03 September 2010

TGIF Rock n Roll Oldies: Desmond Dekker- Israelites 1969


Desmond Dekker was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group -The Aces- he had one of the first international Jamaican hits ever with Israelites (below)- blazing the trail to commercial success while doing much to create a world market for the music of Bob Marley, The Maytals, Jimmy Cliff, and so many others to follow. 

Other major chart hits for Dekker and The Aces include 007 (Shanty Town) in '67 and It Miek in '69. Before the ascent of Bob Marley, Dekker was of course one of the most popular musicians within Jamaica, where he melded his Rastafarian religious beliefs with the "Rude Boy" culture of Kingston's streets.  He then evolved into one of the very best-known Jamaican musicians in the world- and an unlikely Mod hero in England as well. 

Desmond Dekker was the first Jamaican artist to bring a charting single (Israelites) to the United States in 1969... astonishingly making the #9 spot Billboard's Top Ten, leaving many saying "Hey, what is this...?".  

The record even hit #1 in England... the first reggae artist to accomplish that feat as well, this despite the fact that few at the time could understand much of the lyrics through Dekker's heavy Jamaican accent...