In the Evening He's a Singer in the band

1. Ask anyone over the age of 10 who Bob Marley is and you’ll get a pretty standard answer “The greatest reggae singer… ever”. Ask them who Desmond Dekker is and more likely than not, unless you’re in the carribean restaurant or a UK old school punkers club, most people will simply give a shrug and a headshake. Both had their share of international stardom and both had hits in the US and UK Top Ten. The easiest way to remember how each of these guys filled a special musical niche is as follows: Bob Marley did it bigger… Desmond Dekker did it first.

Desmond Dekker, was born Desmond Adolphus Dacres on July 16^th, 1941 in the city of Kingston on the island of Jamaica. Dekker lived a meager life as a child and was orphaned in his early teens. Forced to earn a living on his own, Desmond took an apprenticeship as a welder, and soon his workmates noticed that he could sing.

Dekker, at the behest of his friends and coworkers then began actively searching out a recording career. Starting with Coxsone Dodd at Studio One in 1961, Dekker was to experience a taste of failure on the road to his eventual fame. Dodd took the same stance as Duke Reid at Treasure Isle recording studios. Neither one of them saw Desmond as marketable and politely showed him the door. It was Derrick Morgan pride of the Rocksteady movement who saw young Desmond as a diamond in the rough and took him under his wing. A full two years later in 1963 Dekker released “Honour Your Father and Mother” on Leslie Kong’s Beverley label. Desmond’s first release hit the charts hard and he followed up with a string of hits such as “Sinners Come Home” “Labour for Learning” and “King of Ska” backed by the Maytals (then known as the Cherrypies).

Dekker’s credibility wasn’t cemented until he gave his Mr. Nice Guy image a makeover (some thanks, no doubt, to Derrick Morgan for inspiration) and planted his talent deep into rude boy territory with “007 (Shanty Town) a percussive and gritty look at his Kingston valley home. After that his musical reputation preceded and he was taken as a role model by Mods and disciples of Ska in the UK. By 1968 even Paul McCartney was a fan, framing the lyrics to “Ob-la-di Ob-la-da” around a character named Desmond, confirmed to have been inspired by his friend Desmond Dekker.

It was in that same year that he released “the Isrealites” an sizzling chart topper with stellar vocals that even managed to slide into the US Top Ten for a moment. It was the song that he would be remembered for. Now the Mods were all over him. Desmond and the Beverley label would release several more singles and a compilation entitled “the Isrealites” to capitalize on the success of the track.

Throughout the 70’s and 80’s Dekker struggled to match the success of his first few singles, without much luck. Music was changing from tough to fluff, and threatening to leave renowned Jamaican singer Desmond Dekker in the dust. It was Gus Van Szandt’s 1990 film Drugstore Cowboy that re-opened the door to Dekker’s legacy. Featured prominently in the film as well as being used for a popular Maxell tape ad, “The Isrealites” was heading for the mainstream once again. The self proclaimed “King of Ska” continued to release albums into his declining years and has enjoyed multiple resurgences in popularity.

Desmond Dekker’s May 11, 2006 show at Leeds will serve those who remember it as his last concert performance. The talented musical visionary collapsed in his home on May 24^th. RIP Ska King wherever you are.

Other Musical Items of note:

2. Maximo Park: All the parts that I liked about 80’s bands... without the 80’s.

3. Plastic Bertand: So this guy from Belgium named Roger Jouret formed a band with himself and became famous for a song called “Ce Plan Pour Moi” which he neither wrote nor sings. Fantastic.