(Jamaica Observer) The original soundtrack to Watchmen, HBO’s recently launched series, features songs by two Jamaican acts — Desmond Dekker and The Aces’ Israelites and Do Your Thing by Leroy Sibbles.
Israelites was featured in episode three, which aired on November 3. It helped the song enter this week’s Billboard Reggae Digital Song Sales Chart at number two.
Fifty-one years ago, Israelites peaked at number 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart and went to number one in the United Kingdom. Co-written by Dekker and producer Leslie Kong, the song was a massive hit in Jamaica before exploding in Europe and the United States.
It is the first reggae song to top the British chart. Dekker died in the United Kingdom in 2006.
A cover of Charles Wright & The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band’s song, Do Your Thing was released in 1969 by Studio One when Sibbles was a member of The Heptones.
The Watchmen soundtrack is being released in three volumes. Volume 1 on November 4, volume 2 is scheduled for release on November 25 and the final instalment is due on December 16.
It also has songs from Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton, Billie Holiday, Irma Thomas, The Beastie Boys, Eartha Kitt, Dinah Washington, David Bowie and Roy Orbison.
Watchmen is based on the DC Comics series of the same name created by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons. Its cast includes Academy Award winners Lou Gossett Junior, Jeremy Irons and Regina King, Don Johnson of Miami Vice fame and Jean Smart, best known for her role in the television sitcom, Designing Women.
The series premiered on October 20.
