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Desmond Dekker

Desmond Dekker (Desmond Dacres, 1941–2006): Kingston ska and reggae singer. “Israelites” (UK No. 1, US No. 9, 1969), “007 (Shanty Town),” “It Mek,” “You Can Get It If You Really Want.”

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Kingston

Desmond Adolphus Dacres was born on July 16, 1941, in Saint Andrew Parish, Greater Kingston, and was raised going to church with his grandmother and aunt. After his mother died he lived in St. Mary and St. Thomas, trained as a tailor, then came back to Kingston and worked as a welder. His co-workers heard him singing on the job and pushed him to take it seriously.

Beverley's

In 1961 he auditioned for Coxsone Dodd at Studio One and Duke Reid at Treasure Isle and got turned down by both. Leslie Kong at Beverley's signed him. While he waited on his first release he told Kong about another young welder, Bob Marley, and Marley cut his first songs for Kong in 1962. Dekker's own first hit, "Honour Your Mother and Father," came in 1963, and "King of Ska" made him one of the biggest stars on the island. He formed Desmond Dekker & the Aces with the Howard brothers on backing vocals.

Rude boy

"007 (Shanty Town)" (1967) made him a rude boy hero in Jamaica and a mod favorite in Britain, where it went to No. 14. It later ran on The Harder They Come soundtrack.

Israelites

"Israelites," released in 1968, topped the UK chart in April 1969 and reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 that June, one of the first reggae records to hit in America. "It Mek" went to No. 7 in the UK the same year, and the Jimmy Cliff song "You Can Get It If You Really Want" went to No. 2 in 1970. He moved to England for good in 1969.

Later years

After Kong died in 1971 the hits slowed, but "Israelites" charted again in 1975. In the 2 Tone years he signed to Stiff for Black & Dekker (1980) and the Robert Palmer-produced Compass Point (1981), and in 1993 he cut King of Kings with the Specials. Desmond Dekker died of a heart attack at home in Thornton Heath, south London, on May 25, 2006. He was 64.

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Now playingDesmond Dekker & The Aces - "Israelites" (Official Audio)
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Desmond Dekker & The Aces - "Israelites" (Official Audio)
Desmond Dekker & The Aces - "Israelites" (Official Audio)Trojan Records Official
Desmond Dekker- "Israelites" 1969 (Reelin' In The Years Archive)
Desmond Dekker- "Israelites" 1969 (Reelin' In The Years Archive)ReelinInTheYears66
Desmond Dekker & The Aces - 007 (Official Music Video)
Desmond Dekker & The Aces - 007 (Official Music Video)Trojan Records Official
Desmond Dekker & The Aces - It Mek (Official Audio)
Desmond Dekker & The Aces - It Mek (Official Audio)Trojan Records Official
Desmond Dekker You Can Get It If You Really Want (official audio)
Desmond Dekker You Can Get It If You Really Want (official audio)Trojan Records Official
Every record

Discography

Pulled from Discogs. Titles in yellow have a full page on Breakbeat Archive.

Studio albums 19

  1. 1969This Is Desmond DekkarTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  2. 1969The IsraelitesPyramideBayDiscogs
  3. 1970You Can Get It If You Really WantTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  4. 1975IsraelitesCactuseBayDiscogs
  5. 1980Black And DekkerStiff RecordseBayDiscogs
  6. 1981Compass PointStiff RecordseBayDiscogs
  7. 1984Desmond DekkerScoop 33eBayDiscogs
  8. 1987Officially Live And RareTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  9. 1991King Of SkaTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  10. 1994RevisitedSerengeti RecordseBayDiscogs
  11. 1996Moving OnTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  12. 1997The Original Rude Boy - The Best Of Desmond DekkerMusic ClubeBayDiscogs
  13. 1999Halfway To ParadiseTrojan Records, Trojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  14. 2006...In Memoriam 1941-2006Secret Records LimitedeBayDiscogs
  15. 2006IntensifiedDynamic (9)eBayDiscogs
  16. 2010The King Of SkaSecret RecordseBayDiscogs
  17. 2016Rude Boy SkaSecret Records LimitedeBayDiscogs
  18. 2019From Jamaica To The WorldGold Vinyl, Gold VinyleBayDiscogs
  19. 2024Live At Basins Nightclub 1987Burning Sounds Recordings Ltd.eBayDiscogs

Collaborative albums 1

  1. 1993King Of KingsDesmond Dekker And The Specials · Trojan RecordseBayDiscogs

Compilations 19

  1. 1973Double DekkerTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  2. 1974Greatest HitsAriolaeBayDiscogs
  3. 1978Dekker's Sweet 16 HitsTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  4. 1981ProfileTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  5. 198720 Golden Pieces Of Desmond DekkerBulldog RecordseBayDiscogs
  6. 1988Israelites - 16 Greatest HitsStreetlifeeBayDiscogs
  7. 1989The Best Of & The Rest OfAction Replay RecordseBayDiscogs
  8. 1992Rockin' Steady: The Best Of Desmond DekkerRhino RecordseBayDiscogs
  9. 1992Black And Dekker / Compass PointDojo LimitedeBayDiscogs
  10. 1993The Best Of Desmond DekkerMusic ClubeBayDiscogs
  11. 1996ArchiveRialtoeBayDiscogs
  12. 1996Israelites - The Best Of Desmond DekkerHallmark RecordseBayDiscogs
  13. 2001Anthology: Israelites 1963 to 1999Trojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  14. 2003Rudy Got Soul 1963-1968 The Early Beverley's SessionsTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  15. 2005You Can Get It If You Really Want - The Definitive CollectionTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  16. 2011007 · The Best Of Desmond DekkerTrojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  17. 2021King Of Ska (The Beverley's Records · Ska Singles Collection 1963-1967)Trojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  18. 2023Essential Artist Collection Trojan RecordseBayDiscogs
  19. —Reggae FeverNot On LabeleBayDiscogs
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