[78-L] Sidney & the Lion play calypso

[David Lennick]

Even earlier..Wilmoth Houdini was on OKeh in 1928 and Brunswick in 1931, Lionel Belasco recorded for Brunswick in 1930, likely others. And don't forget all those great Bluebirds by Lord Beginner, Houdini et al.

 

dl
 
> Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 11:08:15 -0500
> From: bmcclung78 at gmail.com
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Sidney & the Lion play calypso
> 
> Yes, please send the files. I would love to know more. I only have four of
> the Deccas. Were any other U.S. labels releasing calypso in the late 30s
> and early 40s? I buy them whenever I see them but most seem to be
> postwar.
> 
> So far I've got calypso 78s on Apollo, Calypso, Disc, Emerald Beach, Encino,
> Kalypso, Keynote, Lyragon, Richards, and Stinson.
> 
> One of my favorites is Calypso 508--Ping Pong Serenade by Neville Jules, His
> Hot Ping Pong and Louis' Trinidad Calypso Orchestra. I'm assuming Ping
> Pong is his steel drum.
> 
> On Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 10:00 AM, Michael Biel <mbiel at mbiel.com> wrote:
> 
> > From: "Cary Ginell" <soundthink at live.com>
> > >> Just found a 10-inch LP on Stinson featuring Sidney Bechet and Willie
> > >> "The Lion" Smith playing calypso, rhumbas, and meringues. Never knew
> > >> this session existed. According to the liner notes, the six titles were
> > >> recorded in New York for Brunswick on November 22, 1939. The session
> > >> is not in Rust's Jazz & Ragtime Records but I think they should have at
> > least been referenced.
> >
> > From: "Steven C. Barr" <stevenc at interlinks.net>
> > > For the most part, discographers don't include West Indian (mostly
> > calypso
> > > at that time) recordings; they were usually issued on limited-circulation
> > > "ethnic" series. Both Decca and ARC recorded such discs; I have run
> > across
> > > a VERY limited number of these, and always find them pleasant
> > listening...!
> >
> > It is astonishing how many Calypso records were issued on American Decca
> > in the 1930s that nobody knows about. They were not listed in Decca's
> > "Popular" catalog, When photographing album 78 titled "Decca presents A
> > Special Collection of the World-Famous Music of Trinidad - CALYPSOS By
> > Wilmouth Houdini and His Royal Calypso Orchestra" I was astonished to
> > see a listing of SIXTY FOUR Decca releases on the back page of the
> > booklet (dated 11-39). They were all in the 17000 series, but the three
> > discs in this album were in the 18000 series. This album is like a
> > promotional sampler because although only one performer is featured, the
> > are many photographs inside of other groups, as well as that catalog
> > listing. An English collector had given us a presentation at the 2001
> > ARSC/IASA about these records but I had no idea until I saw this list
> > how truly extensive the series was beyond the few that were in the
> > catalog and show up, such as "Joe Louis". The subtitle on in the
> > booklet is "The World-Famous Topical Song of Trinidad" and two of the
> > songs in the album is "Roosevelt Opens World's Fair" and "The Welcome of
> > Their Magisties".
> >
> > The description includes "Having been unable to resist the purchase of
> > Calypso records in Trinidad, tourists bring them home in great
> > enthusiasm as something new and fascinating to introduce to their
> > friends. . . . At the same time many people wished to buy the records
> > that had heard locally, but they were very difficult to obtain. Decca
> > has been for years the principal recorded of this type of song and has
> > exported many thousands of records annually to the West Indies and it is
> > the Decca Records that have been brought back home and about which you
> > have read interesting articles in The New Yorker, Esquire, Cosmopolitan,
> > Newsweek, and other leading publications. . . . The complete catalog of
> > Decca Calypso Records by all of the leading Calypsodians is now
> > available domestically in response to wide demand and in consideration
> > of the mounting interest Decca is pleased to present this first album
> > collection of Calypsos containing six new numbers by the famous Wilmoth
> > Houdini, one of the first ever to record the Calypso song and the only
> > Calypsonian residing in the United States."
> >
> > I can provide my photos of the cover, inside cover, booklet cover,
> > booklet intro, and the booklet record listing but the size of each of
> > the photos is huge -- about two megs each -- in order for you to get the
> > resolution to enlarge and read it.
> >
> > Mike Biel mbiel at mbiel.com
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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> >
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