Carl Hall. [8] The single was a number one hit in Jamaica and reached number 14 on the UK Singles Chart, making it the first Jamaican-produced record to reach the UK top 20. The punk era of the late 1970's brought with it an English revival of ska by groups like Madness and the Specials. "The song, an ode to the troubles of the poor, Steffens told Stewart in the Search instead in Creative? The British hitmaker Robert Palmer produced Mr. Dekker's next album, "Compass Point," in 1981. Roll Call"). Compass Point Israelites (song) - Wikipedia Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "It Mek" (1969) and "You Can Get It If You Really Want" (1970). I heard a couple arguing about money. The artist died on May 25, 2006, of a heart attack at his home in Thorton Heath in the Croydon Borough of London. Desmond Dekker - Rate Your Music It was his workmates who first noted his vocal talents, as the youngster sang around the workshop. Desmond Dekker - Israelites (Official Music Video) Weedy Weed Smoker 7.04K subscribers Subscribe 349K views 5 years ago Music video by Desmond Dekker performing Israelites. It was taken from an album of similar re-recordings of his old hits, Black & Dekker. Like many of Mr. Dekker's songs, it carried a message. For Once in My Life (Missing Lyrics) 10. The "007" riddim was revived in 2007 for a series of releases on Beverley's Records, forming the basis of singles from Joseph Cotton ("Ship Sail"), Mike Brooks ("Blam Blam Blam"), The Blackstones ("Out a Road"), and Dennis Alcapone ("D.J. He was preparing to headline The World Music Festival in Prague. Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Israelites (Official Lyrics Video) Desmond Dekker, voice of Jamaica's slums, dies at 64 "[8] The title has been the source of speculation,[9] but most settle on the Rastafarian Movement's association with the Twelve Tribes of Israel. more rural part of the island, but returned to Kingston and by his late [3], The new group recorded a number of Jamaican hits, including "Parents", "Get Up Edina", "This Woman" and "Mount Zion". But a new version of Israelites was released in 1990 and used in television commercials, boosting the star's popularity. [2] The Aces continued to record under their own name (without Dekker) and had a Jamaican hit in 1970 with "Mademoiselle Ninette". [1], Jamaica Independence Festival Song Contest, "Jamaica Ska Legend Winston Samuels Is Dead - News Americas NowCaribbean and Latin America Daily News", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Aces_(Jamaican_group)&oldid=1117842044, Easton Barrington "Barry" Howard (19651969), Winston James Samuels (left 1969, died 2017), This page was last edited on 23 October 2022, at 21:37. Desmond Dekker - It Mek Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Together with his backing group The Aces, he had one of the earliest international reggae hits with "Israelites". He found fame with his band Desmond Dekker and the Aces - their international hit Israelites topped the UK charts and made the top 10 in the US. Sung in Jamaican creole, some of the song's lyrics were not readily understood by many British and American listeners at the time of its release. made it into the Top Ten on the U.S. singles chart the following year. The song has appeared in numerous movies and television programs,[14] including the soundtracks of the 1989 American film Drugstore Cowboy and the 2010 British film Made in Dagenham. Survivors include The unsigned vocalist then auditioned for Leslie Kong's Beverley's record label and was awarded his first recording contract. Jamaican patois, helped make his 1969 song "Israelites" an On November 3, 2019, "Israelites" was prominently featured in the third episode of HBO's Watchmen. Dekker became associated with bluebeat, a more uptempo 007 (Shanty Town) - Wikipedia Previously divorced, he was survived by a son and daughter. 007: The Best of Desmond Dekker is a two-disc collection that features 25 classic hits from Dekker's catalog, as well as another 25 rare and unreleased sides including alternate takes of some of the artist's fan favorites of the '60s and '70s. In 1970 Dekker released "You Can Get It If You Really Want", written by Jimmy Cliff, which reached No. The song's title is Jamaican patois meaning "that's why" or "that's the reason. Potentially because of this usage, the song charted again, entering the Billboard Digital Reggae Song Sales Chart at #2.[15]. Incudes 'Israelites', '007 (Shanty Town)', 'It Miek', 'You Can Get It If You Really Want' and 'Sing a Litte Song'. In 1967 he appeared on Derrick Morgan's "Tougher Than Tough", which helped begin a trend of popular songs commenting on the rude boy subculture which was rooted in Jamaican ghetto life where opportunities for advancement were limited and life was economically difficult. Showing Editorial results for desmond dekker. Kong, whose music production skills had been a crucial part of both Dekker's and Cliff's careers, died in 1971, affecting the careers of both artists for a short period of time. "Israelites" was Dekker's only real hit in the United Other hits include "007", "It Mek" and "You Can Get It If You Really Want". [5] Despite its cautionary sentiment, it cemented Dekker's popularity among rude boys in Jamaica,[2][6] in contrast to Dekker's earlier music, which espoused traditional morals such as parental respect and the importance of education. It was also a hit for Musical Youth in 1983. "007 (Shanty Town)" was included in the soundtrack for Chocolate Skateboard's Las Nueve Vidas De Paco (1995), during the segment of professional skater Keenan Milton. "I was telling people not to give up as things will get better," he said in a interview last year for the Set the Tone 67 Web site. [10], In 1969 Dekker took permanent residency in the UK. Join our newsletter to get the latest articles, news, & videos. Dekker, whose 1969 hit Israelites was the first reggae song to top the UK charts, collapsed at his Surrey home. and became one of his country's first recording stars to achieve career. "independence in 1962 had bestowed a new cultural confidence, The artist took a permanent residency in the UK in 1969. [3] In 2003 a reissue of The Harder They Come soundtrack featured "Israelites" and "007 (Shanty Town)". Los Angeles Times Desmond Dekker, who brought the sound of Jamaican ska to the world with songs such as "Israelites," has died, his manager said Friday. be eclipsed by another Jamaican, reggae artist Bob Marley. I dig you out and you're cool, girl. [7] A re-recorded version of "Israelites" was released in 1980 on the Stiff label, followed by other new recordings: Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross" and "Book of Rules". An energetic live performer, he was about to start a European summer tour and was booked to play in Prague next week. Dekker recorded on the Pyramid record label, and when its catalogue was acquired by Cactus Records in 1975, "Israelites" was re-issued in a first-time stereo mix. producers turned him down before Leslie Kong signed Dekker to his label in As a teenager he worked in a welding shop alongside Bob Marley and auditioned unsuccessfully for various producers until Mr. Marley encouraged him to try out for his own first producer, Leslie Kong. "The Israelites" was the peak of Mr. Dekker's extensive career, selling more than a million copies worldwide. This Is Desmond Dekkar Review. My Father lived with his Grandmother along with his Father in Kingston. Together with his backing group The Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had one of the earliest international reggae hits with "Israelites" (1968). Born Desmond Adolphus Dacres, July 16, c. 1941, in Kingston, Jamaica; died of a heart attack, May 25, 2006, in London, England. "[3] According to the liner notes for the Dekker compilation album Rockin' Steady The Best of Desmond Dekker the phrase was also used as a schoolyard taunt roughly meaning "that's what you get." A . , May 30, 2006, p. B7. Desmond Dekker in Comanche Park video Sony Records (1994), Saint Andrew Parish (Greater Kingston), Jamaica, Jamaica Independence Festival Song Contest, "Desmond Dekker - full Official Chart History", "Desmond Dekker Top Songs / Chart Singles Discography", "British certifications Desmond Dekker", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Desmond_Dekker&oldid=1133815021, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in Jamaican English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Aubrey Mulrain keyboard player and session musician, Steve Roberts guitarist and session musician (also a member of the British band Dubzone), Stan Samuel guitarist and session musician, Charles Nelson keyboard player and session musician, Delroy Williams Vocals (also featuring guests Winston 'Mr Fix It' Francis and Glenroy Oakley from Greyhound 'Black & White'), Gordon Mulrain bass guitarist and session musician, Learoy Green drums, backing vocals and session musician, Bryan Campbell Keyboard player and session musician, Steve Baker Guitarist, backing vocals, peripatetic guitar teacher and session guitarist. Desmond Dekker Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information a year later. It took two years before Kong let Dekker record a song, and when he did, Intensified is an album by Desmond Dekker & the Aces released in 1970. which Dekker admitted was the result of a swindle by his former manager. years later the track became the signature song for the groundbreaking And the higher ones wanted to bulldoze the whole thing down and do their own thing and the students said no way. "007 (song)" redirects here. Jamaican Ska Star Desmond Dekker Dies - Billboard [1] The group came to the attention of Dekker, who supported them when they auditioned for Leslie Kong at Beverley's studio in 1965. He was also a songwriter and a musician as well. [4] It combined the Rastafarian religion with rude boy concerns,[5] to make what has been described as a "timeless masterpiece that knew no boundaries".[6]. "It is such a shock, I don't think I will ever get over this," he said. in Leeds just two weeks before his death. Paul McCartney slipped Mr. Dekker's first name into the lyrics to the Beatles' ska song, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," on "The Beatles" (also known as the White Album) in 1968, the year Mr. Dekker moved to England. He was a Jamaican Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae singer. and performed with his backing band, the Four Aces. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. He was 64. All tracks composed by Desmond Dekker; except where indicated "It Mek" (Dekker, Leslie Kong) - 1:40 "Too Much Too Soon" (Dekker, Leslie Kong) - 2:38 "Coconut Water" - 3:27 "Sweet Music" - 2:29