Artistes and producers resurrecting songs they believe in after they failed to chart, account for many success stories in the music business.

That is exactly what happened for Singer Dee whose song, Ten Toes, went number one recently on the West Palm Beach Top Ten Reggae Chart.

The song was initially released in the summer of 2016, but thanks to tweeks from co-producers Markus Myrie and Lava Voice Production out of Germany, it was revived in June.

Though not a major chart, the Toronto-based Singer Dee welcomes the recognition from the South Florida table.

“For any artiste it’s always a good milestone to have a number one song, to at least sey yuh have a number one song. It’s good for me, an’ a good look for mi album,” he said.

That album, Ten Toes Journey, was also released this year.

Ten Toes recalls the tough times Singer Dee (real name David Bryan) endured in his native Portland and Whitehall Avenue in Kingston where he relocated as a teenager.

The song failed to create a buzz four years ago when it was released, but with a beat favouring John Lennon’s Imagine, it fared considerably better second time around.

Singer Dee, who has been recording since the late 1980s, said he tries to emulate the emotive delivery of his heroes whenever he sings.

“Garnet Silk sing from di gut suh yuh haffi feel him. Yuh haffi feel Lucky Dube, yuh haffi feel Tenor Saw,” he stated.

Ten Toes is Singer Dee’s latest collaboration with Lava Voice Production. His previous efforts for the label are Another Quarrel and No Gun.

— Howard Campbell