Ska and rocksteady singer Desmond Dekker died yesterday. He was 61.
"Israelites" totally blew my mind the first time I heard it. The 6/8 intro into the 4/4 rocksteady part is so incredible, as is the way the guitar doubles the bassline. And of course, Dekker's voice, which could be both fragile and tough, brings the whole song to life.
There aren't many voices with that much soul around anymore. He'll be missed.