John Masouri

"‘007 (Shanty Town)’ had kickstarted his run of hits in the UK two years earlier, but it was ‘Israelites’ that propelled him to international fame. Both singles originally appeared on the Beverley’s label owned by Leslie Kong, who was the most successful Jamaican record producer of the early reggae era. The Kingston born Dekker made his debut for Beverley’s in 1963 and remained loyal to Kong thereafter. Both men were then rewarded handsomely when ‘Israelites’   became the fir

"Millie Small’s ‘My Boy Lollipop’ was the first international hit by a Jamaican artist, but in truth it was a cover of an American song recorded in London and released on a UK label. British pop fans didn’t get a taste of the real Jamaican sound until three years later when first Prince Buster, then Desmond Dekker, broke into the UK Top 20 with ‘Al Capone’ and ‘007 (Shanty Town)’ respectively. Whilst Millie and Buster soon fell by the wayside where British chart success was c