Born in Trench Town, Kingston, Jamaica, Wilson released his first single "Emy Lou" in 1961 for record producer, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, at the age of thirteen. His early years with Coxsone yielded a number of ska hits, the biggest of which, the Lee Perry-written "Joe Liges" was an attack on rival producer and former Dodd employee Prince Buster. This was followed by another Perry-written attack on Buster, "Spit in the Sky". Further singles followed, including "One Two Three", "I Shall Not Remove", "Look Who Is Back Again" (a duet with Slim Smith), and another anti-Buster song, "Prince Pharaoh", notably the only record featuring the voice of Dodd himself.
His voice matured as he left his teens, around the time of ska's transition to rocksteady and this period in the late 1960s produced many hits including one of the first rocksteady records, "Dancing Mood", "Jerk in Time" (with the Wailers), "Feel Good All Over", "I'm Not a King", "True Believer in Love", "Rain From the Skies", "Conquer Me" and "Riding For A Fall". "Won't You Come Home", a duet with Ken Boothe on a rhythm originally cut by The Conquerors for Sonia Pottinger has become one of the most-versioned Jamaican tracks ever.[citation needed] After leaving Studio One he recorded for numerous other producers, with varying degrees of success, and set up his own short-lived W&C label along with Wilburn Cole, and the similarly-fated Links label with Ken Boothe, The Gaylads and The Melodians. He enjoyed success with Bunny Lee in the late 1960s and early 1970s with tracks such as "This Old Heart of Mine", "Footsteps of Another Man", and "Better Must Come". His double A-side "It Hurts"/"Put Yourself in My Place" was a skinhead favourite and narrowly missed UK chart success. He recorded a version of "Run Run", a song he had originally recorded for Dodd, for maverick producer Keith Hudson.
1970 saw Wilson's first tour of the UK, where he also recorded a number of songs for the Trojan record label.
In 1972, Michael Manley's People's National Party chose Wilson's "Better Must Come" as their election campaign song. The same year saw the release of one of his most popular songs, "Cool Operator", which became his nickname. He worked with a string of producers in the years that followed, including Joe Gibbs ("Mash Up Illiteracy", "Pretty Girl"), Gussie Clarke ("Love"), Winston "Niney" Holness ("Rascal Man"), Harry J ("Ask The Lonely"), and Joseph Hoo Kim ("It's a Shame").
In 1976, he recorded a cover of The Wailers' "I'm Still Waiting" for Lloyd Charmers, which was hugely popular, and enjoyed some cross-over success, and was followed by the album Sarge, which is considered one of his strongest. Also a Bob Andy produced song, "The Last Thing On My Mind" rose to number one in Jamaica. Wilson continued the run of success until the end of the decade, but his career floundered during the early 1980s, with releases less common. His fortunes revived in the digital age with releases for King Jammy ("Don't Put The Blame On Me") and Bunny Lee ("Ease Up"), with new albums following, but he again drifted out of the limelight, with his health declining, and is best remembered for his earlier work.
In 1994, Wilson's enduring legacy to Jamaican music was recognized by a special plaque awarded him by the Jamaican government, and presented by the then Prime Minister, Patterson.
Delroy Wilson died on 6 March 1995 at Kingston's UWI hospital, of complications from cirrhosis of the liver. He was 46 years old.
Delroy is referenced by The Clash, in "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais".
In 2013 Wilson was posthumously awarded the Order of Distinction by the Jamaican Government.
In the 1960s he sang duo with Paulette Williams as Delroy & Paulette.
He was not a part of the duo Higgs and Wilson with Joe Higgs and Roy Wilson(no relation)
He released his first solo single "If I Had a Beautiful Baby" in 1962 for record producer, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd, at the age of thirteen. His follow-up single "Joe Liges" was written by Lee Perry, then working as a talent spotter/songwriter/singer for Dodd, and was a lyrical attack on former Coxsone employee and now rival, Prince Buster. The record was so popular that his follow-up, "Spit In The Sky", another Perry penned barb aimed at the Prince, was actually credited to Joe Liges when it was released in th UK on the Bluebeat and Black Swan labels.
Delroy's transition to rocksteady in the late 1960s produced many hits including "Conquer Me" and "Riding For A Fall". His classic song "Dancing Mood" remains one of the most popular Jamaican songs from that time. In 1972, Jamaican Prime Minister Michael Manley and his People's National Party chose Wilson's "Better Must Come" as their election campaign song to increase their vote amongst the 'sufferers' in Jamaica. Also a Bob Andy produced song, "The Last Thing On My Mind" rose to number one in Jamaica. Delroy was mainly produced by Bunny Lee throughout the 1970s and continued recording into the early 90s under various producers spanning a career of 30+ years.
I Shall Be Released
Delroy Wilson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They say everything can be replaced
They say every distance is not near, yeah
But I remember every face
Of every man who put me here
I see the light come shining
Any day now, every way now
I shall be released
They say every man needs protection
They say every man must fall
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above the wall
Yeah, I see the ight come shining
From the west down to the east, yeah
Any day now, every way now
I shall be released, yeah
Oh-oh-oh-oh, oh yeah
They say every man needs protection
They say every man must fall, yeah
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Somewhere so high above the wall
Yeah, I see the light come shinin'
From the west down to the east
Any day now, any day now
I shall be released
In Delroy Wilson's song I Shall Be Released, the singer seems to be reflecting on past experiences, particularly those that have led to their current state of captivity. The song begins with the assertion that everything can be replaced and every distance is not near. The singer then goes on to state that they remember every face of every man who put them where they are. This suggests that they have been wrongfully imprisoned or perhaps have been falsely accused and subsequently executed.
The second verse makes further reference to the concept of protection and the inevitability of every man falling. This could be interpreted in a variety of ways, although it seems like the singer is suggesting that they were not protected from those who put them in their current position. The line "yet I swear I see my reflection somewhere so high above the wall" is ambiguous but could suggest that the singer has struggled to come to terms with the fact that their life has been taken away from them.
In the chorus, the singer sings about a light that is coming shining from the west down to the east. This could symbolize hope or some sort of divine intervention. The repeated phrase "any day now, every way now, I shall be released" seems to suggest that the singer is holding out hope for a change in their circumstances. Overall, the song seems to be about longing for freedom, whether that be from physical imprisonment or from life's hardships.
Line by Line Meaning
They say everything can be replaced
People say everything has a replacement
They say every distance is not near, yeah
It is said that every distance is not easily reachable
But I remember every face
Nevertheless, I recall every face
Of every man who put me here
Of those who are responsible for my current situation
I see the light come shining
I perceive light emanating
From the west down to the east, yeah
From the west side moving towards the east
Any day now, every way now
At any moment and in all directions
I shall be released
I will ultimately be free
They say every man needs protection
It is commonly believed that every man needs to be safeguarded
They say every man must fall
People say that everyone will inevitably fail
Yet I swear I see my reflection
Nonetheless, I firmly believe I can see my image
Somewhere so high above the wall
Somewhere positioned above the wall barrier
Yeah, I see the ight come shining
Yes, I observe the radiance spreading around
From the west down to the east, yeah
Moving from the west direction towards the east side
Any day now, every way now
Very soon and intensely
I shall be released, yeah
I will finally be set free
Contributed by Muhammad B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
RootsDaughter41926
Yes... sweet version... and yes I agree... the backing vocals do sound similiar to the Heptones...
63dianelisa
NIce version, especially the drum rythm. The early pictures are kind of scarey, though
BREDDAZA ROOTS
Excelenteeee
RootsDaughter41926
I think I know what you mean. I just think it's the mixing - too much prominence to the top harmony and not enough to middle and bottom - making it sound top heavy...
MegaDELROY
I remember a Bunny Lee interview where he said he didn't really like the transition from Reggae to Drum & Bass Reggae...