He lived for his music and his children. This early religious upbringing, as well as Dekker's enjoyment of singing hymns, led to a lifelong religious commitment. 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)". 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". Photo Highlights: Protoje takes Hope Gardens A Matter of Time Live, The Top 100 Reggae Songs From 1962 2017. Jamaican patois, helped make his 1969 song "Israelites" an Like many of Mr. Dekker's songs, it carried a message. The Jamaican rhythm of ska had already generated hits in the United States, notably Millie Small's 1964 hit, "My Boy Lollipop." Dekker was responsible for bringing Bob Marleys talents to the attention of Kong and the two had several successful collaborations. Mr Dekker, who was divorced with a son and a daughter, played his last gig at Leeds University on May 11. States, but it reached No. Dekker became associated with bluebeat, a more uptempo Born Desmond Adolphus Dacres, July 16, c. 1941, in Kingston, Jamaica; died Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 25 May 2006)[1] was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. May 25, 2006 - Desmond Dekker was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres on July 16th 1941 in Saint Andrew Parrish, Kingston, Jamaica. You got wildlife and thing like that because it down near the beach. Singer. "007 (Shanty Town)" has been called "the most enduring and archetypal" rude boy song. 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 . On the 22 August 1970 edition of American top 40, Casey Kasem claimed that Dekker had more than 40 #1 records in Jamaica. His first contract was with Leslie Kongs Beverleys label. [2] Just over six years after the original release, the song again reached a Top Ten position in the United Kingdom. [9] Desmond headlined Jools Holland's 2003 Annual Hootenanny. Rude. His mother had passed away from a young age. The musician's popularity waned in the late '70s and '80s, and Dekker was declared bankrupt in 1984. [3] Dekker's version uses the same backing track as Cliff's original. Mr. Dekker's songs were rediscovered, and he was signed by Madness's label, Stiff Records. Dubbed "the King of Ska," Desmond Dekker is one of the key artists in the history of Jamaican music. Desmond Dekker, who has died of a heart attack aged 64 in Surrey, was one of the first Jamaican vocalists to make a significant impact outside the land of his birth. [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. The comeback failed to save him from bankruptcy in 1984, born in 1941 or 1942. [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]. 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"). From a child he regularly attended the local church with his grandmother and aunt. of London obituary noted. With "The Israelites," released in Jamaica in December 1968, Mr. Dekker had an international impact. . Thomas. 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. Despite declining sales, Dekker remained a popular live performer and continued to tour with The Rumour. He had 10 studio albums, 25 compilation albums, and 47 singles during his career. considered the genre's first genuine star, but his fame would later By 1971 the line-up had changed again, with Barry Howard now rejoined by Carl Hall. This Is Desmond Dekkar Review. Several more hits followed, and Dekker became a major "Desmond was the first legend, believe it or not," he said. He often sang on the job, which prompted [3] Despite this, the single was the first UK reggae #1 and among the first to reach the US top ten (peaking at #9). 15 on the British charts. ", He added: "I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye properly.". The artist died on May 25, 2006, of a heart attack at his home in Thorton Heath in the Croydon Borough of London. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' Black and Dekker UK ska-punk band Sonic Boom Six used a sample of the chorus as the outro to "Rum Little Skallywag". [11] In June 1969 it reached the Top Ten in the United States, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. [2] Just over six years after the original release, the song again reached a Top Ten position in the United Kingdom.[2]. But his success started to wane by the end of the 70s and early 80s and he was declared bankrupt in 1984. [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. 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. comparisons between Jamaica's poor and the beleaguered Israelites 1 in Britain and No. Desmond Dekker performing at London's Brixton Academy in 1985. A man of many talents, Desmond Adolphus Dacres, a.k.a. A few "Honour Your Father and Mother" reached the No. He had another hit in 1969, "It Mek," and a year later The chords of the guitar accompaniment are played on the offbeat and move through the tonic chord [B flat], the subdominant [E flat], the dominant [F], and the occasional [D flat],[5] viz, [B flat] - [E flat] - [F] - [B flat] - [D flat]. "He died peacefully but it still hurts. his music thanks to He was a Jamaican Ska, Rocksteady and Reggae singer. Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 - 25 May 2006) [1] was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. 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. released the song "You Can Get It If You Really Want." "Israelites" was Dekker's only real hit in the United Survivors include 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. In 2000 he released the album "Halfway to Paradise." He died on 24 May 2006 in Thornton Heath, London, England, UK. hotspot in 2005, "which was almost completely people under In 1980, Dekker released a new recording of the song on UK label Stiff Records, performed in an uptempo Two Tone style. His fans included the Beatles, who namechecked him in the lyrics to The initial line-up of The Aces consisted of Clive Campbell, Barry Howard, Carl Howard, and Patrick Howard. He was also a songwriter and a musician as well. 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". Dekker was born on 16 July 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica, and began his working life as a welder before turning to singing full-time. Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 - 25 May 2006) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. 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. 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. Born Desmond Dacres in Kingston, Jamaica on July 16, 1942, the star-to-be was orphaned in his teens. [1] The group came to the attention of Dekker, who supported them when they auditioned for Leslie Kong at Beverley's studio in 1965. Intensified is an album by Desmond Dekker & the Aces released in 1970. Mr. Dekker had a total of 20 No. "independence in 1962 had bestowed a new cultural confidence, Mr. Kong produced Mr. Dekker's first single, "Honour Thy Father and Mother," in 1963, and it reached No. Desmond Dekker 5/2006. [1] Kong employed the group as backing singers for Dekker and they can be heard on the song "Get Up . of the world. "When he released Israelites nobody had heard of Bob Marley - he paved the way for all of them.". He returned to the British charts with "Sing a Little Song" in 1975. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. View their obituary at Legacy.com On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Early Life "The Israelites," with its biblical imagery of suffering and redemption, showed the world reggae's combination of danceable rhythm and serious, sometimes spiritual intentions. This was followed by the release of the tracks "Sinners Come Home" and "Labour for Learning". It was during this period that Desmond Dacres adopted the stage-name of Desmond Dekker. teens had found work as a welder. offbeat." "Honour Thy Father and Mother" was released in Britain in 1964 on Chris Blackwell's Island label, which would later release Bob Marley's albums. expressed in the growth of ska, a mix of imported rhythm and blues and Me said a it mek - mek you pop yu bitta gall. sold millions of copies, became the first purely Jamaican song to top the 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. [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. Desmond Dekker passed away. 17,029 pages were read in the last minute. Desmond Dekker, the Jamaican singer whose 1969 hit, "The Israelites," opened up a worldwide audience for reggae, died on Wednesday. pioneer Desmond Dekker dominated Jamaica's pop charts in the 1960s, 1972 film But that song was treated as a novelty. The vocal melody is syncopated and is centred on the tone of B flat. The song's title is Jamaican patois meaning "that's why" or "that's the reason. [3] In 2003 a reissue of The Harder They Come soundtrack featured "Israelites" and "007 (Shanty Town)". wider renown. and performed with his backing band, the Four Aces. What sweet nanny goat a go run him belly good. When he released Israelites nobody had heard of Bob Marley - he paved the way for all of them.". career, "Israelites," was released in December of 1968 and [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 was the first Jamaican artist to have a hit record in the US with Jamaican-style music. An instrumental figure in the development of ska and its slightly mellower cousin, rocksteady, Dekker was also one the first reggae performers to break big in the U.K., laying the groundwork for that country's late 1970s 2 Tone movement. [1] Little more was heard from the group until 1982 when they released "One Way Street". tribute, was evident in a sold-out show Dekker played at a Hollywood 2, p. 11; The 7 Breakfast Dishes Every Jamaican Should Know How Jamaican Men Say Thank You to another Jamaican How Jamaicans Greet You When They Have Not Seen You 20 English Words That Sound Better In Jamaican Patois. Desmond Dekker, 64, Pioneer of Jamaican Music, Dies, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/27/arts/music/27dekker.html. I was his manager and his best friend. "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. Jamaican Ska Star Desmond Dekker Dies - Billboard version of ska. He moved to the UK in the 70s and recorded the hit You Can Get It If You Really Want, written by Jimmy Cliff. Desmond Dekker was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Tips of My Fingers 5. Los Angeles Times When Kong died in 1971, Dekker's career faltered, and the hits suffering even after independence from Britain. years later the track became the signature song for the groundbreaking charts in the United States, and opened the ears of the world to the music Mr Dekker was born Desmond Dacres on July 16, 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica, and started working life as a welder before turning to singing full-time. He briefly had an apprenticeship as a tailor before working as a welder. It hit #1 in the United Kingdom,[12] the Netherlands, Jamaica, South Africa, Canada, Sweden and West Germany. Along with Bob . Jamaican music, and Dekker was at its cutting edge," his [7], "007" was Dekker's first international hit. Desmond Dekker was born on 16 July 1941 in Kingston, Jamaica. migrating across the Atlantic along with a growing West Indian expatriate more rural part of the island, but returned to Kingston and by his late 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. Meanwhile, Dekker spotted the talent of Bob Marley, a fellow welder, and brought the youth to Kong's attention. Los Angeles Times a year later. Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "It Mek" (1969) and "You Can Get It If You Really Want" (1970). Dekker recorded the song again for his 1980 album Black and Dekker. Nincom Poop 8. lament, whose lyrics Dekker had written in his head while walking in a the resurgence of ska in England, and top-selling bands like Madness and and became one of his country's first recording stars to achieve "It is such a shock, I don't think I will ever get over this," he said. (London), May 27, 2006, p. 70; [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. [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". The song is a lament of this condition. Israelites 2. Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. jazz elements, combined with such local forms as calypso and mento and introduced Marley to the record label executives who shaped his own Times 1 hits in Jamaica. 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. 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. 63K views 4 years ago A reggae hit in 1969 for Desmond Dekker and the Aces. Their song "Working on it Night and Day", entered the pop charts in 1973. [2] It spent eleven weeks in the UK chart, and by September 1970 had sold over a million copies worldwide. Dekker still performed regularly, and gave what would be his final concert 1 spot on [2] A gold record was presented by Ember Records, the distributors of Dekker's recordings.[2]. His impact on music, record-company veteran Roger 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. 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]. of the island," wrote Ska legend Desmond Dekker has died suddenly from a heart attack, his manager said today. 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". He died after collapsing from a heart attack at his home in Surrey, England, his manager, Delroy Williams, told Reuters. 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.
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