Calypso & Haitian/Voodoo: Original LPs
The Word: Trinidad calypso rarities, other island & U.S.-released classics, best & rarest jazz & crossover calypso, ska/mento, reggae; top Haitian music, from early sacred-drum (voodoo) & folkloric to '70s party funk.
See also below: Calypso 45s & trade wants
Discounts (usually free mailing or $5 off per item) for all multi-item orders--buy 2 or more!
Arawaks: Only Man on the Island; Arawaks A-001; 1974; E/V+ S $20 -- calypso/caribeat; Bahamian guitar-led trio; "Come On Back" is the funk original that highlights this obscure treasure; otherwise there's an interesting cover of "Just My Imagination" & the usual mix of originals & chestnuts (Shame & Scandal, Mary Ann, Yellow Bird); wear but looks worse than plays
Bill Barner: Night Out at the Oceania with Bill Barner; Art ALP-56; 2-LP gatefold N-/E S $30 -- comedy/lounge act; recorded live at Jack Wood's Oceania in Fort Lauderdale; rare, deluxe, late item the Art-label completist will appreciate (great '50s calypso label that later turned toward Floridian lounge acts)
The Beginning of the End; Alston SD-33-379; 1971; 2nd/flexi cutout E-/V+ S $25 (or reissue N/N shrink S $15, specify) -- caribeat/funk/Afro-Beat; THE most famous/essential funky caribeat LP ever, by the illustrious Munnings family of the Bahamas (father Freddie Munnings guests on clarinet); Funky Nassau Parts 1 & 2, Come Down, Sleep On Dream On, Surrey Ride, Monkey Tamarind, In the Deep, Pretty Girl, When She Made Me Promise; original has some wear, some of it audible but not too shabby, particularly at the low price
Count Bernadino & his Calypso Bacchinals: Count Bernadino's Calypso Philosophies (jacket: Count Bernadino at the Sheraton British Colonial); Sun Rise ST-55752/3; deep groove N/N shrink S $30 -- calypso; self-made, great, & quite scarce!; Bernardino's Theme & Philosophy, Nassau the Paradise, Gimme Gimme Gimme Dance, Woman Go Look for Work, Ruckus in Detroit, Take Your Meat Out Me Rice..
Boystown Steel Orchestra/Trinidad Pan Harmonic Orchestra: Trinidad Carnival; Vitadisc TC/L-159; deep groove E-/E+ $50 -- steel band; glorious color jacket (same jacket & title as another LP on the label by Lord Melody w/Cyril Diaz); we're not suggesting it's the best Vitadisc calypso, just a great instrumental steel-band LP on the coveted label; jacket has a bite out of the lower left corner & a couple of lesser woes but the disc at least is very impressive
Ronnie Butler & his Ramblers: Ronnie Butler Steps Out at the Big Bamboo; Elite LP-OE-3 (formerly OE-1!); deep groove E-/N- S $20 -- first LP on the label--heavy vinyl; top ex-King Eric singer; Big Bamboo Jump Up, Don't Touch Me Tomatoes, Goombay, Ugly Woman, Kinston Market, Water She Garden..
Lord Brynner's Big Big Bamboo Calypso; Erin LP-1941; Canada; jacket only (E+), in flapped mylar sleeve -- free for the asking w/order
Candido, Calypso, & Girl: Calypso Dance Party; ABC-178; 1957; later pressing E+/N- $25 -- calypso/percussion/jazz/pop; w/Johnny Careisi, the Twintones, Claudia Swann, Frantz Casseus; fans of Candido's conga & bongo playing won't be disappointed, & for calypso fans it's among the best & most unusual by "crossover" artists, largely bc of his Cuban heritage; great original tunes (arr. or comp. by William Attaway) a welcome change from standards; beautiful jacket & scarcity make it essential; Talking Drums, Bumba Boat, Everybody Loves Saturday Night, The Search, Cordelia Brown, Calypso Tromp, Murder in the Market..
Choco & Chimi: Drums of the Caribbean 10"; Audio Fidelity AFLP-902; 1955/1954; deep groove E-/E $50 -- Afro-Cuban/santero/drums; "A Study in Hi Fidelity Sound"; rec. in Mexico; only the 2nd LP on the label (the 1st good one!) w/top drummers Chocolaté--Antonio Diaz Mena-- & Chiminea; great shape/sound & a generous 12 cuts make it seem like a 12" LP!; Santo, Mambo, Double Mambo, Santo (Bembe), Nanigo, Rhumba Colombia, Afro Cubano, Drum Fantasy, Rhumba, Rhumba Son, Burandanga, Conga
Rupert Clemendore: Le Jazz Trinidad; Cook 10850; brown vinyl, deep groove E/E- $100 -- calypso jazz/vibes/percussion; astounding, original, exotic "Patois Jazz" by terrific artist (known also for later European work); truly the best vintage LP of real calypso jazz; fantastic!; Mambo Chop Suey, Eastern Conga, Off Beat, Drummer's Mood, Short Pants Saga, Progression Calypso..; some marks & noise but not bad--a far better copy than usual
Beacham Coakley's Emerald Beach Hotel Orchestra w/Vincent Martin: Goombay!; DL-8489; E+/E $30 -- calypso/Bahamas; great, scarce c.1957 LP w/gorgeous jacket of dancing couple on head of goombay drum; Brown Skin Girl, Never Interfere, Redhead Gal, Wreck of John B
Aaron Collins: Calypso, U.S.A.; Crown CLP-5028; deep groove V+/V $20 (or V-/V- $15, specify) -- cross-over calypso; before Robert Mitchum did his calypso thing, there was this rare collectors item by leader of the Cadets (which makes this primarily a rock collectors item); hard to do better than this w/out spending a lot of money!; Jamaica Farewell, Mary Anne, Mama Look a Boo Boo, Marie My Love, The Riddle, I Had But 50 Cents, Pretty Evey, Rum Jamaica Rum, Sylvie, Day-O, John Henry, Matilda
[Sun Ra &] Roz Croney, Queen of the Limbo: How Low Can You Go?; Audio Fidelity/Dauntless DS-6309; 1963; E+/E S $90 -- dance rock (limbo/twist/etc.); as w/the Dan & Dale Batman LP (but much rarer!), it's another fun, silly LP w/Sun Ra backing (credited as "Edward O. Bland") a female singer not unlike Eloise Lewis; apart from the Sun Ra aspect, it's one of the better LPs of its kind (lively, good, w/vintage guitar); nice jacket photos of dancer Roz Croney doing the limbo & sliding low (she once held the record at 7.5"--just imagine!); It's Limbo Time, Limbo Like Me, Bagpipe Limbo, Bossa Nova Limbo (Sun Ra original!), What Makes the Limbo Rock, Whole Lot of Shaking Going On
Harold Courlander (recorded): Drums of Haiti (Music of Haiti, Vol. 2); Folkways P-403; (c)1950; 1st press/jacket w/booklet, deep groove E+/V+ $30 (or 2nd press/jacket w/booklet, deep groove E/V $20, specify) -- fantastic stuff, similar to Ti-RoRo's Voodoo Drums in Hi-Fi (similar rara); drums & vaccines; vodun, ibo, congo, juba, bumba, salongo, etc. dances; some marks & noise
[Richie Delamore with] The Goombay Kings; RCA Victor LPM-1514; 1957; 1st press N-/E+ $35 -- his rare first LP (credited as "Richie Del Amore")!; great jacket, top RCA production, terrific tunes!; Goombay, Mama Out de Light, Bahama Lullaby, John B. Sails, Linsted Market, Bimini Gal, Don't Touch Me Tomato, Calypso Man, The Cricket Calypso, Rockin' 8 Babies to Sleep, Don't Go Away, Conch Ain't Got No Bones
Jean Léon Destiné: Festival in Haiti; Elektra 130; (c)1955; [no booklet] deep groove E/V+ $30 -- Haitian/vodun; w/drum legends Ti Ro Ro(!!!), Alphonse Cimber; fantastic set, liners, artwork; 1 more cut than the 10"!; priced low for some marks & noise
Percy Dixon & his Merry Boys: Scandal in Montego Bay; Sue LP-1026; E-/E+ $25 -- really great, scarce mento (Jamaican calypso) LP, similar to the Hiltonaires (only better!) & the best Jamaican stuff on Monogram; also fascinating as likely the only calypso LP on the Sue label (liner notes & prod. by Sue President & top funk producer Juggy Murray); mix of first-rate covers & originals: Bloodshot Eyes, Watermelon, Shake Senora, Kinsey Report, Balimbo, Calabash, Scandal..
[The Drums of Trinidad/Equatorial Jazz:] Drums of Trinidad; Cook 1045; translucent brown vinyl, deep groove V+/E $35 -- calypso jazz/percussion; among all the heavy, early ethno-drum LPs, this is truly exciting & fantastic (as good as any on the label & there are some great ones!); "tribal rhythms from Carriacou/6-man drum orchestra recorded in Little Carib Theatre in Port of Spain"; Calypso in Drums, Drumology, Primitif, Nation, Koromanti, Manding, Halicord, Congo, Calinda
Duke of Iron & his Trinidad Calypso Troubadours: Calypso Carnival 10"; Monogram MLP-800; 2nd/yellow E+/E- $70 -- calypso; original jacket! (w/rear liner notes & image); NOT the same as his 12" LP of the same title (842)!; Loving Woman is a Waste of Time, I Left Her Behind for You, The Easy Fish(Man), Mambo Calypso, Mandolin Jive, Clear de Road, Creole Girl, Last Train
Duke of Iron & his Trinidad Calypso Troubadours: Calypso Carnival 10"; Monogram MLP-800; 3rd/yellow N-/E+ $70 -- 2nd jacket (blank rear, same face except white instead of yellow background) in top shape, as is the disc, which is nice heavy vinyl; NOT the same as his 12" LP of the same title (842)!; Loving Woman is a Waste of Time, I Left Her Behind for You, The Easy Fish(Man), Mambo Calypso, Mandolin Jive, Clear de Road, Creole Girl, Last Train
Duke of Iron 10"; Monogram MLP-812; 1st/pink/deep groove V+/V+ $75 -- rare!; for jacket image, see linked Duke of Iron page (last Duke of Iron image) some of his best early work & only about 3 songs can be found on other, also very rare LPs; Parakeets, Man Centipede, Woman Police, Calypso Samba, Tick Tick Tick, Constance, Monkey Calypso, Undercover Man
Duke of Iron: Calypso Carnival; Monogram 842; deep groove E/E- $40 -- the great calypso label, the prime format, the greatest calypsonian!; repeats only 2 of the cuts from the even rarer 10" LP (so you need both); Big Bamboo, Naughty Fly, Undercover Man, Coldest Woman, Lost Watch, Creole Girl, Last Train, Music Teacher, Man Smart..
Duke of Iron: Calypso Carnival with; RCA Victor LPM-1386; 1957; E-/N- $30 (or V+/E+ $25, specify) -- unique recordings by THE greatest calypsonian!; great liner notes form an extensive poem-calypso tribute; A Better Woman than You, Bambouche, 50 Cents, Katie, Vitalogy, Walking Department Store, Calypsonian Invasion, Mamma Gave Me Something, Bartender Harry, It's the Rhythm We Want, The Duke of Calypso, Pepper Sauce Milly; jacket has a 1" rectangle cut out on the left side, otherwise fine
Duke of Iron & the Fabulous Steel Bands:
Calypso!; Crowell-Collier Record Guild G-142; 1957; deep groove E+/E+ $50 (or E/E $40, specify) -- 10 terrific Duke songs (licensed from Monogram but nicely presented here in a clean, hi-fi 12" LP) & 2 steel-band instrumentals on a rare old NY label w/great jacket art (really!) & lengthy liner notes; Man Smart, Music Lesson, Meringue Jenny, Creole Girl, Last Train, Coconut (steel band), Lost Watch, Loving Woman is a Waste of Time, Man is Easy Fish, Mambo Calypso, Clear de Road, West Indies Serenade (steel band)
Duke of Iron: Limbo, Limbo, Limbo; Status/Prestige International PR-13068; E/E+ $75 (or V+/V $25, specify) -- one of the rarest LPs of precious, unique-to-this-disc recordings by the greatest calypsonian w/some steel-band cuts; rec. by Rudy Van Gelder (highest sign of record quality) on scarce ethnic subsidiary of top jazz label; The Hanging Tree, The NY Mets, Marriage Recipe, Limbo, Yellow Bird, Courtney's Saga, Everybody Merengue, Take Six, Taces, Mr. Rake & Scrape
Duke of Iron: More Calypsos by the Duke of Iron; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-747; E-/N- $75 -- rare, most welcome compilation of Monogram songs reissued in spectacularly clean hi-fi, plus jacket photo of the Duke singing in the '70s; 11 Duke of Iron rarities/classics & "Rock Cum Babe" (which we suspect is sung by someone else): Miss Constance, Monkey Calypso, Under Cover Man, One Gone, Rye Saly Water, Samson & Delilah, Wide Screen, Tie Up Me Dress, The Postman, Woman Police, Coldest Woman (titles vary from Monogram in some instances)
Emile: Marie; RID 108; N-/N S $25 -- Haitian/caribeat/Moog; from Brooklyn; nice ballads but also amazing party songs w/lots of funky synth, very early '70s like best of Byron Lee/Sparrow soca; Mamaya Mufanga, Si Loin Que Je Sois, Pipilite Sambo, Egoisme, Invitation (party song!), Viens, Manman Moin Pas La, Marie
King Eric & his Knights: BA MA Hit Parade; Carib LP-2008; 1960; 1st/deep groove N-/N S $40 -- calypso; fantastic early one (their 1st & best) epitomizes the lure of the Bahamas in the Golden Age of tourism (& record production); just dig the great club-photos jacket w/the sensational liner notes; Big Bamboo, Choucounne, Ah Baby, Zombie Jamboree, Crazy Like Mad, The Conch..
King Eric & his Knights: Calypso Encores; Carib LP-2017-S; 1962; 1st/gold/deep groove N-/N- S $25 (or E+/E+ S $20, specify) -- calypso; "More Hits from the Bama"; beautiful jacket (great niteclub photos); 12 great songs from their prime, including both Ugly Woman & Pretty Woman, Measurements, Cha Cha Baby, Conch Ain't Got No Bone, Calypso Island, Little Nassau Bahama Mama, Bahamian Gal..
King Eric & his Knights: All Time Favourites Calipsos (sic); Elite OE-24; deep groove E+/N S $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- calypso; great for jacket; top tunes include Are You Lonely for Me Baby (r&b hit Gregg Allman also covered!), Yes Yes Yes (Yass Yass Yass), My Pussy, Archie, Ring Ting Ting..
King Eric & his Knights: Live at the King & Knights Club; Elite LP-OE-46; E-/N S $25 -- scarce one!; Come to the Bahamas, Killing Me Softly, John & his Sexy Phone, Take the Ribbons, Quando, My Way, Joy to the World, Call Me, Doctor, For the Good Times, Sweet Gypsy Rose, Sail
Duke Errol & his Lords: Wings of a Dove; Tropical CLP-3081; E-/V+ S $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- calypso; "an album of favorites"; one of the tougher-to-find of the wonderful LPs by Errol Strachan (King Eric's cousin, great voice!) w/Ralph Munnings; highlights include
"House of the Rising Sun" & "Hard Days Night" covers
Lord Flea & his Calypsonians: Swingin' Calypsos; Capitol T-842; E/N- $75 (or E/E- $40, specify) -- one of the most famous & desired calypso/mento LPs, particularly on a major label; Lord Flea featured in films, such as Bop Girl Goes Calypso; smash hit "Shake, Shake Senora" recently used in a shampoo commercial; Monkey, Calypso Be Bop, Magic Composer, Bachelor's Life, Shi-Du-Bi-Du-Bab, Naughty Little Flea, Pretty Woman (answer to Ugly Woman)..
Serge Gainsbourg: Aux armes et caetera; Philips 9120-384; 1979 (Canadian pressing of 9101-218) N/N- S $70 -- reggae; w/Sly & Robbie; great stuff ("Relax Baby Be Cool" is the best), great sound!
Sandy Gamory w/Syd Joe & his Caribbean All Stars Orchestra: The Calypso Man; San Joe SJ-4667; V+/E S $35 -- TERRIFIC authentic Trinidadian calypso very much in the Sparrow/Troubadours vein but even more exciting/jazzy/intriguing, not to mention rare!; originals: Grace Line, Don't Underestimate the Power of a Woman, Taxation, Merengue, Spread Joy, Every Day I'll Love Her Better; covers: My Pussin (Kitch), Hold On to Your Man (Kitch), Fowl Thief (Sparrow), The Devil (Lord Melody)
Teddy Greaves: Living it Up with Teddy Greaves; Art ALP-64; E-/V+ S $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- calypso (except for jazz "Out of Nowhere"--2 sax players featured); live at either the Turtle Walk supper club, Grand Bahama Hotel or the Jack Tar (dual creditation); rare jacket of him on boat, with a waterskiing photo on back (other jacket's face has him waterskiing while the band plays in background boat); Shame & Scandal, Zombie Jamboree, Swahili Song 13 in all, continuous groove
Claude "Fats" Greene: Fats Shake 'Em Up; Camille 9021; 1968; N-/N- shrink S $50 (or E+/E S $40, specify) (or cutout E/E- S $30, specify) -- Caribeat/calypso instrumental; famous calypsonian MacBeth's(!) group featuring Pritchard, leader of the band after Fats died (just before this LP was released; Fats was leader after MacBeth's death); very hip (sounds like Ed Watson) w/great instrumental solos (clarinet, horns..); a treat found only in NYC we are proud to offer (most LPs like this are super-rare); Let's Advertise, Boogalypso, Carib Soul, Green Bananas, Calypsorama, The Devil, Fats Shake 'Em Up, Carnival Bounce, Nelsonia
Stamma & the Clubbites: Montego Beat (Stammer's Band); Federal Record Mfg. FRM-134; deep groove E/E+ S $30 -- caribeat; Stamma Haughton sings terrific, funky reggae "Shaft" & "Black Magic Woman" covers!; also great calypso-jazz; Sparrow's Tent, Mr. Walker, Fire Fire, Love of the Common People, Cry to Me, What's the Idea, Play Mas..
Richard Hayman: Voodoo!; Mercury MG-20465; deep groove 1st press N-/N $30 -- Afro-Cuban/Haitian/voodoo-themed orchestral pop w/cool incantations, sounds, etc. (really good & nearly the only LP of its kind); Danse Calinda, Conjuration, Spell of Deatra, Incantation, Afro, Zombi, Voodoo, Mamba, Haiti, Midnight Ritual, Gris-Gris, Invocation; sensational voodoo-doll jacket!!!
The Hiltonaires: Big Bamboo; Hilary ILP-1041; deep groove E/E- S $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- calypso/ska/mento (Jamaican); hip, laid-back tho distinctive & fun Jamaican groovers on Sparrow's label (so you know they're good); Big Bamboo (only the greatest calypso song of all time), Chinese Baby, Shame & Scandal, Wings of a Dove, My Pussin, Going Back to See Her..; disc fine except some wear/noise at start of "Island in the Sun"
Geoffrey Holder & his Trinidad Hummingbirds; Riverside RLP-4004; deep groove E-/E- $65 (or deep groove V/V $25, specify) -- Shango/calypso/Martinique; mainly Shango cult music (the Trinidadian equivalent of voodoo but far rarer, particularly on '50s LPs!) by famous dancer, etc., including similar tunes from Martinique & other places not often heard on LPs of the period; unique & wonderful stuff on the prestigious jazz label's "world folk music series"; the vinyl is incredibly thick, yielding intense sound/bass; 11 cuts: Sol Leve Woyo, Shango Hymn, Fay Oh, Invocation, Hymn to Osine, Pendant Mone dans l'Armee, Wake Song, Adieu Madras, 'Ti Paule, Miss Lily White, Adam in de Garden
[The Drums of] Cyril Jackson: Afro Drums; Request SLRP-8109 (reissues Afro-Stereo; Counterpoint CPST-5561; 1958); N-/N- S $35 -- African/Haitian-voodoo/Shango/Afro-Latin/drums; great record of interest perhaps even more for the sacred-drum cult aspect than the fantastic African drumming, in early hi-fi stereo; very scarce in the original, here nicely presented with essentially the same jacket (title change)
Herb Jeffries: Devil is a Woman; Golden Tone C-4066; deep groove E+/N- $50 -- calypso/Afro-Cuban/voodoo/vocal; 1 of the most exciting vocal LPs we know & love as well as an unusual treasure for this page; a mojo bag of sinsational thrills, mainly original & unique to this very LP!!!; the popular Jeffries had hits on major labels, but this obscurity is his best for our purposes; since Golden Tone is a budget label, it's more sturdy (heavy vinyl) & winsome than slick, but that also keeps it affordable (also it's hard to find in top shape like this); Adam & Evil Blues, Calypsociety, Don't Spank de Baby, Magical Joe..
Lord Jellicoe & his Calypso Monarchs at the Sheraton; WIRL 1040; autographed deep groove E/E+ S $30 (or deep groove N-/E- S $20, specify) -- calypso; The Big Bamboo (not the same as on their other LP with that song), My Pussin, Shame & Scandal, Hold On To Your Man, Wings of a Dove..
Little Joe & his Calypsonians; Elite LPOE-17; 1967; deep groove E/E S $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- 13 cuts recorded by "King Eric" Gibson; mainly steel-pan instrumentals but also some pan-free songs; we love the band's home-made sign in the jacket photo; Big Bamboo, Nosey Mother-in-Law, Merci Cherie, Danny Boy, El-Logo, Archie Buck Em Up, Going Home Tonight, Nassau or Jamaica, What Now My Love, Island in the Sun..
Lord Kitchener: Curfew Time; Trinidad TRCS-0001; E-/E+ S $30 -- calypso w/the Sparks & Art de Couteau; Curfew Time, Play Mas, Whait Teacher, Let Them Crow, PP 99, Mas at Madison, True Confession, Ah Go Tell Granny, Jealous Cathy, Black Power
Lord Kitchener: Carnival Fever; Trinidad TRCS-4000; 1975; deep groove E-/V S $20 -- w/the Sparks & Art de Couteau; Soul Train, No Streakers, Fever, Local Wood, Gih We Back We Stadium, Alma Blow, Tell Dem Judges, Tribute to Spree..
Byron Lee & the Dragonaires: Reggay Hot, Cool, & Easy; Dynamic DY-3328; E+/N- S $50 (or E/E S $40, specify) -- caribeat; covers James Brown's "Hot Pants" (as "Hot Reggay"--TERRIFIC VERSION!!!) & "Shaft" (done to death by others but this is a GREAT reggaefied version); amazingly, even the rest of the LP is happening too; nice jacket photo of the band performing; Byron Lee's best by far (the only one you really need)
The Eloise Trio; Decca DL-78983; 1960; 1st/deep groove E+/E+ S $50 -- fantastic!; the sensational Eloise Lewis Trio's most famous/exciting/wanted LP, famous for striking jacket art (w/b&w "op art"); top shape, rare stereo!; Cocoanut Woman (her best?), Shake Shake Senora (the Lord Flea hit), Zombie Jamboree, Similau, Banana, Digby, Goombay, Anna ba Coha (sic: "Anabacoa"--by legendary Hollywood impressario/Chaino producer Kirby Allan!) & rockin' originals "Blackbeard's Cha Cha" & "Chi Chi Merengue"..
Eloise Lewis: The Exciting Eloise Trio; Decca DL-74077; N/N S $60 (or N/E+ shrink S $50, specify) (or mono DL-4077; E+/E $30, specify) -- calypso/Latin; her 2nd of 3 great classics for the label, all essential & thrilling; beautiful jacket photo & top sound/production/material; The Jackass Song (Donkey Bray), La Chita, Yellow Bird, Three Blind Mice Cha Cha, Pretty Boy, Man Piaba, Time But No Money, Don't Tell On Me, Marianne..
Carlos Malcolm & his Afro-Jamaican Rhythm: Ska-Mania; Federal/Upbeat 101; deep groove E/E+ $65 (or E-/V+ $40, specify) -- caribeat/ska/mento; "The Sound of the Soil"; Malcom is legendary for a later funk LP but in the mid-'60s he was known for top ska & mento (for dancing, full of jazzy horns, not boring as most ska); sensational historic photos grace a first-rate jacket; Head Shrinker, Earthman, Hunchback No.1, Skamania, Wings of a Dove, Skokian..
Carlos Malcolm & the Jamaica Brass: Carlos Malcolm Jamaica Brass; Scepter S-551; E+/E+ $50 -- caribeat/ska/mento; compilation; 6 tracks from Upbeat 102, 4 from Upbeat 101 presented w/beautiful new jacket art, reliable production; scarce!; Space Flight, Cut Munu, Bonanza, Sweetie Charlie, Lonely Bull, Mambo en Sax (Perez Prado!), Tip Toe..
Vincent Martin & the Bahamians: Island Woman; Island Artists LP-1007; 1957; E-/E- $20 -- w/Peanuts Taylor; distinguished by D. Pullinger's great jacket art (full color original sketch) as well as top vocals & interesting material: Calypso Blues, Zombie Jamboree, Uncle Lou--No Drunken Man, Uncle Joe (Colon Man), Kitch, Stone Cold Dead..
The Fabulous McClevertys; Verve MG-V-2034; c. 1957; orange/deep groove N-/E $40 (or black/deep groove E/E+* $30, specify) -- calypso; FANTASTIC early, major-label oddity!; probably still the only calypso LP w/book value (for killer original "Don't Blame it on Elvis" [for shakin' his pelvis] & it's the sole LP by the Charmer (Louis Farrakhan)'s excellent backup group!; nice jacket art & Verve production; finally, 1/3 or more are great covers of Duke of Iron hits (Parakeets, Coldest Woman, Rookombey..; low-priced for slight warp but plays/tracks fine
The Mighty Panther Sings Songs of Dynamite; Drum Boy DBLM-1000; sealed! $200 -- calypso; impossibly rare LP on obscure label from Chicago of all places; top artist (his better-known LP on Art is in big demand); great tunes (including at least 3 by Duke of Iron: Big Bamboo, Coldest Woman, I Left Her Behind for You); it's 1 of 2 we bought years ago--there were only the pair (& we kept 1), so this is it!
Mighty Sparrow: Sparrow the Conqueror; RCA Victor LPB-2035; deep groove E/E+ $75 -- "top-flight calypso"; w/the RCA All-Stars Recording Orchestra & the March of Dimes Quartet; Joey Lewis, Richard Lewis, Carl Lewis, Errol Ince, Frank Joseph, Roderick Borde, Bertram Inniss, Horace Gordon, Clarence Curvan, Harold de Freitas, Conrad Little, Nap Hepburn, Conrad Prescott, Alan Haynes, Marjorie Johnson..; Royal Jail, Freezing in New York, Fowl Thief Melo, Present Government, Thanks to the Guardian..
Mighty Sparrow: Sparrow Come Back; RCA Victor LPB-3006; deep groove E+/N- $60
Mighty Sparrow: Calypso Time; RA-2121; sealed S $35 -- w/the Troubadours; original jacket (clock face) by Izzy Sanabria; Marijuana, Pussy Laughing at Me, Bacchanal, Pogo Stick, Spider, Parables, Zinah, Levez Mako, Queen of the Band, Man Before Morning..
Mighty Sparrow: Live Vol. 2; Hilary/RA-2127; E-/N- $25 -- w/the Troubadours; same # as "At his Best"; Pussy Laughing at Me, Village Ram, Levez Macco, World on an Island, Dam Good Time, Have a Ball, Zhina, Elaine & Harry, Blame it On Me, Sweetness
Mighty Sparrow: Hotter Than Ever; RA-3112; V+/E S $30 -- jacket claims by "Special Request" fans demanded the LP be rushed into production, hence the homemade-looking jacket, which nevertheless has 2 photos; top sound, clear & loud; Rope, Toronto Mas, Winer Girl, Woompoom, Drunk & Disorderly, Miss Ruby, More Cock, Melody 72, No Love, Donkey Car'nt Wine
Sparrow's Troubadours: Jump-Up Time; RA-2126; E/E+ S $25 (or E/E- S $20, specify) -- caribeat, instrumental; 2 highlights are Willie Bobo's Chiquito & Juicy but it's all great consistently (all Sparrow/Kitch): Queen of the Bands, Mas in Madison, Parables, Levey Macco, Play Mas, Pussy Laughing at Me
Mighty Sparrow/Sparrow's Troubadors & Chorus: Hot & Sweet; Warner Bros. BS-2771; 1974; promo E/V+ S $20 -- calypso; vocal; great remakes of his earlier hits but NOT a reissue of earlier instrumental LPs by the same title; TOP SOUND!; update of "Chinese Love Affair" especially is great; also: Sparow Dead, Jane, Maria, More Cock, Mr. Walker, Hello People, English Diplomacy, Who She Go Cry For, Memories
Mighty Sparrow/Sparrow's Troubadors: N.Y.C. Blackout; Charlie's Records CR-139; 1977; deep groove V+/N- S $20 -- one of his best '70s LPs; King Kong, Rastamania, Pa Pa Rat (Pussy So Fat), Life Down in Hell, Du Du Yemi (Black Beauty), New York Blackout '77, [First Black] Miss Universe, Idi Amin, The Pan Tuner
Lord Montego & his Calypsonians: Jamaica Calypso; Audio Fidelity AFLP-1832; 1957; gold deep groove E-/V+ $20 -- early mento by Leo Montego Stevenson; 12 songs, almost all original/unique to this LP; beautiful dancer jacket; mono-only, never reissued, scarce!
Enid Mosier & her Trinidad Steel Band: Hi-Fi Calypso, etc.; Columbia CL-928; 1st/black 6-eye/deep groove N/N $45 (or same but E+/E+ $35, specify) (or same but E-/E- $20, specify) -- crossover calypso (NOT STEEL BAND!); the group was w/her in "House of Flowers" (the Clarence Williams Trio appears too); fortunately it's not a steel band at all but spirited calypso backing a great singer; like Josephine Premice & Eartha Kitt (& this LP is mandatory if you appreciate those two), she's a first-rate [Broadway] entertainer as well as a decent, unique, captivating interpreter of calypso; as you expect with Premice & Kitt, the songs are nearly all unusual/original & it's one of the best things in calypso on the label; 16 songs!: Satan's Little Lamb, Coconut, Boy Days, Chant Song, Tinga-Layo, Petit Brun Doux Doux, Buds Won't Bud..
The La Motta Brothers: Calypso & the Virgin Islanders w/Bill Fleming: Modern Calypso; RCA Vik LX-1079; 1957; 1st press (only pressing) E-/N- $20 -- calypso; one of the rarest of the great La Motta LPs, uptempo & very interesting all-original "modernization" of calypso (on Vik, which was RCA's little corner for stuff too strange & progressive for Victor); Yo' Got to Know What to Do, Tease 'Em Squeeze 'Em, Breakfast in a Flying Saucer, Vim Vigor & Vitality, Alfredo Boy, Voodoo Woman, Ain't Cha Gonna, How Yo' Know What I Got, Nothing Ventured Nothing Gained, Whatcha Calla from Guatemala, Nazalin & her Mandolin, Stop de Boat Man
[Bill Fleming w/] Bill La Motta: Song the Virgins Love; Westindy ST-1002; deep groove E+/E S $20 -- calypso jazz/calypso/Latin jazz; famous for the jacket but also a lovely record; Castle in St. Thomas, Alfredo Boy, Marvella, Yellow Bird, Mister Monday Mornin', Mills of Old St. Croix, Island Girl Audrey, Moon Bolero, Lovin' Ole Women..
[The Mighty Zebra with the] La Motta Brothers: Calypso from the Virgin Islands; RCA Victor LPM-1169; 1956; E-/E- $20 -- calypso; first-rate record, rarely seen in the Victor version (more often turns up as an RCA Custom for The Virgin Isle Hotel), which gives you different liner notes/jacket art/sound; Female Woodcutter, Englishman's Diplomacy, We Like Ike, Scandal in St. Thomas, Man Smart, Work Kill My Family, The Ping Pong..
"Ivy" Pete & his Limbomaniacs: Limbo Party; Alshire/Somerset SF-17600; E+/N- S $20 -- one of the best "blue-eyed" calypso LPs; well done & great sound; hall-of-fame jacket (see cover of one of the "Incredible Strange Music" books); Somebody Bad Stole de Wedding Bell, Sly Mongoose, Peas & Rice, Man Smart..
Louis Polliemon w/"Lord" Preston Epps: Calypso Trinidad; Crown CLP-5031; deep groove V+/E- $40 -- crossover calypso/bongo/shango; "Calypso Trinidad" is a shameless misnomer, as it's the great Epps on bongo with Jamaican Polliemon singing; still, it's one of those real treasures on Crown (old, rare, unique, good despite the later crappiness of the label), not to mention that holy of holies, a Preston Epps LP!; unusual tunes & style plus a great jacket (seam splits & very slight wear here); Camelia, 10 Penny Nails, Bed Bug, The Rooster Fight, Beautiful American Girl, Dumbalai ("Dumbala"--Shango cult song!!!), Whose Your Husband Josephina, Teena & the Bamboo, Divorce, Louispolieman Brown, Calypso Tina
Emy de Pradines w/Haiti Danse Chorus & Orchestra: Voodoo--Authentic Music & Rhythms of Haiti; Remington R-199-151; (c)1953; deep groove E/E- $40 -- Haiti/voodoo; 1 of 2 on Don Gabor's very rare NY label that did not survive into the hi-fi LP era; priceless material by the accomplished daughter of top composer/poet/author Candiau; Drums (rada), I Man Man Man, Choucoune, Negress Quartier Morin, Erzule, Loa Azaou..
Josephine Premice Sings Calypso; GNP Crescendo GNP-24; white label deep groove E+/E- $50 -- calypso; Earth Kitt rival (famous dancer/singer/actress) made 2 LPs, both fantastic & easily the most exciting/desirable of all calypso LPs made by non-calypsonians; w/Norman & Armstead Shobey, bongo & conga; Choucoune, Mommy Out de Light, Hollywood Calypso, Siesta, Lost Watch, Sweetie Joe, You Ugly Son of an Animal..
Edmundo Ros: Ros Presents Calypsos 10"; London LPB-367; N-/E $30 -- calypsos; his original calypso LP (one of his best & most sought-after) in great shape!; Deesappointment, Tis Only a Matter of Mind Over Matter, Virgin Islands, Talk t'Me, One at a Time, Opportunity, Brown Skin Gal, Chocolate Whiskey & Vanilla Gin
Edmundo Ros: Calypsos; London LL-1091; deep groove N-/N- $30 -- calypsos; 14 songs; one of his 2 great, early calypso LPs (one of his best & most sought-after); first-rate 1st pressing incl. original UK inner sleeve; colorful Demilio jacket; Boys & Girls Like Saturday Night, London is the Place for Me, Chocolate Whiskey & Vanilla Gin, Queen of Tonga, Talk to Me, They Say the Woman Always Pays, Deesappointment, Virgin Islands, One at a Time, Opportunity..
Edmundo Ros: Plays the Limbo; London LL-3264; blue back N-/N $30 -- calypsos; "The New Dance Sensation!" is really a repackaging of the "Calypso Man" LP (1 of 2 superb 12" calypso LPs) for the US market except 1 song different; Limbo Bar, Go Home Baby Go Home, Henry VIII, High Cheeck Bones, Chocolate Whiskey & Vanilla Gin, Little Brown Boy, Jacob, Magistrate Try Yourself, The Funeral Undertaker, Gin & Coconut Water, Run for the Doctor, Melode D'Amour
Guy du Rosier (w/Ti Ro Ro): Haitian Rhythms; Decca DL-8602; 1957; T1/spectral/deep groove E+/E+ $45 -- Haitian/voodoo/Latin/calypso jazz; rec. at the Riviera Hotel d'Haiti in Port au Prince; one of the best LPs of its kind (perhaps THE classic, essential Haitian LP in the US), w/drum legend Ti Ro Ro (huge influence on US jazz drummers); Shango (original), Ca Qui Tire, Cao Te Ro Ro..
Stan Seymour (Lord Necktie): Carnival Jump Up (jacket: Calypso Carnival); Edmar ELPS-1116 (Canada); autographed black label N/N S $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) (or silver label E+/N S $15, specify) -- top Bermudan calypso star's best LP, from just after winning the crown in 1971; nice music too, incl. organ; Big Bamboo, Sally in She Hot Pants, Mama Love Carnival, Locust & Wild Honey, Marje & Jacob, Womens Liberation..
Stan Seymour: Lord Necktie Sings Songs of Bermuda; Edmar ELPS-1161 (Canada); sealed S $20 -- top Bermudan calypso star does all originals in his 4th LP for the label: Calypso is Sweet, Soap Operas, Festival Time, Bermuda Triangle, Traffic Calypso, Sunset in Bermuda, Heritage Calypso, Lost Me Bamboo (fans of "The Big Bamboo" take note!), Kiskadee, Golf Lessons, Bermuda My Island, Rainbow
Stan Seymour/Sydney Bean/George Rogers: Bermuda Holiday Island Cruise; Edmar ELP-1041; AUTOGRAPHED (by Rogers) E+/E+ $25 -- scarce comp split 3 ways (4 songs each); nice renditions of every Bermuda-named/themed song ever, such as "Emerald of the Sea"; also Kasavubu Meets Mr. Lumunba, Radar Trap, Blue Bird, Women Are Smarter..; should be higher for rarity but we've kept it low anyway
Roy Shurland & the Big Bamboo Orchestra: The Big Bamboo; Carib LP-2015[-S]; 1961; deep groove gold label E+/E+ shrink S $30 -- calypso; one of the best & most desired/essential LPs on the great label; 3 great "big bamboos:" (1) well-sung signature version of the title song (funniest "naughty" calypso of all time, long associated with Duke of Iron & later Mighty Sparrow), (2) high-impact Big Bamboo logo jacket face (funny b/w art & lettering), (3) photo of the historic Big Bamboo Club in Nassau where it was recorded; w/Little Sparrow, Tony Alleyne, Jack Roker, Lord Cody, Eric Roker; The Big Bamboo, Monkey Song, Gloria, Garret Bounce, Junkanoo in Nassau, These are the Times..
Lloyd Simmons: Calypso Party; Bandstand BLP-102; E+/E $20 -- calypso/Bermuda; "Add spice to your parties"; scarce one-off w/catchy jacket art features King Trott on bongos/conga, Stan Seymour, Gandy Burgess, Buster Simmons, Joe Walker, Earl Darrell; Shame & Scandal, The Fly Song, Shame On You, Cowboy, I Like it Mr. Herbert, Don't Calypso On Me, Freckles On Her But, Hair in Your Teeth, Yellow Bird, Lloyd Sweet Lloyd
Hubert Smith & Sydney Bean: Calypso Holiday in Bermuda; Bermuda BLP-2003 (subsidiary of Monogram); deep groove E+/V $25 -- one of the rarest Monogram (or Monogram-esque) titles is also one of top Bermudan star Hubert Smith's best; great jacket (in a darker green than our own copy); Bloodshot Eyes, Green Ticket, Collegiate Invasion, Opportunity, Island Gal Audrey, Gombay Dance, Right Side of the Road, Bermuda, Matilda, Mary Anne, Mothers of Today; marks & wear, priced accordingly
Wilfred Soloman & the Magnetics at the Fabulous Xanadu Beach Hotel; Xanadu 7175; E/E+ S $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- caribeat/lounge act/private press; groovy jacket photos of the resort & the group in super-'70s funky dashkikis; 12 cuts of mainly reggae covers (Andros, Equal Rights, Trench Town Girl, African, Talking Fool, I Man Born Here), some updates of calypso standards, & the standout original "Disco Gone Calypso"; groovy stuff you won't see again
Gene & Pinky Steede: Step Through a Moongate with Gene & Pinky Steede; GG-2; AUTOGRAPHED! deep groove N-/E- $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- calypso/torch/lounge act; w/Hugo Pedell Orchestra dir. George Cort, James Gregory; prod. Don Gibson; rare wonder of strange, swinging, pop/lounge-act stuff from Bermuda; unusual songs w/bongo accents; great jacket art; Step Through a Moongate, Loads of Lovely Love, Spanish Harlem, Ugliness, Island, The Sweetest Sounds, Country Boy..
George Symonette & his Goombay Sextette (w/Peanuts Taylor): Calypso & Goombay Rhythms; Bahama Records 4; (c)1955; AUTOGRAPHED E-/V $20 -- calypso; great, rare, signed!; Little Nassau, I Kissed her Hand (but I Left her Behind for You), Jones Oh Jones, Man Smart Woman Smarter, Cotton-n-Corn, Like Ma-ad, Bahama Lullaby, Calypso Man
George Symonette: Calypso & Goombay Rhythms; Bahama BR-26; (c)1957; E/V $20 -- calypso; Bahamian superstar w/acclaimed drummer Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor; his final mono-only LP offers 12 songs (Bloodshot Eyes, Nassau Samba, All Suit No Man..), mostly by Alice Simms plus a couple by himself and others; some wear is heard but given the scarcity it's worth putting up with, priced accordingly
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda: Songs Dedicated to You 10"; Bermuda LP-100; deep groove E-/E- $45 -- our first time selling this one, so we call it their rarest; Atomic Nightmare, Memories, [Tattooed Woman] She Sits Down to Me, I Dream of Bermuda, Pay Pay Pay, Jane Jane Jane, Mandolin Jive, You Made Me a Fool
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda: The Talbot Brothers Calypso 10" (jacket: "Bermuda"); Audio Fidelity AFLP-903; E-/V- $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- rare, early (only the 3rd LP on the label), great, essential; see linked page for songs
The Talbot Brothers: Bermuda Calypso Party (Bermuda, Vol. 3); Audio Fidelity AFLP-1807; c.1957; E/E $20 -- "an impromptu Bermuda Calypso party"; their 1st hi-fi, 12" LP!; see linked page for songs
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda: Calypsos; ABC-Paramount ABC-156; 1957; deep groove E+/E+ $20 -- all great & essential for Atomic Nightmare (fantastic original) & their cover of the best original calypso by the Charmer (a.k.a. Louis Farrakhan), the legendary "Is She Is or Is She Ain't" (no other known cover of this great song, itself a collectors item); see linked page for songs
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda; ABC-Paramount ABC-214; deep groove E+/E+ $20 (or E-/E- $15, specify) -- 2nd of their terrific pair of LPs for the label--essential!; see linked page for songs
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda: Vol. 2; Talman; E/E- $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- 2nd of their own-label records reissuing the great, early Audio Fidelity material but always w/a change or 2); great jacket photo of the group in a "Bermuda Buggy Ride"; see linked page for songs
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda: Vol. 3; Talman; AUTOGRAPHED deep groove N-/E $30 -- their rare, different, original, final LP!; on Talman, it's their own mono issue of the only stereo/gatefold LP they ever made (also rare!) but with the addition of "Going Back to Bermuda" (you need this version for that & the unique jacket of them playing on a small boat, at least); see linked page for songs
[Berkley] "Peanuts" Taylor: [The Various] Moods of Peanuts; Tropical 2740; 1964; E-/E $35 -- Latin jazz/bossa/calypso/exotica; in this classic but scarce 1st LP (the only one that predates stereo) the emphasis is on Latin jazz (lots of vibes), including one mambo that is really exotica; in fact the whole style is as if Candido were covering Arthur Lyman, including lots of juicy conga (goombay drum) solos; Mama La La, Girl from Ipanema, Nassau Mambo, Island Woman, Baba, Calypso Island, Canela, Quiet Nights, Mayba-solo, Yellow Bird, Love for Sale
Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor & Others: Showtime at the Drumbeat; Tropical CLP-2471; deep groove N/N- shrink S $35 -- calypso/calypso jazz/Latin jazz; essential for 4 cuts of prime Peanuts, "solo on bongos, goombay, and congo drums"; rest of LP is a nice comp of Richie Delamore (4 songs), Eloise (2), and 1 each by Luis Perez, Pat Rolle, Bullumba Landostoy
Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor & his Goombay Drums; Bahamian Rhythms BRH-31; 1960; N/N- S $50 -- calypso/calypso jazz; all of Peanuts' LPs feature a few outstanding works of Latin jazz &/or calypso jazz; on 3 of the 12 cuts, all done by Taylor, the standouts are clarinet-feature "Hindu," the Latin-jazz "Mambo," & a remarkable calypso-jazz (nearly bongo-bop) original, "Calypso Blues"; strikingly beautiful, full-color jacket & first-rate production do justice to the authentic, original, wonderful music; Goombay, Love Alone, El Cumbanchero, Zombie Jamboree, Lizzie Carry Basket on Head, Island Woman, Coconut Water & Gin..
Wesley Thomas Combo: Calypso Session (Wesley Thomas Plays at...Carlton); Tarco AT-901; AUTOGRAPHED E/E- $25 -- scarce US Virgin Isles group; hip sunset jacket; Virgin Islands Road March, Oh Henry, War in China, Weed Women, Jennie, Century Women, Matty Grew, Bake the Johnny Cake (Christmas comin'), Festival Merengue, Carnival Merengue..
Roy Thompson & the Cocoanut Vendors: Ambassador of Calypso; Request RLP-8029; deep groove E/E $25 -- semi-authentic calypso (or mento, for you purists) by Jamaican singer--somewhat like Herb Jeffries or Robert Mitchum in that sense; nice jacket & production; unique songs: Stay Away, Zelma, Devil's Island Rock Pile, Italian Calypso, Things are Bad, Montego Bay, What a Calamity, Brother Ramgoat, The Constant Lover, Sally's Ghost..
Tiroro--"Best Drummer in Haiti"; Cook Road Recordings 5004; deep groove E+/E $60 -- Haiti/voodoo/drums; master Ti Ro Ro in one of the most significant Cook LPs; one of only a very few LPs that's all him
Ti-Roro/Ti-Marcel: Voodoo Drums in Hi-Fi; Atlantic 1296; 1st/black label/deep groove N-/E $125 (or same but E+/V+ $60, specify) -- Haiti/voodoo/drums; rare!; incredible percussion as well as deep bamboo flute sounds (also mainly percussive) in some of the most impressive ra-ra performances ever captured by these two masters of the art (and the only great, major-label record of authentic voodoo drums); terrifically sinister jacket design (for jacket collectors it's worth it for that alone); Ti Ro Ro!
Ti-Roro/Ti-Marcel: Voodoo Drums in Hi-Fi; Atlantic 1296; red-purple label N-/E $100 (or red-purple/deep groove E+/V $40, specify) -- 2ndary pressings (also rare)
Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band: Hits of the Trinidad Tripoli Steel Band--Trinidadian Reggae Style Music; American Variety International AVI-1025; 1973; N/N- shrink S $30 -- steel-band/caribeat; "Trinidadian Reggae Style Music"; instrumental & live but with a nice clear, studio-quality sound; rare & legendary among rare-groove collectors for the Meters' "Cissy Strut"(!!!)--which features Meters-y crisp, spare kit drumming as well as steel pan; also: Spinning Wheel, Aquarius, Girl from Ipanema, Games People Play..
Olive Walke's La Petite Musical--Folk Songs of Trinidad & Tobago; RCA Victor Trinidad LPB-3001; deep groove V+/E+ $35 -- folkloric vocal choir; super rare document of famous singing group & its leader that played for royalty, the UN, etc.; 1 song from St. Vincent, 6 each from Trinidad & Tobago
Uncredited, w/Ti RoRo: Voodoo of the Caribbean 10"; Monogram 815; deep groove E/E- $125 -- Haitian/Afro-Cuban sacred cult music/voodoo/drum; "Actual Ceremonial Recordings--Drums & Voices of the Caribbean" rec. in the Caribbean by Lisa Lekis; the Ti RoRo feature has a great spoken intro which earns it our vote for most thrilling Ti Ro Ro piece; add to that 7 more sensational cuts, rarity (even by Monogram standards), & beyond-fantastic artwork (spooky lime-green-on-black sketch & more sketches on back) make it a fave among faves; we're thrilled finally to be able to offer it; Aie Bobo, Gran Masso, Voodoo Drums, Damballah, Yanvallou, Shango, Naningo, Belen
Various: Bahamas Treasure Chest; Carib LP-2016; 1961; deluxe inner-leaved/die-cut photo jacket V+/V+ S $30 -- one of the most desirable/valuable/scarce on the label (has sold for $100s), it's a magnificent survey of the top Carib artists (Delamore, Kasavubu, King Eric Gibson, Shurland, Taylor, Chipman), also prized for pages of terrific color photos (including famous ones used on other Carib jackets), extensive liners, & die-cut jacket (unique among calypso LPs)
Various: Beat of the Bahamas; [Art custom for] Bahamas Airways [no #]; E-/N- S $50 -- calypso compilation; spectacular asset to the Art collector, as it gives you a clean, rich, stereo version of the very best of the label (best artists, lots of jazzy playing); colorful jacket art too; Mary Ann, Mr. Give Me De Rent (Mighty Panther), Zombie Jamboree (Harold McNair), Ask Me Why I Run, Don't Touch Me Tomato (Calypso Mama), Lizzie Carry Basket on Head (Peanuts Taylor), Noise in the Market, Never Interfere with Man & Wife, medley (Blind Blake), Sly Mongoose (Delbon Johnson), Woman Sweeter than Man (Percentie Brothers), Island Woman (Leslie Scott)
Various: Bomba!--Monitor Presents Music of the Caribbean; Monitor MFS-355; E/E+ S $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- Haitian; good for Vaccines Petionville: "Ra Ra No. 2"; Trio Chanteclair: "Choucounne"
Various: Calypso; Grand Award GA-33-352; deep groove N-/N- $75 (or E-/E- $40, specify) -- calypso; true collectors item, RARE!!!; calypso on this label is some of the rarest issued in the US (perhaps in part bc of inclusion of the Ink Spots & Monarchs) & a total delight; great color jacket art by Don Miller (masking tape on seams but nowhere near the bordered image); great songs in heavy-vinyl hi-fi: Congo Bey & the Count of Monte Cristo (Duke of Iron's brother): Marianne, Treat 'Em Rough; Loren Becker (Jamaica Farewell); Pat Mathews (Goombay, Never Mind the Noise in the Market); Ink Spots (Hold 'Im Joe); Stu Phillips (Barrack Room Scandal--by Mighty Panther!-- Come Back Liza, Elaine from Port-O-Spain); The Monarchs (Mona Mona Mona Calypso Baby, Banana Boat Song)
Various: Calypso -- Volume II; Grand Award GA-33-357; deep groove no jacket/N- $60 -- calypso; true collectors item, RARE!!! (took us over a decade to find it w/the jacket); calypso on this label is some of the rarest issued in the US (perhaps in part bc of inclusion of the Ink Spots & Monarchs) & a total delight; as with the related Waldorf Music Hall comp LPs, this is a collection of old 78s originally (that you can't hope to find now); great color jacket art "Calypso Drums" by Don Miller not available w/this copy, sorry! (priced low accordingly); great, rare songs in heavy-vinyl hi-fi: Duke of Iron (Convoy, Calypsonian Invasion, Out the Fire), Count of Monte Cristo & Congo Bey (Matilda, Rum & Coca-Cola, Run Joe Run), The Monarchs (Mama Look-a-Boo-Boo, Calypso Melody, Bahama Mama), Sir Lancelot (West Indies Families, Beautiful Bermuda), Pat Mathews (Mopsie)
Various: Calypso Capers (Calypso--Vol. II); Waldorf Music Hall MHK-33-1220; 1st/deep groove E/E $40 -- calypso; Trinidadian calypso, the real thing!; vital for superior, original songs about Carmen Miranda, Frank Sinatra, etc.; super-scarce material by superstars Wilmoth Houdini, Count of Monte Cristo (Duke of Iron's brother), Congo Bey, Monarchs; as with the related Grand Award comp LPs, this is a collection of old 78s originally, most of which you cannot hope to find other than on these lovely '50s hi-fi LPs, so snap it up!; 1/2 by Wilmoth Houdini!!! (Moan People Moan, He Dead He Gone Already, Brave Son of America, Gravel Gertie, Bobby Sox Idol, Queen of the Amazon), Count of Monte Cristo & Congo Bey (Matilda Matilda, Zombie Jamboree, Neighbor Neighbor Leave My Door, Rum & Coca-Cola), Monarchs (Mama Look-a-Booboo, Bahama Mama)
Various: Calypso Cavalcade Vol. 1; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-731; sealed $75 (or N/E+ shrink $60, specify) -- excellent, rare "Collectors Series" comp (1 of 3 vols.) of priceless old Monogram material that we generally don't find on vintage LPs (it's either newly issued or reissues obscure old singles); Sparrow (Give the Youngsters a Chance, Trinidad Carnival), Lord Melody (Life in Brasil, Can Can), Lord Beginner (Mama Me Belly A Hurt Me, Louise), The Terror (Chinese Children), George Brown (Origin of Calypso, Mary Anne, She Likes It He Likes It, I Do Adore Her), Lion (Wash Your Hands)
Various: Calypso Jazz; Cook XX-2; dark red vinyl E+/V $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- "a riot of actual on-the-scene recordings from the capitol of calypso...Trinidad and the sultry Caribbean"; excellent sampler featuring 14 unabridged cuts from 9 of the rarest & most desirable Caribbean Cook LPs, incl. Calypso Kings & Pink Gin, Haiti Confidential, Le Jazz Primitif, Dance Calypso!, Jump Up Carnival in Trinidad..; w/Lord Melody (who sings his original "Mama Looka Booboo"), Mighty Sparrow, Rupert Clemendore..; no jacket but printed heavy paper
Various: Calypso Party Featuring Outstanding Calypso Artists; Art ALP-7A; E+/E+ $75 -- AWESOME, right up there with "Calypsos Too Hot to Handle" but far rarer (some of the same songs, in fact); even if you are lucky enough to have the great Calypso Mama & Mighty Panther LPs in top shape, you'll want this for all the other great tunes & spectacular jacket art; Frankie Anderson (Limbo Song), Mighty Panther (Chinese Children), Brownie (Calypso Cave Man, Saxophone Song, Bedbug Song, Let Me Go Melda), Calypso Mama (several), Lord Composer (The Little Fly), Pershing De Graff (The Big Bamboo!)
Various: Calypsos for Adam & Eve (& the Life of Your Party); Monogram 854; 1st/deep groove E+/E+ $90 (or 1st/deep groove E-/E $60, specify) -- famous both for the great full-color jacket art & killer calypsos: Lord Kitchener: Romeo, Big Toe, Woman Like Saxaphone (sic); Lord Melody: Calypso Life in Brazil, Missing Frozen Chicken; Young Invader: Give Her Banana; Mighty Dictator: Mathematical Brother; Sparrow: Give the Youngsters a Chance, Family Size Coke; Beginner: Injection; Hepburn: Plastic Surgery; Lloyd Thomas: German Calypso
Various: Calypsos from Jamaica; Ritmo 12-503; deep groove E/E- $40 (or E-/E $35, specify) -- great Monogram-produced rarity w/spectacular full-color jacket art & top songs rec. in Jamaica; w/Lord Flea, Hubert Porter, The Wigglers, Lord Lebby..; Dr. Kinsey Report, Old Lady You Mash Me Toe, Miss Goosie, Not Me, Rum & Coconut Water, Ten Penny Nail, Mama Don' Want No Rice No Peas No Cocoanut Oil..
Various: Calypsos Too Hot to Handle; Monogram 837; deep groove E-/V+ $40* (or deep groove V/V $25, specify**) -- THE BEST CALYPSO LP EVER "puts life in your party"; ultimate original, naughty-calypso comp & classic party LP; Duke of Iron: The Big Bamboo, Parakeets, I Left Her Behind for You, Music Lesson (originally "Mandolin Jive"), Postman (not on Don't Touch Me Tomato!); The Charmer (Gene Wolcott a.k.a. Louis Farrakhan): Is She Is or Is She Ain't (about a tranvestite!), Don't Touch Me Nylon; Marie Bryant: Don't Touch Me Tomato, Mommie Out de Light; Lord Kitchener: Kitch, Muriel & the Bug; Hayden: He Like It She Like It; *$40 copy has a pressing defect in "Postman" otherwise fine; **$25 copy has brown tape on jacket seams, disc wear heard mainly just Side 2
Various: Caribbean Calypsos; Capitol T-10071; green label N-/N- $30 (or green N-/E- $20, specify) -- top comp of great, classic, authentic Trinidad songs by Lord Beginner, Tony Johnson, The Torpedo; wonderful jacket/photos/liners; well worth getting clean!; I Will Die a Bachelor, Pretty Woman (answer to Ugly Woman), Love Love Love!, Syncopation, Africa, Mattie Rag, Lazy Janie, The Dollar & the Pound, Queen Elizabeth Calypso..
Various: Caribbean Dance Party; Gateway GSLP-3544; 1977; N/N shrink S $60 (or E+/N S $50, specify) (or E+/E S $35, specify) -- caribeat/disco/voodoo/mazurka/beguine/cadence-lypso; hip, modern, funky LP that few know about (looks like an old limbo-instruction record but sure isn't!!!); very impressive, versatile mix of Haitian voodoo, drums, disco, reggae, mazurka; Gateway is a STRANGE label w/awesome titles of many kinds--this is one of our favorites!; w/Ti Emile (Chaud I Chaud, Fanmi Grand Gile), Gramacks (La Vie Disco, Take Good Care), Johnny Grey (Se Fe Local, Moin Ain Min 76), Black Affairs (Black Affairs Ca Wake, Doucine), Gilles Sala (Petit Roi Des Ananas), Puissance 8 (Revanche de Maguy)
Various: Caribbean Festival--Music of the West Indies; Puerto Rican Visitors Bureau E2-KP; deep groove E-/as is (rough) $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- calypso/Haitian/voodoo; rec. by Lisa Lekis; offered for the fantastic Haitian cuts w/Ti RoRo ("Drum Medley"), Michel Dejean, etc.; full liner notes
Various: Haiti Confidential; Cook 1022; brown vinyl N-/N- $35 -- Haitian/voodoo/rada; "The inscrutable music of Haiti...definite, authentic, for the initiate. From after hours jazz to ritual drum rhythms."; one of the rarest & best titles on the coveted, quirky label, has all the elements; Lavinia Williams Haitian Voodoo Dancers & Musicians (drums led by Jean Remy) do ALL of Side 1, while Side 2 is a mix of groups, including "Voodoo Danse" by Vaccines of La Perchoire
Let's Love a Little with Cool Calypsos from the West Indies; Paragon 610; deep groove, white label V/V $35 -- rare, early, good calypso comp in the prized Monogram family; no artist credits listed but we've identified at least The Charmer (Louis Farrakhan/Gene Wolcott); notable for the jacket & several unusual songs; some condition problems but not too bad; Matilda, Chit Chit Rit Chit, Stupid Husband, Ugly Woman, Stone Cold Dead in de Market, Blue Calypso Samba, Conch Ain't Got No Bones, Mary Anne, Take Me, Give Her de #1, Red Head, Fire Down Dere
Various: Meet Me in Jamaica; Monogram 852; yellow label E-/E- $30 -- calypso; the fave is "Wide Screen (Three Dimension Irene)" but the whole thing is first-rate (like most Monogram--collectors know the whole "Meet Me in" series is wonderful), including great instrumental solos; mento (Jamaican calypso) can be a little laid back but this isn't!; Woman is Smarter (great version), Night Food, Mango Walk, Talking Parrot, Doctor, Jackass..
Various: Nassau's Junkanoo Festival; Bahama Records 22; deep groove E/E- $30 -- calypso; compilation/sampler makes rare treat for fans of the label & its great stars: Eloise Lewis (I Need It, Digby), George Symonette (Pretty Boy, All Suit No Man, Brown Skin Gal), Peanuts Taylor (Nassau Blues), Harold McNair (Bahaman Brown Baby), Andre Toussaint (Jolly Junkanoo, La Cruz, several others incl. duets w/Symonette); photos of each in the liners & nice jacket art of dancing figures; good to have even just to supplement the rare separate LPs (IF you can manage to get them all--everyone's seeking the early Eloise!)
Various: Native Calypso Songs 10"; Royale 1839; 1954; E+/E+ $50 -- rare wonder on budget label compiles 8 great, rare (78 rpm) singles from the classic period by calypsonian all-stars; later reissued on the 1956 12" LP Allegro 1716 which credits "G. Clark & the Calypso Orchestra"; the real stars are Atilla (Coffee Coffee, Professor Carver), Lord Invader (You Don't Need Glasses to See, Down at Rockaway), the Lion (Ugly Woman, Fan Me Saga Boy), MacBeth (Hold 'im Joe, Man Smart--Woman Smarter)
Various: Saturday Night in Haiti; Monogram 856; E+/E- $50 -- Haiti/voodoo; fantastic rare collectors item (says so itself, but it's true) w/Ferere Laguerre & Choeur Simidor, Guy du Rosier, Rodolphe Legros, Felix Guignard & Ensemble Ibo Lele, Louis Lahens, Auguste Durosier, Orch. Citadelle, Rene Daure, & probably TiRoRo uncredited; reissued in 1973 as Request/SOC SLP-748 but only the Monogram has the original artwork; La Mercie, Bamboche Paysanne, Chaille Aux Pieds, Damballah, Palmannan, Li Bon Chou Chou, Volo Cadav, Intro Ibo, Adeline, Maria Leve, Contravention No-No-No, Ibo Lele
Your Musical Holiday in the West Indies--A Calypso Carnival; Decca DL-8159; T2 press E-/V+ $35 -- terrific, rare, authentic LP on a major label (w/some European recordings) from the classic 78 era (great stuff hiding in obscure tourist series); Wilmoth Houdini, Lord Beginner, Lord Kitchener, The Lion, The Iron Duke; Nora, Man Smart, Housewives, Mary Ann, Ugly Woman, The Dollar & the Pound, General Election..
Calypso: Original 45s/EPs
Please note: shipping/handling for 45s is gratis!
Luis Amando: Calypso Joe/Trinidad-E-O; Encino 1006; E $15 (5 $15 LPs for $50) -- crossover calypso all the way from Hollywood (old, rare, & not at all bad, as these things go)
Max B: Bananaticoco Parts 1 & 2; Virgo V-5050; 1973 (Max Boulois); E S? $40 -- caribeat/Latinate funk; we suspect it's Haitian; all we know for sure is it's got a driving beat (bass & drum, deep funk sound) with carnival-chant excitement, and it's rare
Claude "Fats" Greene: Let's Advertise/"Fats" Boogalypso; Camille 112; E- $15 -- Caribeat/calypso instrumental; hip, jazzy, swinging, happenin' instrumentals--great for the jukebox
The Island Aires: Bermuda Holiday Island Cruise EP; picture sleeve N-/N- $15 -- Island Cruise Memories (narrated w/music)/Bermuda Holiday (original calypso by Geoff Kitson) in a nice photo jacket w/notes--souvenir item
Hubert Smith & the Coral Islanders: Bermuda is Another World/Today; Edmar E-1120; N- $15 -- calypso/vocal; rare late one from Canada (we found it inside a Stan Seymour LP)
Various: Authentic Caribbean Music--Haitian Songs & Drums EP; Alcoa Steamship Company MEP-131 (disc only) E+* $30 -- Haitian w/Ti Ro Ro; rec. by Lisa Lekis; the Ti Ro Ro feature & 2 other cuts are also on a rare 10" (Monogram 815) but you'd do well to get them this way too or instead; "Drum Medley" ("Voodoo Drums" on the LP) is our favorite of all Ti Ro Ro cuts thanks to a wonderful intro spoken by an announcer; disc is remarkably clean/unworn; only problem (priced accordingly) is a skip in "Gran Masso" which you can move past if recording, at least (or grind out if you care to); Damballa & Les Cloches are the other 2 cuts (Les Cloches is not on Monogram 815)
Wanted in Trade:
- Art LP #s: 7,16,20,23,24,31 (maybe others)
- Duke of Iron rarities (all formats; inquire)
- Kenny Graham & his Afro-Cubists: Bongo Rock, Caribbean Suite (& others)
- Monogram LPs/45s (may be Paragon, Ritmo, Supertone, etc.):
- Trinidad's Favorite Calypsos; Monogram 601 (Lloyd Thomas..)
- Calypso Jamboree; Monogram 603 (Duke of Iron, Lloyd Thomas..)
- Merengues from Dominican Republic; Monogram 607
- Mambo, Merengue, Cha Cha Cha; Monogram 804
- Richards & his Virgin Islands Calypso Orchestra: Caribbean Calypso Festival; Monogram 806
- Lord Templar; Monogram 807
- Various: Latin American Fiesta; Monogram 809 (Latin American Music for Dancing)
- Various: Caribbean Folk Festival Vol. 1; Monogram 813
- The Charmer & the Calypso Rhythm Boys; Monogram 819
- Voodoo Drums of Ti RoRo; Monogram 830
- How to Dance the Cha Cha Cha; Monogram 833
- Holiday in Haiti; Monogram 840
- Meet Me in Havana; Monogram 848
- Haiti; Monogram 850
- Guy DuRosier: Been Travelin'; Caribe LP-2019
- Roy Shurland/Cecil Lloyd Orchestra: Caribbean Carnival; Caribe LP-2001
- Various/Uncredited/Unknown:
- Songs, Dances, & Drums of Haiti; Request/SOC SLP-8107
- Trinidad [& Tobago] All Time Calypso Hits; Telco (most volumes)
- U.K. records (Motta Bros., Vitadisc; inquire)
© Hip Wax
to order
(Duke of Iron)