Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
In 1967, Desmond Dekker broke into the British market with his Top 20 rocksteady smash "007 (Shanty Town)"; two years later "The Israelites" made him an international star, as the single stormed to number one in the U.K. and became the first pure Jamaican song to set foot in the American Top Ten. But in 1971 tragedy struck with the death of Dekker's longtime producer, Leslie Kong. Like Jimmy Cliff, another Kong protégé, it would take a few years before Dekker managed to regain his footing, eventually returning to the U.K. chart in 1975 with the Top 20 hit "Sing a Little Song." After that, the singer began slipping off the radar, until 2 Tone swept in a new wave of fans in the late '70s. Quick off the mark was Stiff Records, who signed Dekker before the decade was out and recorded him with help from Graham Parker's backing band, the Rumour, as well as the Akrylykz (featuring a young Roland Gift) and the Equators. Unfortunately, with Dekker, the bands fizzled, and across a dozen tracks (including all of Dekker's biggest hits), even the singer can't salvage anything from this disaster, no matter how hard he tries. That was the view at the time, but hindsight softens the blows somewhat. The musicians are incredibly tight here, with the sizzling sax solos giving the proceedings a blast of Stax that shakes up the pubby flavor of the arrangements. Compared to Dekker's sugary 1975 set, The Israelites, and the nadir of new releases still to come, Black and Dekker stands tall. Nowhere near as bad as memories suggest, but one expected better nevertheless.
© Jo-Ann Greene /TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From kr133.33/month
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Leslie Kong, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Jimmy Cliff, ComposerLyricist - Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Desmond Dekker, Vocals, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Desmond Dacres, ComposerLyricist - Sid Bucknor, Producer
℗ 2008 Universal Music Operations Limited
Album review
In 1967, Desmond Dekker broke into the British market with his Top 20 rocksteady smash "007 (Shanty Town)"; two years later "The Israelites" made him an international star, as the single stormed to number one in the U.K. and became the first pure Jamaican song to set foot in the American Top Ten. But in 1971 tragedy struck with the death of Dekker's longtime producer, Leslie Kong. Like Jimmy Cliff, another Kong protégé, it would take a few years before Dekker managed to regain his footing, eventually returning to the U.K. chart in 1975 with the Top 20 hit "Sing a Little Song." After that, the singer began slipping off the radar, until 2 Tone swept in a new wave of fans in the late '70s. Quick off the mark was Stiff Records, who signed Dekker before the decade was out and recorded him with help from Graham Parker's backing band, the Rumour, as well as the Akrylykz (featuring a young Roland Gift) and the Equators. Unfortunately, with Dekker, the bands fizzled, and across a dozen tracks (including all of Dekker's biggest hits), even the singer can't salvage anything from this disaster, no matter how hard he tries. That was the view at the time, but hindsight softens the blows somewhat. The musicians are incredibly tight here, with the sizzling sax solos giving the proceedings a blast of Stax that shakes up the pubby flavor of the arrangements. Compared to Dekker's sugary 1975 set, The Israelites, and the nadir of new releases still to come, Black and Dekker stands tall. Nowhere near as bad as memories suggest, but one expected better nevertheless.
© Jo-Ann Greene /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:37:53
- Main artists: Desmond Dekker
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Stiff Records
- Genre: Reggae
© 2008 Stiff Records Limited ℗ 2008 Stiff Records Limited
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.