Dekker spent his early formative years in Kingston, the capital of Jamaica. Dekker, who lived in England, co [1] Little more was heard from the group until 1982 when they released "One Way Street". The song was his only United States hit, but it was a turning point for Jamaican music among international listeners. "007 (Shanty Town)" was included in the soundtrack of the film The Harder They Come,[13] and in the Grand Theft Auto IV soundtrack from the Episodes from Liberty City add-on. Born Desmond Dacres in 1941, Dekker worked as a welder in Kingston before signing with Leslie Kong's Beverley's record label and releasing his first single, "Honor Your Father and Your Mother," in . 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. Notable groups who have covered "007 (Shanty Town)" include: The song has been sampled by Special Ed ("I'm the Magnificent") and Shaggy ("Bonafide Girl"). I don't think anyone knew how close we were - we go back so far. [3] 1969 saw the release of "It Mek", which became a hit both in Jamaica and the UK. The musician's popularity waned in the late '70s and '80s, and Dekker was declared bankrupt in 1984. Me said a it mek - mek you pop yu bitta gall. "Israelites" was Dekker's only real hit in the United He was preparing to headline The World Music Festival in Prague. His lyrics drew The song established Dekker as a rude boy icon in Jamaica and also became a favourite dance track for the young working-class men and women of the United Kingdom's mod scene. And it just get out of controlIs just a typical riot 'cause I say - Them a loot, them a shoot, them a wail. Dekker's next album, Compass Point (1981), was produced by Robert Palmer. 2 in the UK charts. This double disc set features every major UK and Jamaican chart hit by the first King of Reggae, all sourced from the original analog master tapes. career, "Israelites," was released in December of 1968 and By the end of the decade, Mr. Dekker had won the Golden Trophy award, presented annually to Jamaica's top singer, five times and was known as the King of Bluebeat. His 1980 album, "Black and Dekker," featured members of a venerable Jamaican band, the Pioneers, and Graham Parker's band, the Rumour. "Israelites" is a song written by Desmond Dekker and Leslie Kong that became a hit for Dekker's group, Desmond Dekker & The Aces,[2] reaching the top of the charts in numerous countries in 1969. even the most obscure ones.". 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"). 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. 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. community, and in 1967 his song "0.0.7 (Shanty Town)" 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.After being re-released in June 1969, the single reached number 7 in the UK Singles Chart. Jamaican patois, helped make his 1969 song "Israelites" an [2] The single featured Roland Alphonso's "El Torro" on the B-side.[2]. He died on 24 May 2006 in Thornton Heath, London, England, UK. Born Desmond Adolphus Dacres, July 16, c. 1941, in Kingston, Jamaica; died A global million sales was reported in June 1969. Dekker wrote the song after watching news coverage of a student demonstration against government plans to build an industrial complex on land close to the beach, which descended into violence. But that song was treated as a novelty. Desmond Dekker, was born in Jamaica's 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. The obituary was featured in Legacy on May 26, 2006. May 25, 2006 - Desmond Dekker was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres on July 16th 1941 in Saint Andrew Parrish, Kingston, Jamaica. [2], The disc was released in the UK in March 1969 and was #1 for one week, selling over 250,000 copies. When he released Israelites nobody had heard of Bob Marley - he paved the way for all of them.". Most recently, it featured on the soundtrack of the 2019 film Vivarium. [2] The Aces continued to record under their own name (without Dekker) and had a Jamaican hit in 1970 with "Mademoiselle Ninette". Left to earn a living on his own, he apprenticed as a welder. It was taken from an album of similar re-recordings of his old hits, Black & Dekker. "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. Roll Call"). 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 . sold millions of copies, became the first purely Jamaican song to top the The Harder They Come The artist died on May 25, 2006, of a heart attack at his home in Thorton Heath in the Croydon Borough of London. . the Jamaican charts. Photo Highlights: Protoje takes Hope Gardens A Matter of Time Live, The Top 100 Reggae Songs From 1962 2017. Los Angeles Times the film introduced Jamaica's vibrant musical culture to the rest By 1971 the line-up had changed again, with Barry Howard now rejoined by Carl Hall. He moved to the UK in the 70s and recorded the hit You Can Get It If You Really Want, written by Jimmy Cliff. But a new version of Israelites was released in 1990 and used in television commercials, boosting the star's popularity. an ex-wife and a son and daughter, but Dekker was mourned by several The artist took a permanent residency in the UK in 1969. A man of many talents, Desmond Adolphus Dacres, a.k.a. The music began From a very young age he would regularly attend the local church with his grandmother and aunt. Photo Courtesy:Desmond Dekker Reggae Facebook. "It was an exciting time in On the 22 August 1970 edition of American top 40, Casey Kasem claimed that Dekker had more than 40 #1 records in Jamaica. lament, whose lyrics Dekker had written in his head while walking in a This was followed by the release of the tracks "Sinners Come Home" and "Labour for Learning". I was his manager and his best friend, I don't think anyone knew how close we were - we go back so far.". Its title and lyrics refer to the cool imagery of films such as the James Bond series and Ocean's 11, admired by "rudies". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [11] In 1984 he was declared bankrupt. [1] The group came to the attention of Dekker, who supported them when they auditioned for Leslie Kong at Beverley's studio in 1965. Dekker soon garnered a wider audience with his songs, which were recorded On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. 1 in Britain and No. Mark Lamarr, presenter of BBC Radio 2's Reggae Show, said: "He probably was the first reggae superstar to have hits outside Jamaica in the US and UK. , May 27, 2006, p. B17; His last concert was at Leeds Metropolitan University on 11 May. By the time I got home, it was complete. I dig you out and you're cool, girl. made it into the Top Ten on the U.S. singles chart the following year. Anyone can read what you share. Three years later, Mr. Dekker had his first British Top 20 hit with "007 (Shanty Town)," a tale of rude-boy ghetto violence "Dem a loot, dem a shoot, dem a wail" sung in a thick patois, which Americans would hear later as part of the soundtrack to the film "The Harder They Come" in 1972. migrating across the Atlantic along with a growing West Indian expatriate 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. Times The Top 14 Jamaican Recipes Searched for by Canadians. "007 (song)" redirects here. [2] Just over six years after the original release, the song again reached a Top Ten position in the United Kingdom.[2]. He had another hit in 1969, "It Mek," and a year later 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. The rhythm had been featured by Anthony B in 2008 on The Pow Pow Trilogy, ("Time For The Love"). "Israelites" brought a Jamaican beat to the British top 40 for the first time since Dekker's #14 hit "007 (Shanty Town)" in 1967. Dekker still performed regularly, and gave what would be his final concert He moved to the UK in the '70s, later recording the hit You Can Get It If You Really Want, written by Jimmy Cliff. [3] Dekker's version uses the same backing track as Cliff's original. comparisons between Jamaica's poor and the beleaguered Israelites 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. 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. Mr Williams said Dekker had led the way for reggae stars such as Bob Marley. released the song "You Can Get It If You Really Want." [1] Kong employed the group as backing singers for Dekker and they can be heard on the song "Get Up . [13] Rock it to me, children. He was a composer, known for Fool's Gold (2008), Idiocracy (2006) and Forgetting Sarah Marshall (2008). He suffered a heart attack and Desmond Dekker performing at London's Brixton Academy in 1985. Eventually in 1963 Kong chose "Honour Your Mother and Father" (written by Dekker and the song that Dekker had sung in his Kong audition two years earlier), which became a Jamaican hit and established Dekker's musical career. [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. He was renowned for his earliest reggae hit internationally 'Israelites.' He died at the age of Sixty Four years. This early religious upbringing, as well as Dekker's enjoyment of singing hymns, led to a lifelong religious commitment. Several more hits followed, and Dekker became a major a year later. His mother had passed away from a young age. Mr. Dekker had a total of 20 No. The movie's hero, played by Jimmy Cliff, sang it this time, and [9] Desmond headlined Jools Holland's 2003 Annual Hootenanny. In 1970 Dekker released "You Can Get It If You Really Want", written by Jimmy Cliff, which reached No. The two had met 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". expressed in the growth of ska, a mix of imported rhythm and blues and [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". teens had found work as a welder. [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. their ska-inflected hit "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da." He was also a songwriter and a musician as well. It was during this period that Desmond Dacres adopted the stage-name of Desmond Dekker. He was 9 in the United States in 1969. In 1975 "Israelites" was re-released and became a UK top 10 hit for a second time. Many of his and became one of his country's first recording stars to achieve Mr. Kong produced Mr. Dekker's first single, "Honour Thy Father and Mother," in 1963, and it reached No. An energetic live performer, he was about to start a European summer tour and was booked to play in Prague next week. Desmond Dekker, who brought the sound of Jamaican ska to the world with songs such as "Israelites," has died, his manager said Friday. 1 hits in Jamaica. Free shipping for many products! died on May 25, 2006, in London, at the age of 63 or 64. It took two years before Kong let Dekker record a song, and when he did, It was his workmates who first noted his vocal talents, as the youngster sang around the workshop. This Is Desmond Dekkar Review. With the release of Israelites, Dekker became the first Jamaican artist to score a hit in the United States. Desmond Dekker, 64, Pioneer of Jamaican Music, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/27/arts/music/27dekker.html. park one day, was a homage to Jamaica's underclass, who were still The 64-year-old Jamaican, best known for his 1969 smash hit Israelites, collapsed at his home in Surrey. Singer. Jamaican Ska Star Desmond Dekker Dies - Billboard 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 Ostensibly a reissue of his 1969 U.K. LP of 1966-1968 recordings, which had . Desmond Dekker passed away. His manager and best friend, Delroy Williams, said he had seen the singer and songwriter the night before and he had seemed fine. Search instead in Creative? [2] In 1993, the Specials reunited and backed up Mr. Dekker on the album "King of Kings," with remakes of ska hits. [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". [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. [2] Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating popcorn. Ska legend Desmond Dekker has died suddenly from a heart attack, his manager said today. charts in the United States, and opened the ears of the world to the music 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. His fourth hit, "King of Ska" (backing vocals by The Cherrypies, also known as The Maytals), made him into one of the island's biggest stars. "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. 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. Mr. Dekker was divorced and is survived by a son and daughter. 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. Dekker was initially reluctant to record the track but was eventually persuaded to do so by Leslie Kong. 63K views 4 years ago A reggae hit in 1969 for Desmond Dekker and the Aces. "007 (Shanty Town)" has been called "the most enduring and archetypal" rude boy song. 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. Dekker was a native of Kingston, Jamaica's capital, where he was Dekker's own songs did not go to the extremes of many other popular rude boy songs, which reflected the violence and social problems associated with ghetto life, though he did introduce lyrics that resonated with the rude boys, starting with one of his best-known songs, "007 (Shanty Town)". [2][12], 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. of the island," wrote 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. Singer. "The song, an ode to the troubles of the poor, 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). You got wildlife and thing like that because it down near the beach. "Desmond was the first legend, believe it or not. 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. His workplace singing had drawn the attention of his co-workers, who encouraged him to pursue a career in music. The comeback failed to save him from bankruptcy in 1984, Desmond Dekker, the Jamaican singer whose 1969 hit, "The Israelites," opened up a worldwide audience for reggae, died on Wednesday. Survivors include And the higher ones wanted to bulldoze the whole thing down and do their own thing and the students said no way. The most successful track of his He won the Jamaican Song Festival in 1968 with "Intensified.". "independence in 1962 had bestowed a new cultural confidence, "007 (Shanty Town)" is a 1967 rocksteady song by Jamaican band Desmond Dekker and the Aces, released as a single from their debut album of the same name. Problems 9. Early Life 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". States, but it reached No. [3], Despite achieving a record deal, it was two years before Dekker saw his first record released. more rural part of the island, but returned to Kingston and by his late My Father lived with his Grandmother along with his Father in Kingston. At the time of his death, he was preparing as the headliner of a world music festival in Prague.