[78-L] Sidney & the Lion play calypso

Wed Jun 9 09:47:33 PDT 2010

I did a Calypso compilation for Pearl back in the 90s called 'Don't Stop the Carnival', and there's a great Rounder CD as well.

dl

> Date: Wed, 9 Jun 2010 11:37:57 -0500
> From: bmcclung78 at gmail.com
> To: 78-l at klickitat.78online.com
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Sidney & the Lion play calypso
> 
> Thank you very much. I just never see prewar Calypso ---or more likely I
> never see them because I'm not looking for them.
> 
> This is why I'm on this list.
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jun 9, 2010 at 11:20 AM, David Lennick <dlennick at sympatico.ca>wrote:
> 
> >
> > 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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