"Israelites" is a song which was written by Desmond Dekker and Leslie Kong for Desmond Dekker & The Aces. It was the first international hit by a Jamaican artist. It reached the top ten in the United States, and by April 1969 it was number one in the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Jamaica, South Africa, Canada, Sweden and West Germany. The British success came almost two years after Dekker first made his mark with the rude boy classic song, "007". Desmond Dekker performing his hit song Israelites at the Wembley Arena in 1969 Desmond Dekker (born Desmond Adolphus Dacres in Kingston, Jamaica on July 16, 1941) is a ska and reggae singer and songwriter. ... Leslie Kong (1933–August 9, 1971) ran the Beverleys label. ... Desmond Dekker (born Desmond Dacres in Kingston, Jamaica on July 16, 1941) is a ska and reggae singer and songwriter. ... 1969 (MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... This article is about a Jamaican subculture. ... 007 refers to either James Bond or Korean Airlines Flight 007 which was shot down in 1983 over Soviet airspace. ...

Whilst Dekker's diction was all that came to be expected of the reggae stars; largely unintelligible, it made little difference to the success of his discs. "Israelites" brought the reggae 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 the breakthrough in the UK. 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. Barbara Bush and Millie Mildred Kerr Bush (January 12, 1985 - May 19, 1997) better known as Millie, was the pet springer spaniel of Barbara and George H.W. Bush. ... The Beatles were a pop and rock music group from Liverpool, England, who continue to be held in the very highest regard for their artistic achievements, their huge commercial success, and their groundbreaking role in the history of popular music. ... Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da is a Beatles song from double-disc album The Beatles (also known as The White Album). ... For Popular music (music that is popular, rather than of a specific genre or style), see Popular music. ... In music, a band is a group of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of or improvising off of a musical arrangement. ... Marmalade is a sweet conserve made from fruit, sugar, and (usually) a gelling agent. ...

Desmond Dekker had two more UK Top Ten hits over the next year. "It Miek", which was similarly not only unintelligible when sung, but also when written down; and "You Can Get It If You Really Want".

Dekker recorded on the Pyramid record label, and when its catalogue was acquired by Cactus Records in 1975, it was inevitable that "Israelites" would be re-issued. It was, and not too unexpectedly in view of the popularity first time around, it reached a respectable top ten position, a little over six years after the original release. 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ...

The song was then used in a 1990 television commercial for Maxell audio cassettes, and was also parodied in the British commercial for Vitalite spread in the early 1990s. It was also featured on the soundtrack of the Gus Van Sant film "Drugstore Cowboy". This article is about the year. ... A television commercial (often called an advert in the United Kingdom) is a form of advertising in which goods, services, organizations, ideas, etc. ... Maxell is a Japanese company, which manufactures consumer electronics. ... Typical 60-minute Compact Cassette. ... Vitalite is a sunflower oil-based margarine, made by Dairy Crest. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ... Gus Van Sant Gus Van Sant Jr. ... Drugstore Cowboy is a 1989 film written and directed by Gus Van Sant. ...

References

• Guinness World Records British Hit Singles (14th Edition) - ISBN 0-85156-156-X
• The Guinness Book Of 500 Number One Hits - ISBN 0-85112-250-7
• The Book Of Golden Discs (Second Edition-1978) - ISBN 214-20512-6