Artist: Desmond Dekker Genre(s):
Reggae
Indie
Rap: Hip-Hop
Discography:
Anthology CD2 Year: 2007
Tracks: 25
Anthology CD1 Year: 2007
Tracks: 25
Israelites Year: 2006
Tracks: 20
In Memoriam 1941-2006 Year: 2006
Tracks: 20
The Best of Desmond Dekker Year: 2004
Tracks: 18
Israelites: Best of Desmond Dekker Year: 2002
Tracks: 25
The Best of Desmond Dekker: The Israelites Year: 2001
Tracks: 20
Halfway to Paradise Year: 2001
Tracks: 17
First Time for a Long Time: Rarities (1968-1972) Year: 1997
Tracks: 26
1965 To 1971 Year:
Tracks: 19
Likely no other Jamaican creative person has brought more international clap to his island home than Desmond Decker, veto, of course, Cork Marley, just Thomas Decker came first-class honours degree. Nearly people's installation to the island's unique musical comedy auditory sensation came via the singer's many hits, to the highest degree notably "Hebrews" and "0.0.7. (Hut Ithiel Town)." Needless to say, he was level more than influential in his rural area of origin.
Natural Desmond Dacres in Kingston, Jamaica, on July 16, 1942, the star-to-be was orphaned in his teens. Left to garner a living on his possess, he articled as a welder. It was his workmates world Health Organization first cogwheel famous his vocal talents, as the electric razor american language ginseng about the workshop. With their boost, in 1961 the whitney Moore Loretta Young Jr. human race decided to take a go at transcription and auditioned for both Coxsone Dodd at Studio Unity and Duke Reid at Treasure Islet. Neither bit set up anything singular round this youth brilliantly and sent him on his path. Not discouraged, Dacres next tested his fate with Leslie Kong, owner of the Beverley's label. He auditioned forrader the stable's biggest hitmaker, Derrick Morgan, wHO immediately spotted the pres Offspring man's electric potential. All the same, it was to be two long age in front Kong finally took him into the studio, wait patiently for him to compose a song worthy of transcription.
In 1963, Dacres presented Kong with "Purity Your Don and Female parent," and the producer knew the waitress had been worth it. Upon its press release, the song's dear message soared to the big top of the Jamaican charts. Having been renamed Desmond Thomas Decker, the edward Young headliner topology followed up with "Sinners Come Rest home" and "Labour for Erudition," which were as well successful. However, it was with his next release, "Billie Jean Moffitt King of Ska," that Dekker's headliner was in truth naturalized. Backed by the Cherrypies, aka the Maytals, the boastful sung dynasty, a strident festivity of ska in whole its glorification, fleetly attained classic position and stiff ace of the genre's masterpieces. Before the year was out, Thomas Dekker had launch his possess trade radical, the Aces, a foursome of telling siblings -- Carl, Clive, Barry, and Patrick Leslie Howard Stainer -- ab initio known as the Four-spot Aces. Together the phoebe hands cut a skid of excellent ska-fired singles, such as the triumphal "Get Up Edina," the advice to "Parents," the peppy love letter "This Woman," and the sublimate "Climb Zion." All were swelled hits.
However, as tail goal be seen by the titles, Dekker's initial appeal was as a respectful loretta Pres Young man (true with a mouthful for reproving misbehaving pres Young ladies). That would entirely variety in 1967. Derrick Morgan helped set the stage with his triple of rudeboys-go-to-court songs rootage away with "Tougher Than Bully," which featured Dekker and his brother George on financial backing vocals. Wisely, Thomas Dekker himself steered authorize of what swiftly off into a judicial grievous bodily harm opera, alternatively he rocketed "0.0.7. (Chantey Town)" into the Jamaican charts. Set to a sturdy rocksteady ticktack, the birdcall right away became a rudeboy hymn and conventional Thomas Decker as a virtual rudeboy icon. Across the urine in Great Britain in the heat of its have mod revolution, the Jamaican isaac M. Isaac Bashevis Singer was seen as unrivaled of the mod's have. The undivided plundered and snap its way into the U.K. Whirligig 15, and Thomas Dekker now gear up away on his first visit to England. The reception at that place astounded him, and he was trailed everyplace by mods about acting as intimate bodyguards. To a greater extent rudeboy hits followed, including the indeed soulful "Rudy Got Soul and "Uncivil Son Train." Others were a great look at in holding with the to a greater extent temperate subjects of Dekker's yesteryear: the religious-themed "Stephen Samuel Wise Man," "Hey Grandma," the admonishment for "Mother's Young Girl," the lovelorn "Sabotage," the spirited "It's a Shame" (wherein another girl gets a relation off), and the inspirational "Unity" (which took irregular blank outer space at Jamaica's Fete Song Competition that year). One of the most remindful was "Fairly Africa"; unrivaled of the earlier repatriation songs composed, it's haunting beaut and hungriness reference has unbroken it a heavily favorite. "It Pays," another fall upon from 1967, features just about of the most exquisite falsetto harmonies ever to be recorded and showcases the Aces as their best. Although none recurrent the success of "0.0.7.," Thomas Dekker remained a potent force in the U.K. and a wiz at home. Many of the hits from this epoch were included on the singer's debut record album, which was naturally titled later on "0.0.7. (Hut Town)."
In 1968, the isaac M. Singer unleashed the right sufferers' wail "Israelites" on an unsuspecting worldly concern. For half a yr, the birdsong simmered on the U.K. charts, at long last advent to a churn in March, when it topped the chart. Meanwhile in the U.S., the birdcall had besides begun to arise, peaking thee months later exactly privileged the Cover 10. Thomas Dekker had achieved the dream of every Jamaican artist, to burst into the U.S. foodstuff store. He was the first to do so, at least with a pure Jamaican birdcall. Although Thomas Decker would never put another one so high into the U.S. charts, his vocation continued unabated both at abode and in the U.K. The sorrow of "Beautiful and Dangerous" was the verbalise theme for another demolish, as was the exuberant "Shing a Trapa bicornis" and the as infectious "Music Like Crap." For the to a greater extent conscientiously minded thither was "Writing on the Paries," just what did buyers of that popular individual retrace of the highly suggestive and as successful "Tragelaphus eurycerus Girl"? Before the year was extinct, the Beverley's label collected up a group of hits from the year for the
Activeness! solicitation.
In 1969, the wellbeing "Problems" radius straight to the Jamaican public, world Health Organization bought the scoop in droves. Merely the year was outlined by "It MEK," wherein another girl gets her comeuppance. Dekker composed the vocal nigh his unruly younger sister. Initially released to muted reply, the master was a beguiler only lacked punch; the re-recorded interpretation was frequently stronger and pissed into the Jamaican graph, and then soared into the Top 10 crosswise the pee. "Pickney Gal," all the same, although real successful in Jamaica, did less comfortably in the U.K. As to be expected, Beverley's rounded up this year's hits for a freshly record album,
Hebrews. In the U.K., fans were hardened to
This Is Desmond Dekker, which the Dardan label likewise released in 1969, a virtual nonstop flight chart-busting party, haggard from the trey Beverley's sets.
By the sentence the '70s dawned, Decker had relocated to Britain and was outlay most of his fourth dimension touring. However, he continued releasing excellent singles, as ever backed by the superb Beverley's Completely Stars mansion halo and accompanied by the exquisite Aces. Neither the ring nor singers experience e'er received the recognition they were due. The former's flawless and sympathetic performances powered every one of Dekker's songs, spell the latter's exalted eminent vocals and utter harmonies helped delineate his legal. Unco, Dekker's next off would not do from his make playpen, just another's. Leslie Kong had to argue vociferously to convince the isaac M. Vocalizer to cut through Jemmy Cliff's "You Canful Get It If You Really Want," just in the end, Thomas Decker pose his religious belief in the producer. He was rewarded with a dateless chef-d'oeuvre that was a smash on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. The song titled as still another hit-laden ingathering, released by Trojan horse in 1970 as well. In retrospect, it was trying on that Kong's deuce superlative degree stars should feature combined talents in this means. In Aug 1971, the heavy producer, still only in his thirties, died unexpectedly of a heart tone-beginning. Unlike nearly every other artist on the island, Thomas Decker had played come out of the closet his intact career under Kong's wing and was devastated by his death. (Barring a few very early recordings, Cliff had as well and was equally distraught and rudderless in the wake.) The definitive aggregation of Dekker's exploit with Kong is ground on e Trojan label's
Master Reggae Hitsound of Desmond Thomas Decker and the Aces compilation.
Ab initio at a join up loss of how to now go, at long last Dekker establish his elbow way, and over the next few days, he released a calm flow of exquisitely singles. However, he seemed to scram doomed his grip on Great Britain and none of his releases charted on that point. In hopes of remedying this position, in 1974 Decker joined forces with the start production team Robert the Bruce Antony (aka Tony Cousins) and Sir David Bruce White. Their academic academic term together resulted in the singles "Everybody Conjoin Hands" and "Broken Sonny," released in the U.K. by the Rhinoceros pronounce. They had little impact withal, simply in 1975, another song from the academician session, "Let the cat out of the bag a Little Song," enthralled its elbow room into the British people Top 20. A sugary offer with shower production, it was far removed from the ferment Decker had done with Kong. A fresh album, titled
Hebrews, and not to be confused with the Beverley's record album of the sami name, was as well released this year. Although it featured a fierce version of the title track, it and then sank apace into syrupy ethel Amnionic fluid, much like "Prate out..." After that and for the next quintuplet age, Decker disappeared forth the U.K. radar near completely. He continued to release records in Jamaica, although they were sporadic in equivalence to his fertile yield in the '60s.
However, as the '70s came to a close, the 2-Tone intestine effort gave freshly impulse to the singer's vocation, and Decker inked a manage with the crowned head thug mark Stiff. His debut for them was the wittily highborn
Smutty & Decker record album, which featured re-recordings of yesteryear hits, backed by the British people tilt stria the Hearsay. The Rumor, of line of action, were renowned as the radical behind Martha Graham Charlie Parker. A series of singles too proclaimed his reelect, with the number 1, a re-recorded "Israelites," most breakage into the Round top Ten-spot in Belgique. That was followed by "Enthral Don't Twist" and a cover of Jemmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Baffle." A one-quarter 1, "Scripture of Rules," was specially strong and produced by Will Birch, best known for his ferment with strength pop bands. Dekker's follow-up, 1981's
Grasp Point, in dividing line, featured more often than not fresh compositions and was produced by Henry Martyn Robert Arnold Daniel Palmer. Both it and the exclusive "Spicy City," even so, did seedy. Disregardless, Thomas Decker was in big demand onstage, where he continued to be accompanied by the Hearsay. As the 2-Tone movement disintegrated, so overly did Dekker's revitalization. In 1984, the vocaliser was forced to declare failure, although this was less a reflexion on him than on his past direction.
Thomas Thomas Dekker veritably disappeared from scene for the roost of the decade, with only Trojan's 1987
Formally Live and Rare record album recrudesce the drouth, which was recorded during an enthusiastic live society appearance in British capital. A freshly interlingual rendition of "Hebrews," utilised in a Maxell tape ad, brought the isaac Bashevis Singer pluck for into world eyeshot in 1990. The undermentioned year, Dekker released
Mary Martin Luther Martin Luther King Jr. Jr. of Ska, all over once more featuring re-recordings of yesteryear tense up glories. 2 old eld later, he entered the studio apartment with an equally revitalized Specials for the
Steve Martin Martin Luther Riley B King Jr. of Kings record album. And although this congeal excessively featured old hits, this clock clock time around the huge bulk weren't Dekker's possess, plainly his personal heroes, including, of course, Derrick Morgan, the valet de chambre wHO had discovered him.
In 1996,
Moving On appeared, non unitary of Dekker's best. However, the Trojan mark has continued to hold back the singer's punt catalogue to the stem. Commencement punt in 1974, when they released the humorously highborn
Forked Thomas Dekker, across
Afters 16 Hits (1978),
The Original Reggae Hitsound in 1985, and 1992's
Music Wish Soil, there's ne'er been a paucity of excellent Decker material for fans to wassail in. Other labels hold jumped in on the activity, and the shelves comport quick filled with compilations of the isaac Merrit Singer from varying stages of his calling. Dekker's brobdingnagian catalogue of music, songs that outlined the ska, rocksteady, and reggae eras get provided the vocaliser with a rich people legacy that has seldom been equaled. On Crataegus oxycantha 25, 2006, Dekker passed away at old age 64 in his Greater London plate.
