Desmond Dekker & The Aces - "Israelites" (Official YouTube Audio for this 1968 hit Jamaican Song) Part II- YouTube Comments

Trojan Records Official,   May 9, 2014  #RockSteady #Reggae #Israelites

Official audio for Desmond Dekker & The Aces - "Israelites", released in 1968 on Trojan Records.

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II of a two part pancocojams series on Jamaican singer/composer Desmond Dekker's 1968 hit song* "Israelites".

This post showcases the YouTube official audio video of Jamaican singer Desmond Dekker's 1968 hit record "Israelites". This pancocojams post also presents some comments from the discussion thread for that video.   .     

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/11/desmond-dekker-aces-israelites-part-i.html for Part I of this pancocojams series. That post showcases a 2011 YouTube video of Desmond Dekker performing "Israelites".

That pancocojams post also presents information about Desmond Dekker as well as information about his hit song "Israelites".

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

Thanks to Desmond Dekker for his musical legacy. Thanks to The Aces for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who were associated with this song. Thanks to hare quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
-snip-
*There continues to be considerable debate about whether Desmond Dekker's song "Israelites" is Ska, Reggae, or Rock Steady. Some of the commenters below state their position on this subject. There are also comments about this subject in Part I of this pancocojams series. 

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SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION THREAD FOR THE YOUTUBE EXAMPLE THAT IS GIVEN ABOVE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxtfdH3-TQ4

These comments are given in relative chronological order except for replies. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only. 

2018

1. DEZMO NYC
"da BOMB!!!"

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2019

2. Donald Morrow
"When I first heard this song on the radio, I thought I was hearing a very good foreign language record and lumped it together in my musical understanding with "Sukiyaki" and "Volare."  Boy was I wrong when further listening revealed English with a very heavy Jamaican accent.  I bought it when it first came out in the states and played it alone in my room a lot.  Little did I know, I was buying a record that would make history even now in light of the success of Bob Marley and the Wailers.  Little did I know that I would be playing it today as if I just bought it new way back then.  Little did I know that I would trace my love of Reggae music not to Bob Marley, but to Desmond Dekker and this masterpiece.  Tomorrow, I will play this again, unlock more of its secrets and enjoy every minute of it."

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Reply
3. David Smith, 2020
"+Donald Morrow  This was the first Reggae song I ever heard, when it came out. I did not realize it was from an entire genre of music. Years later, I saw Toots and the Maytals, the same week Bob's Rastaman Vibration came out. I was in Love, like I had not been since James Brown played in my 4th grade pre Integration all white elementary school auditorium, in Augusta Ga. Love at first hearing."

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4. Seb King, 2020
"+Donald Morrow I don't want to sound rude, but I have no idea how you didn't recognize that this was English straight away."

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5. Donald Morrow, 2020
"+Seb King Quite simply, I was twelve years old at the time and knew very few Jamaicans."

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6. Seb King, 2020
"@Donald Morrow Fair enough then. Again, sorry if it came off as rude."

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7. alkh3myst, 2020
"+Donald Morrow This was also the first reggae song I ever heard. My aunts and uncles were holding out on me. I heard this record on WABC-AM in New York, and almost had a meltdown."

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8. Jorge Salazar
"Amazing song! Dekker introduced the ska and reggae music to UK, even before that Bob Marley."

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9. pat quecke
"It was perfect when they played this song at the end of the movie drugstore cowboy."

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10. Loobyloo
"So many memories of living in London! I was 13 when this came out and they would blast it at the fairgrounds in Clapton. Nostalgic as I age."

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2020

11, Jd Ck
"I loved this song when it came out. I was 10, living next to the sea and this tune seemed to be everywhere.......the tourists always had radios with them on the beach in those days (UK)"

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12, dmarcus1260
"I loved watching the cheerleaders practice their drill to the beat of this song in high school.  It was so cool!!"

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13. WedgePee
"The 269th UK #1.

Before Bob Marley was widely known in the UK, this number became the first reggae song to reach the chart summit. Goodness-knows-how-many years later, it's still better than the imitation "music" that dominates today's charts, and a lasting classic."

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14. Steve Armstrong
"Actually, "Israelites" is in the ska genre, which was a precursor to reggae."

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15. Casey Cahill
"It really is brilliant.  I heard it for the first time during a movie "Drugstore Cowboy."  It's so unique, and stays in your head!  Great, great song from extraordinary people - Jamaicans."

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16. Edwin kiarie
"The flash Season 2 Episode 19 brought me here!  :P"

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17. Dan Renwick
"Totally Righteous.

The original eh.

Huge hit here in Toronto, way back in the day. Not until the 70's did we get more."

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18. Alan Fox
"I heard it on an episode of the flash right at the beginning tonight"

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19. william Cooper
"Anyone else come here from the book 'Skinheads'?"

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2021

20, Jatsi
"Such a wonderful song!

My first contact with ska was the Specials' "Ghost Town" and after hearing that, I was hooked. :)

I think this song is both ska and reggae and it works very well.

Thank you, mr. Dekker! :)"

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21. Baflar
"Unfortunately, this is NOT the sound of the original single that famously reached No.1 in the UK charts.  The original was on the Pyramid label [PYR 6058 A]: the version here appears to be the original take but with an added echo, which spoils the 'close' intensity of Desmond Dekker's voice.  It seems that rights to the song were acquired by Trojan at some point."

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22. Mikey BBB
"Possibly one of the best intros to a song ever, pleasingly the rest of it is ace. The best tune to wake up to"

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23. phil giles
"1st real reggae song on the UK main stream radio. still magic"

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2022

24. PetertheChanter
"Thinking about the great Windrush generation."

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25. Chris Hind
"Big tuune!"

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26. skiny81
"A skins anthems ! D. Dekkers is "the rude boy ska" ✊"

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27. Dan Bernstein
"This song perfectly illustrates the transformation of ska into reggae. And still fresh after 49! years"

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28. chuckemeade, 2024
"This is actually a Rocksteady tune Reggae came after Rocksteady.  The backing band is Lyn Taitt and The Jets."

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29. And Rob
"It was so cool for the time, there was nothing on the airways like it at the time. Super cool then, and now! 😍"

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2023

30. Millie Lillyton
"Hello fellow Jamaicans"

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31. Kyle Butler
"Marc (TV series) brought me here!"

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32. smart451cab
"This was one of the first 45s I bought.  Might have been THE first, can't say for certain though.  I'd have been 14-years old and was buying my first music with my own money.  I don't remember what 45s cost back then, but I made my spending money mainly from collecting & selling deposit soda bottles.  Back then, in my town, about the only place to buy records was at Sears.

Lyrics and interpretation can be found here:

https://songmeanings.com/songs/view/3530822107858619305/ "

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33. john e Lawler
"arguably the song that put reggae on the international map"

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34. TOM WAGNER
"Heard this song as a 6 year old  in the late 60s and it stuck in my mind and then heard it again on a BBC news cast about the history of Trojan record company...glad I found it!"

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2024

35. JOHN ODEH
"Lovely song; it took me right back to the days of my childhood when my mom and her brothers used to play sweet reggae records with songs like Israelites. I practically grew up on these kind of songs! Love em to pieces I did back then, and still do."

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36. Innoje Anas
"Conscious vibe. Jah bless the artiste"

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37. Herb Burnswell
"Loved this song for years. Jumped straight out of my seat when it started bumping on episode 3 of Watchmen!"

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38. John Desalvo
"This is SKA..in the transitional phase to Rocksteady. While Mento was a "main ingredient" mixed in with American Jazz, Rhythm and Blues, and a touch of early rock and Roll. Mento in its PURE Calypso form was considered passe at this point...Tourist area bars exceptions."

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39. Marsh Duncanson
"I would like to see the official correct lyrics. I have seen various inconsistent versions."

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40. Marsh Duncanson
"I'd also like to know what the devil they mean!"

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41. Annmarie busu
"Marsh Duncanson it’s posted in various comments pretty correctly. He wakes up every morning working hard to feed himself, woman and kids. The stress of the poor Israelite ie black people. He talks about not wanting to end up like Bonnie and Clyde ( I think he wants a honest living and not hunted down and killed) and how poor he is and his relationship struggles. 😄"

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42. Claudia Allen
"Watchmen thanks for using my country song 🇯🇲🥰"

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43. Joao LEAL JR
"Also from Watchmen, but thia song remembers me the black jews rescue from Uganda by israeli special forces"

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44. ana paula Cameron
"I heard this melody in a UK margarine ad in the 90s and was immediately hooked, ( Oh, oh, oh, Vitalite) but it took me ages to find out the name of the song so I could go to Tower Records and get a copy."

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45. gil.gosseyn
"The first reggae song I ever heard, and STILL one of the best.  I first heard it when I was 16, in late '68 or early '69, on Atlanta's first Progressive radio station, WPLO-FM."

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46. Harry S. Anchan
"1969 all over again! I LOVE it! Released on June 3, 1969 reaching #9 on June 28."

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47. @colingehrman7078
"Still listening at 66 danced to this when a was 11 😊 great days  😅😅"

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48, @ru9204
"Oooh ohhh my ears are alight! What a great song 👌"

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49. @nakisharogers4555
"Look how some of our WOKE people was giving us clues before we were Born!!!"

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50. @philipdennis-rh7uj
"The struggle is real"

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51. @christine899
"I remember this song was used in an advert for a sunflower margarin, way back , always loved this song so cheerful and made you want to dance."

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52. @irwinashby-im9ft
"Ya all remember this.  London town. Watch dem white girls n boys dance. Lawwdd  joyous me tell ya. Memories by the score."

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53. @SotR59
"I've loved this song since it came out when I was a little kid. Never had any idea what he was saying and "Israelites" never even crossed my mind. I'm sure I thought something over the years but it's been a long time since I heard it till just now and as soon as I saw the title whatever I might have thought went out of my memory."

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54. @algiemcneal2014
"I like this song, the music is so catchy 😊"

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55. @markdurrant4174
"A fantastic song,reminds me of the days of working in Brixton when you heard old school ska,and this was a absolute classic 👌"

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56. @sandragriffiths9692
"This reminds me f all night dancing at The E Partido in Lewisham London in the mid 60's. What a time to alive!"

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57. @2tone753
"German from Berlin, 62 Years old, non-racist Skinhead since 1979. This is our music, not the plagiarism."

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58. @danilaird
"Spirit of 69 SKinheads! This is our music!!! Skins unite worldwide! Rudeboys and Skins!! Oi! Rocksteady, 2 Tone, Oi! music"

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59. @paulkenneally789
"Desmond Dekker did more improve race relations in Britain than anyone at the time or any of today’s shabby politicians."

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60. @lesleycarney8868
"I can't drive anywhere without my Trojan discs playing here in Southern Spain. The best thing about being a teenager in the 70's in the UK was the music."

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61.@delroyday8925
"I find this song to be as fascinating as when it was released in 1968. I was ten years old then, and I'm still listening to it, to this day. October 2, 2023.❤"

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62. @JohnWatson-ey4bh
"This song was played a great deal out of an AM station out of Charleston SC. I would get excited when my parents would drive south towards the signal. Knew I would hear this."

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63. @delroyday8925
"I am still listening to this classic song ❤"

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64. @jonathanvernot762
"Ska-lite

Is a de-lite"

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65.@TheSleightDoctor

2 months ago

This song had a profound effect on me as a teenager. It's message still stands today.

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66.@lindacarroll-so6sr

2 months ago

2024 here! First ska song I ever heard at age five! Fast forward to the English Beat, The Selector,  Madness, The Specials! That beat never gets old. 😀🎵

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67. @patriciasmith1128

2 months ago

Me too, 2024. Ska was an experience of a naive little white girl in Toronto, Canada, part of the British Commonwealth. in the 1960s. More Ska! More Reggae! More Rock Steady!

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68.@lindacarroll-so6sr
"@patriciasmith1128  Ska was great for another little white girl (me!) growing up in a small town in northeast USA. When the DJ started playing all the ska songs, you couldn't get my friends or me off the dance floor. Sometimes lasted for an hour! Great times and memories. Glad you had fun,too! Rankin full stop goes on!"

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69.@joancayenne9293
"I had loved it, but didn't  understand what it was all about, when it was banned I wondered why until between 2017/2018 I learnt that the negroes were the Israelites.   They didn't want us to know."

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70. @stephenhess9680
"Fun song from my 13th year. Used to sing it with my boyhood buds. Of course we got most of the words wrong 😂"

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71.@ameliyaholiviyah6189
"😮Just realised this day what this song is about. They made it an advert for a drink. un-learn and re-learn. ❤"

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72.@rudymartinez6242
"The first time I heard this was on Bob McCallister’s WONDERAMA show. My older cousins called LA radio stations to play it and were told, “Oh, thats an old song, it never charted”, but I guess a lot more Wonderama fans called in because within a month, it was a big hit, a few years after it was released. I’m going to have the DJ play this on our 45th Wedding Anniversary. Great song!!!!"

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73.@lawrencenjawe9875
"This all-time Reggae Classic gave me the shivers everytime I spun the record on my turntable back in the days...No doubt one of the defining tracks in the development of Jamaican music as much as the Wailers' Get up Stand Up and the Abyssinians' Satta Massagana.."

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74.@scottburton9701
"The first reggae song to crack the U.S.charts-Reached the top 10 in the spring of 1969."

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75. @jesavino1255
"Always loved this song."

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76. @RasJabal
"Thank you for the education family"

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77. @JohnGreen-y3w
"Yes!  Reached #9 on the Billboard Top 40 and was the first reggae song to get lots of airplay on mainstream pop radio here in the States"

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78. @erisdiscordia5429
"This isn't reggae though.  This is ska.  This is good ska.  This is reggae's daddy."

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79.@stevengrundy4720
"2024 and eternal  RASTAFERI❤"

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80. @derekstynes9631
"Beloved Anthem of the Rude Boys and Real Skinheads everywhere !"

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Desmond Dekker & The Aces - "Israelites" (Part I - 1968 hit Jamaican Record: Video, Information, & lyrics)

shenery, February 21, 2011

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series on Jamaican singer/composer Desmond Dekker's 1968 hit song* "Israelites".

This post showcases a 2011 YouTube video of Desmond Dekker performing "Israelites".

This pancocojams post also presents information about Desmond Dekker as well as information about his hit song "Israelites".

Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/11/desmond-dekker-aces-israelites-official.html for Part II of this pancocojam series. That post showcases the YouTube official audio video of Jamaican singer Desmond Dekker's 1968 hit record "Israelites". That post also presents some comments from the discussion thread for that video.    

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

Thanks to Desmond Dekker for his musical legacy. Thanks to The Aces for their musical legacy. Thanks to all those who were associated with this song. Thanks to hare quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
-snip-
*There continues to be considerable debate about whether Desmond Dekker's song "Israelites" is Ska, Reggae, or Rock Steady. Read "Information About Desmond Dekker's Israelite Song" below for some comments about that subject. Additional comments are found in Part II of this pancocojams series.

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INFORMATION ABOUT DESMOND DEKKER
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Dekker
"Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 – 25 May 2006)[1] 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" (1968). Other hits include "007 (Shanty Town)" (1967), "It Mek" (1969) and "You Can Get It If You Really Want" (1970).

Early life

Desmond Adolphus Dacres was born in Saint Andrew Parish (Greater Kingston), Jamaica, on 16 July 1941. Dekker spent his formative years in Kingston. From a young age he regularly attended the local church with his grandmother and aunt. This early religious upbringing, as well as Dekker's enjoyment of singing hymns, led to a lifelong religious commitment. Following his mother's death, he moved to the parish of St. Mary and later to St. Thomas.[2] While at St. Thomas, Dekker embarked on an apprenticeship as a tailor before returning to Kingston, where he became a welder. His workplace singing had drawn the attention of his co-workers, who encouraged him to pursue a career in music.[3]

In 1961 he auditioned for Coxsone Dodd (Studio One) and Duke Reid (Treasure Isle), though neither audition was successful. The unsigned vocalist then auditioned for Leslie Kong's Beverley's record label and was awarded his first recording contract.[3]

Career

Despite achieving a record deal, it was two years before Dekker saw his first record released. Meanwhile, Dekker spotted the talent of Bob Marley, a fellow welder, and brought the youth to Kong's attention. In 1962 "Judge Not" and "One Cup Of Coffee" became the first recorded efforts of Marley, who retained gratitude, respect and admiration for Dekker for the rest of his life. Eventually in 1963 Kong chose "Honour Your Mother and Father" (written by Dekker and the song that Dekker had sung in his Kong audition two years earlier), which became a Jamaican hit and established Dekker's musical career. This was followed by the release of the tracks "Sinners, Prepare"[4] and "Labour for Learning". It was during this period that Desmond Dacres adopted the stage-name of Desmond Dekker. His fourth hit, "King of Ska" (backing vocals by The Cherrypies, also known as the Maytals), made him into one of the island's biggest stars. Dekker then recruited four brothers, Carl, Patrick, Clive and Barry Howard, as his permanent backing vocalists to perform with him under the name Desmond Dekker and the Aces.[3]

The new group recorded a number of Jamaican hits, including "Parents", "Get Up Edina", "This Woman" and "Mount Zion". The themes of Dekker's songs during the first four years of his career dealt with the moral, cultural and social issues of mainstream Jamaican culture: respect for one's parents ("Honour Your Mother and Father"), religious morality ("Sinners, Prepare") and education ("Labour for Learning"). In 1967 he appeared on Derrick Morgan's "Tougher Than Tough", which helped begin a trend of popular songs commenting on the rude boy subculture which was rooted in Jamaican ghetto life where opportunities for advancement were limited and life was economically difficult. Dekker's own songs did not go to the extremes of many other popular rude boy songs, which reflected the violence and social problems associated with ghetto life, though he did introduce lyrics that resonated with the rude boys, starting with one of his best-known songs, "007 (Shanty Town)". The song established Dekker as a rude boy icon in Jamaica and also became a favourite dance track for the young working-class men and women of the United Kingdom's mod scene.[5] "007 (Shanty Town)" was a top 15 hit in the UK and his UK concerts were attended by a large following of mods wherever he played.[3]

Dekker continued to release rude boy songs such as "Rude Boy Train" and "Rudie Got Soul", as well as mainstream cultural songs like "It's a Shame", "Wise Man", "Hey Grandma", "Unity", "If It Pays", "Mother's Young Girl", "Sabotage" and "Pretty Africa".[6] Many of the hits from this era came from his debut album, 007 (Shanty Town).[3]

In 1968 Dekker's "Israelites" was released, eventually topping the UK Singles Chart in April 1969 and peaking in the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100 in June 1969. Dekker was the first Jamaican artist to have a hit record in the US with Jamaican-style music. Ironically although he went to worldwide fame his former welding colleague Marley never had a UK number one. That same year saw the release of "Beautiful and Dangerous", "Writing on the Wall", "Music Like Dirt (Intensified '68)" (which won the 1968 Jamaica Independence Festival Song Contest), "Bongo Girl" and "Shing a Ling".[3] 1969 saw the release of "It Mek", which became a hit both in Jamaica and the UK.[7] Dekker also released "Problems" and "Pickney Gal", both of which were popular in Jamaica, although only "Pickney Gal" managed to chart in the UK top 50.[3]

1970s

In 1970 Dekker released "You Can Get It If You Really Want", written by Jimmy Cliff, which reached No. 2 in the UK charts. Dekker was initially reluctant to record the track but was eventually persuaded to do so by Leslie Kong.[3] Dekker's version uses the same backing track as Cliff's original. Kong, whose music production skills had been a crucial part of both Dekker's and Cliff's careers, died in 1971, affecting the careers of both artists for a short period of time.[3] In 1972 the rude boy film The Harder They Come was released and Dekker's "007 (Shanty Town)" was featured on the soundtrack along with Cliff's version of "You Can Get It If You Really Want", as well as other Jamaican artists' hits, giving reggae more international exposure and preparing the way for Bob Marley.

In 1975 "Israelites" was re-released and became a UK top 10 hit for a second time. Dekker had also begun working on new material with the production duo Bruce Anthony in 1974. In 1975 this collaboration resulted in the release of "Sing a Little Song", which charted in the UK top twenty; this was to be his last UK hit.[7]"...

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INFORMATION ABOUT DESMOND DEKKER'S SONG "ISRAELITES"

Online Source #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israelites_(song)
" "Israelites" is a song written by Desmond Dekker and Leslie Kong that became a hit for Dekker's group, Desmond Dekker & the Aces,[2] reaching the top of the charts in numerous countries in 1969. Sung in Jamaican Patois, some of the song's lyrics were not readily understood by many British and American listeners at the time of its release.[3] Despite this, the single was the first UK reggae #1 and among the first to reach the US top ten (peaking at #9).[4] It combined the Rastafarian religion with rude boy concerns,[5] to make what has been described by Allmusic as a "timeless masterpiece that knew no boundaries".[6]

Song Origin and lyrics

Originally issued in Jamaica as "Poor Me Israelites",[7] it remains the best known Jamaican reggae hit to reach the United States Hot 100's top 10,[5] and was written almost two years after Dekker first made his mark with the rude boy song "007 (Shanty Town)".[2] Dekker composed the song after overhearing an argument: "I was walking in the park, eating popcorn. I heard a couple arguing about money. She was saying she needs money and he was saying the work he was doing was not giving him enough. I related to those things and began to sing a little song: 'You get up in the morning and you're slaving for bread.' By the time I got home, it was complete."[8] The title has been the source of speculation,[9] but most settle on the Rastafarian Movement's association with the Twelve Tribes of Israel. In the 1960s, Jamaican Rastafarians were largely marginalized as "cultish" and ostracized from the larger society, including by the more conservative Christian church in Kingston. Destitute ("slaving for bread") and unkempt ("Shirt dem a-tear up, trousers a-gone"), some Rastafarians were tempted to a life of crime ("I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde"). The song is a lament of this condition.

Musical structure

The vocal melody is syncopated and centred on the tone of B flat. The chords of the guitar accompaniment are played on the offbeat and move through the tonic chord [B flat], the subdominant [E flat], the dominant [F], and the occasional [D flat],[5] viz, [B flat] - [E flat] - [F] - [B flat] - [D flat]. It was one of the first reggae songs to become an international hit, despite Dekker's strong Jamaican accent which made his lyrics difficult for many listeners to understand outside of Jamaica.[10]

Impact

Despite "Israelites" being recorded and released in 1968, the Uni 45 discography shows its copyright as 1969.[11] In June 1969, the record reached the Top Ten in the United States, peaking at #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "Israelites" hit #1 in the United Kingdom,[12] the Netherlands, Jamaica and West Germany.

[...]

Appearance in other media

The song has appeared in numerous movies and television programs,[14] including the soundtracks of the 1989 American film Drugstore Cowboy and the 2010 British film Made in Dagenham.

On November 3, 2019, "Israelites" was prominently featured in the third episode of HBO's Watchmen. Potentially because of this usage, the song charted again, entering the Billboard Digital Reggae Song Sales Chart at #2.[15]

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Online Source #2
From https://genius.com/Desmond-dekker-israelites-lyrics
"Actually performed by Desmond Decker and the Aces, it was the first Reggae No. 1 in the UK and the second to make the top 10 in the US.

Musically, “Israelites” is all about Jamacian syncopation. A guitar and organ provide opening chords and counterpoints, but it’s the Jamaican reggae rhythm expressed by that jittery drummer, combined with those terrific vocals that defines the song.

The song is rooted in the ideas of the Rastafarian religion, which borrows the idea of the twelve Tribes from Judaism: the “Israelites”. Rastafarians see Ethipoia as the home of the Falasha or Beta Israel; the home of the “Lost Tribes” of Israel, and they see themselves as their descendants. This loosely organized religion became popular in the 1960s among poor Jamaicans."

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Online Source #3
From Desmond Dekker & The Aces – Israelites (Official Lyrics Video), published by Trojan Records Official, May 7, 2019
"Between 1967 and 1975, Desmond Dekker, Jamaica’s first recording superstar, graced the UK pop charts on no less than 7 occasions.

His ground-breaking hit, ‘Israelites’, was the first Jamaican-produced song to top the UK chart in April 1969.

Its popularity led to a reggae explosion that took the genre into the mainstream and opened the way for the likes of Bob Marley, Jimmy Cliff, and Toots & The Maytals to follow.

Consequently, despite his tragic death over decade ago this year, he remains one of a handful of reggae artists who are readily identified with the genre.

And now, over half a century since 'Israelites' forever changed the sound of popular music, it is celebrated once more with a brand new lyrics video."...

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Online Source #4
From https://www.reddit.com/r/Music/comments/oe4gr2/desmond_dekker_the_aces_israelites_classic_reggae/ "Desmond Dekker & The Aces "Israelites (Classic Reggae)

[Numbers added for referencing purposes only.]

1. wifespissed, 2021
"And the debate continues. Is this reggae, or is this ska?"

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2. SavageHenry592, 2021
“Rocksteady”

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3. [deleted], 2021
“Ska I think, it's not about tempo, a drummer friend told me ska is a straight beat and reggae has a swing to it”

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 4. radio reddit, 2021
"I’d say this defo swings."

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5. [deleted], 2021
"I listened again and I agree, it does"

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6. eggsssssssss, 2021
"I usually see this song referred to as reggae. The band made music variously labeled ska, rocksteady, and reggae, and there’s a TON of overlap between genres in 20th century Jamaican pop music. So it’s not really all that important.

For that matter, when I see “Trojan Records” the first genre I think of is actually dub. Seriously, so many great strains of music came out of jamaica in the 1960s & ‘70s."

**
7. superfleh, 2021
"This isn't raggae it is 1st wave ska"

****
LYRICS - ISRAELITES

(Desmond Dekker and Leslie Kong)

[Verse 1]

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir

So that every mouth can be fed

Poor, poor me, Israelites (Ah-ah)

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir

So that every mouth can be fed

Poor, poor me, Israelites, sir

 

[Verse 2]

My wife and my kids, they pack up and a-leave me

Darling, she said, "I was yours to receive"

Poor, poor me, Israelites, hey

Shirt, them a-tear up, trousers are gone

I don't want to end up like Bonnie and—

(Poor) Bonnie and Clyde, poor me, Israelites, hey

 

[Verse 3]

After a storm, there must be a calm

They catch me in the farm

You sound your alarm

Poor, poor me, Israelites, hey

Source: https://genius.com/Desmond-dekker-israelites-lyrics

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This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

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