Guest
Order now: In 1963, a 21-year-old welder with dreams of becoming a full-time singer-songwriter, auditioned for one of Jamaica’s new elite record producers, Leslie Kong, owner of the recently launched Beverley’s Records label. After performing a number of original compositions, a deal was secured and within weeks the first of Desmond Dekker’s many 7” singles hit Kingston’s record stores. The record, which coupled two of his own songs, ‘Honour Your Mother And Father’ and ‘Madgie’, became an instant best-seller and heralded the beginning of a long and immensely successful run of hit singles by Dekker throughout the remainder of ska era and well beyond. Released on all major streaming platforms and as a 2xCD set, the album showcases both sides of Dekker’s first twenty singles for Kong’s esteemed Beverley’s label that set him on the path to international stardom. This collection features 40 tracks that originally comprised the ‘A’ and ‘B’ sides of the legendary singer-songwriter’s first twenty Jamaican 7” singles. First issued on Leslie Kong’s celebrated Beverley’s Records between 1963 and 1967, the recordings include numerous ska and rock steady classics, notably the Desmond’s popular Jamaican Song Contest Festival ’67 entry, ‘Unity’ and his UK chartbuster, ‘007’. In addition, the collection also features numerous rarities that have remained largely unavailable for decades, with five such tracks made available for the first time in over four decades. “King of Ska” is a fitting tribute to the profound talent of Desmond Dekker - the man who lit the fuse to the reggae explosion of the late Sixties and in so doing forever changed the sound of popular music. DISC 1: 1. Honour Your Mother And Father - Desmond Dekker 2. Madgie - Desmond Dekker 3. Happy Birthday Jamaica - Desmond Dekker 4. Sinners, Prepare! - Desmond Dekker 5. Parents - Desmond Dekker 6. Labour For Learning - Desmond Dekker 7. Dracula - Desmond Dekker 8. Spitfire - Don Drummond 9. Jeserine - Desmond Dekker & The Cherry Pies 10. Take Your Time - Theo Beckford 11. King Of Ska - Desmond Dekker & The Cherry Pies 12. Boof Ska - The Beverley’s All-Stars * 13. Get Up Adina - Desmond Dekker & The Four Aces 14. Sleepwalk - The Beverley’s All-Stars * 15. It Was Only A Dream - Desmond Dekker & The Four Aces 16. Just One Little Girl - The Four Aces 17. This Woman - Desmond Dekker & The Four Aces 18. Mount Zion - Desmond Dekker & The Four Aces 19. Soldering - Desmond Dekker & The Four Aces 20. Just In Time - The Beverley’s All-Stars * DISC 2: 1. It’s A Shame - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 2. On The Move - Roland Alphonso 3. 007 - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 4. El Torro - Roland Alphonso 5. Wise Man - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 6. Middle East - Roland Alphonso 7. Rude Boy Train - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 8. Nothing For Nothing - Roland Alphonso 9. Mother’s Young Gal - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 10. Jungle Bit - Roland Alphonso 11. You’ve Got Your Troubles - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 12. Don Special - Roland Alphonso * 13. Unity - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 14. Sweet Music - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 15. Keep A Cool Head - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 16. Charade - Roland Alphonso * 17. Mother Long Tongue - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 18. Halls Of Montezuma - Roland Alphonso 19. Sabotage - Desmond Dekker & The Aces 20. Pretty Africa - Desmond Dekker & The Aces * previously unavailable digitally
