Desmond Dekker & The Aces » Tracks » Israelites

Desmond Dekker & The Aces – Israelites (2:35)

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About This Track

“Israelites” is a song written by Desmond Dekker and Leslie Kong that became a hit for Dekker’s group, Desmond Dekker & The Aces. Although few could understand all the lyrics, the single was the first UK reggae number one and the first to crack the United States Top Ten. Lyrically paralleling ancient travails with the overwhelming toil of modern-day poverty, Dekker composed a “timeless masterpiece that knew no boundaries”.

Song

It was one of the first reggae songs to become an international hit, despite Dekker’s strong Jamaican accent which made his lyrics difficult to understand for audiences outside Jamaica. In 1969 it reached the Top Ten in the United States, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. It hit number one in the United Kingdom,[4] Netherlands, Jamaica, South Africa, Canada, Sweden and West Germany. The song came almost two years after Dekker first made his mark with the rude boy song, “007 (Shanty Town)”.

“Israelites” brought a Jamaican beat to the British pop fans for the first time since Millie’s number two hit “My Boy Lollipop”. But 1969 was the right time for reggae to make a breakthrough in the United Kingdom. The Beatles, as always the trendsetters back then, had recorded their own reggae-influenced song, “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da”, which the pop group Marmalade subsequently took to number one. The disc was released in the UK in March 1969 and was number one for two weeks, selling over 250,000 copies. A global million sales was reported in June 1969.
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  • Propagandist

    Drugstore Cowboys is how I found about this song. I was watching that movie with my dad when I was 13, and when I heard it, I thought "Holy shit, that song is awesome!" It's been one of my very favorites ever since. I don't really remember the movie much at all, but this song left quite an impression.

    March 2012

  • EyesAndNines

    just watched drugstore cowboy today, forgot this song was in it

    December 2011

  • B-AIRLINE

    YEP

    December 2011

  • spartikiss97

    :D <3 Thiiiissssss

    December 2011

  • PsychoVertical

    do like

    August 2011

  • Throwabolt

    had the pleasure to see him live in the old days! great concert (maybe the best of all i`ve ever seen)

    July 2011

  • iljahellenthal

    HERO!!!

    June 2011

  • Karaline77

    such a powerful song with a catchy beat. love this song.

    June 2011

  • OU812_JT

    Love it!!!

    March 2011

  • DZRTsurfer88

    true~~~CLASSIC~~~ that made its mark early on and still going strong over 4 decades later

    March 2011

  • SHED82

    .......Darling Cheese Head I was yards too greasy......

    February 2011

  • NitaD1

    My Ears are alight.............

    February 2011

  • pinkpinkpink999

    b.............bob where were you?

    December 2010

  • dharmanaut

    one of those songs you inevitably make up your own words to. one of the greatest, from the sound of @silversurfer250, a lightning bolt from the unconscious.

    October 2010

  • maccablue666

    wow great sound

    August 2010

  • iLoveDUB

    A simple classic.

    August 2010

  • KidFlatulant

    the madness cover is pretty cool

    July 2010

  • Lissof_leuf

    :-)

    July 2010

  • udenjpg

    true classic indeed

    July 2010

  • thedropihold

    :)

    June 2010
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