[78-L] Sidney & the Lion play calypso

[Steven C. Barr]

see end...
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From: "Michael Biel" <mbiel at mbiel.com>
> 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.
>
Now...IF I recall rightly (I haven't had reason to check this lately?!)...
ARC labels (at least some) issued West Indian material, most or all
calypso, on special series. The catalog numbers used the first letter
of the label name followed by 3-digit serial numbering (i.e. Perfect
P-###, Melotone M-### and possibly others?). I have run across a
VERY few of these records; I don't know if they were sold in the
islands or to expatriates in the NYC area. AFAIK, there exists VERY
minimal documentation on these?

Steven C. Barr