by Robert Wilkinson
Kicking off our Saturday dancing extravaganza, we begin by celebrating the birthday of one of Jamaica’s most loved musicians, Mister Desmond Dekker!
From wiki, “Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 – 25 May 2006) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. 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." Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)," "It Mek," and "You Can Get It If You Really Want.” So today we dance to reggae music!
We’ll begin with his biggest hit! This was ALL over the radio waves in 1968-69! This is a fantastic performance from 1969 of “The Israelites”
Here he is on Jools Holland in 2004 performing very live! I found these gems! “The Israelites” and “007 (Shanty Town)”
A great 9 minute Reggae at the BBC clip of live performances of Bob Marley (“Exodus”- 1977), Desmond Dekker (“Israelites”- 1978), and Dennis Brown (“Money in My Pocket”- 1979)
Here are some of his studio hits, as well as lesser known offerings!
His first hit in Jamaica for Leslie Kong, this is proto-ska! “Honor Your Mother and Father” (1963)
From 1965, “Generosity”
From 1967, here’s the studio version of “Rude Boy Train”
From 1967, “007 (Shanty Town)”
From 1968, a contest winning tune! “Music Like Dirt (Intensified 68)”
Also from 1968, “Fumanchu”
From 1969, “It Mek”
Huge hit! From 1969, “It Mek.”
Even though Jimmy Cliff rode this into the Top 10, Desmond brought it back and made it a hit again in 1970! “You Can Get It If You Really Want”
A few of his other releases!
From 1963, "Parents" and its flip side, “Labour For Learning”
From 1964, “King of Ska”
From 1965, “Mt. Zion”
From 1966, “Wise Man”
From 1967, “Rudy Got Soul”
From 1967, “Sabotage”
From 1969, “Problems”
From 1971, “Live and Learn”
From 1974, “Busted Lad”
From 1975, “No Place Like Home”
From 1975, “Sing A Little Song”
From 1978, “Baby Come Back”
From 1999, of “Halfway to Paradise,”
He went Live in London in 2002! This year I found this clip with 15 songs, so enjoy it!
Live in 2005, Desmond Dekker Live at Dingwalls 2002
Last year the show was missing, so I assembled these clips. We begin with ”You Can Get It If You Really Want,” groove into “It Mek,” shift gears into “King of Ska,” move into “Rude Boy Train” and finish with ”The Israelites”
Live in 2005, “Good Lovin’.”
Since it was his biggest, we’ll close this celebration with a reprise of our birthday boy in the groove delivering up “The Israelites”
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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