007: The Best of Desmond Dekker

Desmond Dekker was the first Jamaican reggae artist to break through in the United States, when his powerful and anthemic tune "Israelites" rose to number nine on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart in 1969. While "Israelites" was the first time most Americans had ever heard of Desmond Dekker, he was already a major star at home, cutting well-mannered ska singles (such as "Honour Your Mother and Father") since 1963 before moving on to more full-bodied rocksteady and reggae sounds with pointed and thoughtful lyrics as the decade wore on, scoring hits like "007 (Shanty Town)" (featured prominently on the soundtrack of the film The Harder They Come), "Rude Boy Train," "It Gotta Be So," and "The Song We Used to Sing (Where Did It Go)." 007: The Best of Desmond Dekker is a two-disc collection that features 25 classic hits from Dekker's catalog, as well as another 25 rare and unreleased sides including alternate takes of some of the artist's fan favorites of the '60s and '70s.