[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. Washington Post [13] ", He added: "People like Desmond Dekker only come along once in a lifetime. A string of hits followed with "Reggae Motion", "Take a Look", "Oh I Miss You", "Call Me Number One", "Be My Baby", and "Sad Sad Song". In 1990 "Israelites" was used in a Maxell TV advert that became popular and brought the song and artist back to the attention of the general public. Ska legend Desmond Dekker has died suddenly from a heart attack, his manager said today. 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. Dekker, who lived in England, co That same year saw the release of "Beautiful and Dangerous", "Writing on the Wall", "Music Like Dirt (Intensified '68)" (which won the 1968 Jamaica Independence Festival Song Contest), "Bongo Girl" and "Shing a Ling". [6] Dekker also released "Problems" and "Pickney Gal", both of which were popular in Jamaica, although only "Pickney Gal" managed to chart in the UK top 50.[3]. "They know all the words to his songs, He was 64. By the 1980s, he was signed to Stiff Records and his music created a short-term revival of ska, but he was bankrupt by 1984. He was a composer, known for Fool's Gold (2008), Idiocracy (2006) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). of the biblical era. The song's title is Jamaican patois meaning "that's why" or "that's the reason. 1969. His mother had passed away from a young age. an ex-wife and a son and daughter, but Dekker was mourned by several and performed with his backing band, the Four Aces. [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". The themes of Dekker's songs during the first four years of his career dealt with the moral, cultural and social issues of mainstream Jamaican culture: respect for one's parents ("Honour Your Mother and Father"), religious morality ("Sinners Come Home") and education ("Labour for Learning"). "007 (Shanty Town)" has been called "the most enduring and archetypal" rude boy song. released the song "You Can Get It If You Really Want." of the island," wrote Dekker's last gig was in Leeds on 11 May (Photo: egigs.co.uk), Dekker's hits included Israelites, It Mek and 007 (Shanty Town), The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites, BBC Radio 2's Mark Lamarr pays tribute to Desmond Dekker. and became one of his country's first recording stars to achieve Dekker soon garnered a wider audience with his songs, which were recorded This early religious upbringing, as well as Dekker's enjoyment of singing hymns, led to a lifelong religious commitment. Desmond Dekker, the Jamaican singer whose 1969 hit, "The Israelites," opened up a worldwide audience for reggae, died on Wednesday. a year later. By the time I got home, it was complete. "I saw him live dozens of times and he couldn't do a bad show - he was always magnificent.". "The song, an ode to the troubles of the poor, In 1975 "Israelites" was re-released and became a UK top 10 hit for a second time. His manager and best friend, Delroy Williams, said he had seen the singer and songwriter the night before and he had seemed fine. Mr Dekker, who was divorced with a son and a daughter, played his last gig at Leeds University on May 11. Desmond Adolphus Dacres - Born in Saint Andrew Parish Kingston Jamaica 16th July 1941. Desmond Dekker discography and songs: Music profile for Desmond Dekker, born 16 July 1941. Desmond Dekker, was born in Jamaicas Saint Andrew Parish on July 16, 1941, and was an early influencer with one of the earliest reggae hits, Israelites. The ska, reggae and rock steady singer, songwriter and musician was introduced to music through the local church he attended as a child. "Israelites" was Dekker's only real hit in the United 1961. The [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. In 2000 he released the album "Halfway to Paradise." Mr. Dekker was named Desmond Adolphus Dacres when he was born in Kingston, Jamaica, in 1941. 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). 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. A series of songs including "Rude Boy Train" and "Rudie Got Soul" made Mr. Dekker a hero of Jamaica's rough urban "rude boy" culture. He had been due to perform at the Respect Festival in Prague on 2 June, and numerous dates across Europe . Also founder & MD of popular Reggae and Ska Tribute/backing band, Paul Abraham Guitarist and backing vocals, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 17:21. 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. 9 in the United States in 1969. But that song was treated as a novelty. Dekker still performed regularly, and gave what would be his final concert "independence in 1962 had bestowed a new cultural confidence, Most recently, it featured on the soundtrack of the 2019 film Vivarium. He moved to the UK in the '70s, later recording the hit You Can Get It If You Really Want, written by Jimmy Cliff. He was orphaned as a teenager but made a success for himself after signing with Leslie Kong's Beverley's record label and releasing his first single, Honour Your Father and Mother, in 1963, a paean. 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).Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "It Mek" (1969) and "You Can Get It If You Really . By 1970 Dekker was living in England, but still worked steadily with Kong. version of ska. He was preparing to headline The World Music Festival in Prague. introduced Marley to the record label executives who shaped his own Their song "Working on it Night and Day", entered the pop charts in 1973. I dig you out and you're cool, girl. Desmond Adolphus Dacres was born in Saint Andrew Parish (Greater Kingston), Jamaica, on 16 July 1941. the Specials considered him their musical hero. Dekker then recruited four brothers, Carl, Patrick, Clive and Barry Howard, as his permanent backing vocalists to perform with him under the name Desmond Dekker and the Aces. [3], Dekker continued to release rude boy songs such as "Rude Boy Train" and "Rudie Got Soul", as well as mainstream cultural songs like "It's a Shame", "Wise Man", "Hey Grandma", "Unity", "If It Pays", "Mother's Young Girl", "Sabotage" and "Pretty Africa". Black and Dekker his music thanks to May 25, 2006 - Desmond Dekker was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres on July 16th 1941 in Saint Andrew Parrish, Kingston, Jamaica. Ostensibly a reissue of his 1969 U.K. LP of 1966-1968 recordings, which had . Several more hits followed, and Dekker became a major Desmond Adolphus Dacres (Desmond Dekker), singer and songwriter, born July 16 1941; died May 25 2006, Jamaican singer best known for The Israelites and It Miek, he helped launch the career of Bob Marley, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. He suffered a heart attack and From a very young age he would regularly attend the local church with his grandmother and aunt. 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. He was also a songwriter and a musician as well. From a young age he regularly attended the local church with his grandmother and aunt. made it into the Top Ten on the U.S. singles chart the following year. He collaborated with the Specials on the 1993 album, King of Kings, which was released under Desmond Dekker and the Specials. Despite declining sales, Dekker remained a popular live performer and continued to tour with The Rumour. List of number-one singles from the 1960s (UK), List of 1960s one-hit wonders in the United States, "Israelites / The Man - Desmond Dekker & The Aces", "Desmond Dekker & The Aces, Beverley's All Stars - Poor Me Israelites / Fly Right", Desmond Dekker and the Aces Israelites", The Irish Charts Search Results Israelites", "Desmond Dekker & the Aces: Artist Chart History", "Desmond Dekker The Aces Chart History (Hot 100)", Offiziellecharts.de Desmond Dekker and the Aces Israelites", "British single certifications Desmond Dekker & The Aces Israelites", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Israelites_(song)&oldid=1134128754, Short description is different from Wikidata, Single chart usages for Belgium (Flanders), Single chart usages for Belgium (Wallonia), Certification Table Entry usages for United Kingdom, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming figures, Pages using certification Table Entry with streaming footnote, Articles with MusicBrainz release group identifiers, Articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, "My Precious World (The Man)" by Beverley's All Stars, This page was last edited on 17 January 2023, at 03:48. Desmond Dekker unleashed a flood of fine singles across the '60s and early '70s, all under the aegis of producer Leslie Kong.Taking a chance on an untried youngster barely into his teens, who'd already been shown the door by Coxsone Dodd and Duke Reid, Kong nurtured Dekker to international stardom, only to die suddenly in 1971, two years after the singer's breakthrough. [2] Just over six years after the original release, the song again reached a Top Ten position in the United Kingdom. In 1975 this collaboration resulted in the release of "Sing a Little Song", which charted in the UK top twenty; this was to be his last UK hit. What sweet nanny goat a go run him belly good. Browse 99 desmond dekker stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. [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]. 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. Nincom Poop 8. Singer. Jamaican music, and Dekker was at its cutting edge," his lament, whose lyrics Dekker had written in his head while walking in a Desmond Dekker, who brought the sound of Jamaican ska to the world with songs such as "Israelites," has died, his manager said Friday. 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. 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. 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. celebrity on the island and throughout the Caribbean. Like many of Mr. Dekker's songs, it carried a message. [3], The new group recorded a number of Jamaican hits, including "Parents", "Get Up Edina", "This Woman" and "Mount Zion". Born Desmond Adolphus Dacres, July 16, c. 1941, in Kingston, Jamaica; died This Is Desmond Dekkar Review. Dekker was born on 16 July 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica, and began his working life as a welder before turning to singing full-time. born in 1941 or 1942. It was his workmates who first noted his vocal talents, as the youngster sang around the workshop. Although newcomers should be directed to Trojan's 1997 best-of, The Original Rude Boy, among the many retrospectives, fans of Dekker and original Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and founding reggae are well served by this narrowly focused CD. , May 27, 2006, sec. The 64-year-old Jamaican, best known for his 1969 smash hit Israelites, collapsed at his home in Surrey yesterday morning. 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. Los Angeles Times Early Life You got wildlife and thing like that because it down near the beach. [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. Los Angeles Times [1] The group came to the attention of Dekker, who supported them when they auditioned for Leslie Kong at Beverley's studio in 1965. But his success started to wane by the end of the 70s and early 80s and he was declared bankrupt in 1984. [1] Kong employed the group as backing singers for Dekker and they can be heard on the song "Get Up Adinah" (credited as The Four Aces). When Maxell used Israelites in a TV commercial, it propelled Dekker and his music back into the spotlight. 2 in the UK charts. UK ska-punk band Sonic Boom Six used a sample of the chorus as the outro to "Rum Little Skallywag". ", He added: "I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye properly.". He continued to tour regularly; his final concert was on May 11 at Leeds University. Desmond Dekker, 64, Pioneer of Jamaican Music, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/27/arts/music/27dekker.html. "Desmond was the first legend, believe it or not. [3] In 1972 the rude boy film The Harder They Come was released and Dekker's "007 (Shanty Town)" was featured on the soundtrack along with Cliff's version of "You Can Get It If You Really Want", as well as other Jamaican artists' hits, giving reggae more international exposure and preparing the way for Bob Marley. Albums include The Harder They Come, The Harder They Come, and Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music. Mr. Dekker was divorced and is survived by a son and daughter. . He returned to the British charts with "Sing a Little Song" in 1975. [2] While at St. Thomas, Dekker embarked on an apprenticeship as a tailor before returning to Kingston, where he became a welder.