[78-L] MATILDA

[David Lennick]

A couple of things to remember here regarding the first "Matilda"..one, RCA 
hadn't had any luck with Belafonte in over a year of recording him with small 
groups and the big Hugo Winterhalter orchestra, so "making it authentic" wasn't 
going to first in their minds, "selling a record f'cryin' out loud" was more 
important...and The Weavers had done very nicely with backing from Gordon 
Jenkins and even Larry Clinton. Two..it was the B side. Two years later, 
Belafonte had been in a hit Broadway show and had filmed "Carmen Jones" and 
might have had a little more clout in recording the song to his preferences 
(and with Bud Shank, Maynard Ferguson, Jim Hall, Ted Nash, Jimmy Giuffre and Si 
Zentner among the motley crew of underpaid musicians).

dl

Bertrand CHAUMELLE wrote:
> "My" first version is clumsy and heavy on the accompaniment (Henri René 
> orchestra + vocal chorus). But I agree about the superiority of the 
> later version.
> 
> BC
> 
> Le 7 janv. 09, à 22:17, soundthink at aol.com a écrit :
> 
>> It's incredible how much Belafonte's voice matured in the two years 
>> between the two versions. The first version is sung too fast and in a 
>> higher key, with a spare, bongo-driven accompaniment. The LP version 
>> has a big brassy orchestra blasting behind him and he sounds like he 
>> is having a lot of fun singing it. The beat is slower, but more 
>> infectious. Get the Naxos single CD - and not just because I wrote the 
>> notes - David L. did a great job of restoration on it.
>>
>> Cary Ginell
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: RAY KILCOYNE <kil at roadrunner.com>
>> To: 78-L Mail List <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
>> Sent: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 1:10 pm
>> Subject: Re: [78-L] MATILDA
>>
>>
>>
>> Yes, I have the better version on 3 LPs and a CD, all bought hoping 
>> for the
>> original, but to no avail.  The better version has the fake line 
>> "women over
>> 40" borrowed from the Carnegie Hall concert, but without the live 
>> response.
>> That spoils it for me.
>> I also have the original 78 but the transfer is not great, and the 
>> original
>> 45, but in V condition.
>> I know I can get the original on Bear Family or Naxos, but am trying 
>> not to
>> spend too much more on this quest.  I have all the other Belefonte 
>> tracks
>> that I want so it's just this one song I'm after.
>> RayK
>>
>>
>>> The original version of "Matilda" by Belafonte was labeled as 
>>> "Matilda!
>>> Matilda!" and was issued on 78 and 45 on RCA Victor 20-5311/47-5311. 
>>> It
>>> was never issued on an LP except in later retrospectives. The version 
>>> on
>>> the "Belafonte" LP (LPM-1150), recorded in 1955?was actually a better
>>> version, featuring Tony Scott & his Orchestra.
>>>
>>> Cary Ginell
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: RAY KILCOYNE <kil at roadrunner.com>
>>> To: 78-l at 78online.com
>>> Sent: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 11:15 am
>>> Subject: [78-L] MATILDA
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> A recent post from a 78L member, maybe Mike Biel, explained how one 
>>> can
>>> retrieve
>>> the original mono version of MATILDA by Harry Belafonte from the 
>>> stereo LP
>>> by
>>> eliminating one track.
>>> This doesn't work, however, because they don't even use the orignal
>>> version.
>>> I'm listening to the "Belafonte" stereo LP.  I also have the mono 
>>> version
>>> of the
>>> LP, same recording which starts with whistling.  There is no 
>>> whistling at
>>> the
>>> start of the original 78/45, RCA Victor 5311.
>>> So, am I using the wrong LP?  Is there an LP with the original 
>>> MATILDA.
>>> MATILDA
>>> is not even on the "Calypso" LP.
>>> RayK