sold millions of copies, became the first purely Jamaican song to top the Intensified - Wikipedia His 1980 album, "Black and Dekker," featured members of a venerable Jamaican band, the Pioneers, and Graham Parker's band, the Rumour. "When he released Israelites nobody had heard of Bob Marley - he paved the way for all of them.". [2], The disc was released in the UK in March 1969 and was #1 for one week, selling over 250,000 copies. Ironically although he went to worldwide fame his former welding colleague Marley never had a UK number one. The Top 10 Desmond Dekker Songs - Jamaicans.com Tips of My Fingers 5. Desmond Dekker, 64, Pioneer of Jamaican Music, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/27/arts/music/27dekker.html. By 1970 Dekker was living in England, but still worked steadily with Kong. [2] Just over six years after the original release, the song again reached a Top Ten position in the United Kingdom. of the island," wrote journalist Jocelyn Y. Stewart. "007 (song)" redirects here. Desmond Dekker, voice of Jamaica's slums, dies at 64 Desmond Dekker passed away. But that song was treated as a novelty. For Once in My Life (Missing Lyrics) 10. Times Israelites 2. "The song, an ode to the troubles of the poor, "Israelites" brought a Jamaican beat to the British top 40 for the first time since Dekker's #14 hit "007 (Shanty Town)" in 1967. died on May 25, 2006, in London, at the age of 63 or 64. DEKKER,DESMOND - 007: The Best of Desmond Dekker - Amazon.com Music Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. 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. Dekker was divorced and was survived by his son and daughter.[14]. community, and in 1967 his song "0.0.7 (Shanty Town)" He recorded an album called Black & Dekker (1980), which featured his previous hits backed by The Rumour, Graham Parker's backing band and Akrylykz (featuring Roland Gift, later of Fine Young Cannibals). 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. Dekker still performed regularly, and gave what would be his final concert The Aces, originally known as The Four Aces, were a Jamaican vocal group who are best known for their work with Desmond Dekker. Stock Photos from Photos.com, iStockPhotos.com, 123rf. Jamaican patois, helped make his 1969 song "Israelites" an [9][10] Ethnomusicologist Michael Veal identifies "007 (Shanty Town)" as one of the songs that demonstrated the viability of Jamaican music in England.[11]. Los Angeles Times He died peacefully but it still hurts. Roll Call"). "Israelites" was Dekker's only real hit in the United charts in the United States, and opened the ears of the world to the music With "The Israelites," released in Jamaica in December 1968, Mr. Dekker had an international impact. 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. Other successes included 007 (Shanty Town) and Rude Boy Train, which established him as an icon of Jamaica's 1960s rude boy scene - the ska subculture of sharp-suited urban youth who lead violent invasions of dancehall parties. Desmond Dekker performing at London's Brixton Academy in 1985. "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. He won the Jamaican Song Festival in 1968 with "Intensified.". Desmond Dekker Obituary - Death Notice and Service Information Desmond Dekker - YouTube Music He collaborated with the Specials on the 1993 album, King of Kings, which was released under Desmond Dekker and the Specials. He returned to the British charts with "Sing a Little Song" in 1975. 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. 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. 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 . It took two years before Kong let Dekker record a song, and when he did, 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. Albums include The Harder They Come, The Harder They Come, and Tougher Than Tough: The Story of Jamaican Music. Photo Courtesy:Desmond Dekker Reggae Facebook. Desmond Dekker - Israelites Lyrics | Genius Lyrics The Top 14 Jamaican Recipes Searched for by Canadians. 2 in the UK charts. 15 on the British charts. [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. An energetic live performer, he was about to start a European summer tour and was booked to play in Prague next week. considered the genre's first genuine star, but his fame would later View their obituary at Legacy.com Desmond Dekker on Apple Music 1 in Britain and made him a household name [3], The new group recorded a number of Jamaican hits, including "Parents", "Get Up Edina", "This Woman" and "Mount Zion". [3] Despite this, the single was the first UK reggae #1 and among the first to reach the US top ten (peaking at #9). suffering even after independence from Britain. [13] Dubbed "the King of Ska," Desmond Dekker is one of the key artists in the history of Jamaican music. 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". Chicago Tribune "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. Track listing. 007 (Shanty Town) - Wikipedia Dekker recorded the song again for his 1980 album Black and Dekker. He was 64. "He was at his peak fitness, he had this big tour coming up for this summer and he was looking forward to it - and then that was it," Mr Williams said. It was during this period that Desmond Dacres adopted the stage-name of Desmond Dekker. 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. 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". A string of Jamaican hits followed, including "It Pays," "Sinners Come Home" and "Labour for Learning." The 2006 to 2015 line-up for Dekker's backing band, The Aces, who are still performing tribute concerts, includes: This particular line-up also recorded with Dekker on some of his later studio sessions in the 1990s. [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". [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 Leeds just two weeks before his death. 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. [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". version of ska. Desmond Dekker 1. Despite "Israelites" being recorded and released in 1968, the Uni 45 discography shows its cataloguing in 1969. He often sang on the job, which prompted He was 64. This Is Desmond Dekkar Review. 007: The Best of Desmond Dekker - AllMusic In 1962 "Judge Not" and "One Cup Of Coffee" became the first recorded efforts of Marley, who retained gratitude, respect and admiration for Dekker for the rest of his life. Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 25 May 2006)[1] was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. [3], Despite achieving a record deal, it was two years before Dekker saw his first record released. He was 64. 1969. 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 Times "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. Desmond Dekker & The Aces - Israelites (Official Lyrics Video) Its title and lyrics refer to the cool imagery of films such as the James Bond series and Ocean's 11, admired by "rudies". He was 64. The Harder They Come "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. In 1970 Dekker released "You Can Get It If You Really Want", written by Jimmy Cliff, which reached No. Dekker was the first Jamaican artist to have a hit record in the US with Jamaican-style music. Dekker was responsible for bringing Bob Marleys talents to the attention of Kong and the two had several successful collaborations. Problems 9. 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. But a new version of Israelites was released in 1990 and used in television commercials, boosting the star's popularity. his music thanks to Dekker was a native of Kingston, Jamaica's capital, where he was She was saying she needs money and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough. in 1980, and A man of many talents, Desmond Adolphus Dacres, a.k.a. The musician's popularity waned in the late '70s and '80s, and Dekker was declared bankrupt in 1984. New York Times Jamaican Ska Star Desmond Dekker Dies - Billboard [3], Only a single live album was released in the late '80s. They provided the backing vocals on Dekker's major hit "007 (Shanty Town)" as well as the track "Music Like Dirt (Intensified '68)" (the winning song of the 1968 Jamaica Independence Festival Song Contest). Dekker's trademark falsetto, singing lyrics in a [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. 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). (London), May 27, 2006, p. 70; I was his manager and his best friend, I don't think anyone knew how close we were - we go back so far.". of the world. 1972 film Destitute ("slaving for bread") and unkempt ("Shirt dem a-tear up, trousers a-go"), some Rastafarians were tempted to a life of crime ("I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde"). BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Reggae legend Desmond Dekker dies The comeback failed to save him from bankruptcy in 1984, [2] Just over six years after the original release, the song again reached a Top Ten position in the United Kingdom.[2]. Desmond Dekker - It Mek Lyrics | Genius Lyrics [3] Dekker's version uses the same backing track as Cliff's original. 9 in the United States in 1969. 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. It Mek - Wikipedia 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.