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
Special Offer: Buy any 5 $15 items for just $50!
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
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
Juan Campolargo: Merengues! Merengues! Merengues!; Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-740; N-/N- S? $60 -- spectacular nude w/trumpet cheesecake jacket (one of the best of the kind); exciting, uptempo music (vocal)
Juan Campolargo: Merengues Festival; Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-741; 1973; N/N shrink S? $60 -- another bare-breasted cheesecake jacket & more exciting, uptempo music (vocal); one cut has falsetto yodeling
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; 12 cuts: Santo, Mambo, Double Mambo, Santo (Bembe), Nanigo, Rhumba Colombia, Afro Cubano, Drum Fantasy, Rhumba, Rhumba Son, Burandanga, Conga
[Sun Ra &] Roz Croney, Queen of the Limbo: How Low Can You Go?; Audio Fidelity/Dauntless DM-4309; 1963; deep groove E/V+ $50 -- dance rock (limbo/twist/etc.); as w/Dan & Dale Batman, it's another fun, silly LP w/Sun Ra backing (credited as "Edward O. Bland") but MUCH rarer; apart from the Sun Ra aspect, it's one of the better LPs of its kind (which isn't saying much, perhaps, but it's lively & good--esp. for vintage guitar); nice jacket photos of Roz doing the limbo; 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
Jean Léon Destiné: Festival in Haiti; Elektra 130; (c)1955; [no booklet] deep groove E/V+ $40 -- Haitian/vodun; w/drum legends Ti Ro Ro(!!!), Alphonse Cimber; fantastic set, liners, artwork; 1 more cut than the 10"!; 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
King Eric & his Knights: All Time Favourites Calipsos (sic); Elite OE-24; deep groove E+/N S $15 -- 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..
Duke Errol & his Lords: Wings of a Dove; Tropical CLP-3081; E-/V+ S $15 -- 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
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; $60 copy fine except marks/noise on last cut
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
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 & the Fabulous Steel Bands:
Calypso!; Crowell-Collier Record Guild G-142; 1957; deep groove E-/E $50 -- 10 terrific Duke songs (licensed from Monogram but nicely presented here in a hi-fi 12" LP) & 2 steel-band instrumentals on a rare old NY label w/great jacket art & 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: Calypso Carnival with; RCA Victor LPM-1386; 1957; E-/E+ $35 -- 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: Limbo, Limbo, Limbo; Status/Prestige International PR-13068; E/E+ $75 -- 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 the great jazz label, Prestige!; The Hanging Tree, The NY Mets, Marriage Recipe, Limbo, Yellow Bird, Courtney's Saga, Everybody Merengue, Take Six, Taces, Mr. Rake & Scrape
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..
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)
Claude "Fats" Greene: Fats Shake 'Em Up; Camille 9021; 1968; N-/E shrink S $40 (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..
Stamma Haughton: Let's Love & Unite; Sounds of Montego Bay SOMB (no #); E+/N- S $30 -- reggae; evidently rare enough to stump even many reggae experts; Stamma's group (formerly Stamma & the Clubbites) has a hot rare groove with "Africa is Crying Out for Peace," which goes from crazy synth intro to a deep, deep-vocal groove
Stamma SPECIAL: BOTH great Stamma LPs, $50
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!!!
Geoffrey Holder & his Trinidad Hummingbirds; Riverside RLP-4004; deep groove E-/E- $65 -- Shango cult music (similar to voodoo) by famous dancer, etc., including similar tunes from Martinique & other places; unique & wonderful material on a very early, rare LP in the prestigious jazz label's "world folk music series"; the vinyl is incredibly thick, yielding intense sound/bass
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..
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)
Eloise Lewis: The Exciting Eloise Trio; Decca DL-74077; N/N S $60 (or mono DL-4077; E+/E $30, specify) -- calypso/Latin; her 2nd of 3 great classics for the label; 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..
MacBeth the Great: Calypso Holiday; Time S-2144; E+/N- S $25 -- calypso; one of the best, authentic Trinidad calypso LPs collectors still can hope to acquire; first-rate, mostly unusual/original songs: Cab Calloway, Nora, Buy Me a Zeppelin, Bajan Girl, Bad Bad Whiskey, Outside, Oh Lady You're Mashin' My Toe, Turn Around Girl, Jockey, Ugly Woman..
Carlos Malcolm & his Afro-Jamaican Rhythm: Ska-Mania; Federal/Upbeat 101; deep groove E/E+ $65 (or E-/V+ $40, specify) -- caribeat; "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 as 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: Don't Walk, Dance!; Roulette R-25359; c.1964; cutout E-/N shrink $80 -- mod/Latin/calypso soul/jazz/Mexicali; one of his rarest; Don't Walk, Sublime Dream, The Whip, El Rookie, Smoggy Day, Gimme What You Got Parts 1 & 2, Midnight Walk, The Matador, Wandering Soul, Hey Toro, Nightfall
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; deep groove E/E+* $30 -- 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..; 1/2 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
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
Sparrow's Troubadours: Jump-Up Time; RA-2126; E/E- (but plays fine) S $20 -- caribeat, instrumental; the highlights probably are Willie Bobo's Chiquito & Juicy but the rest is great too (all Sparrow/Kitch): Queen of the Bands, Mas in Madison, Parables, Levey Macco, Play Mas, Pussy Laughing at Me
Lord Montego & his Calypsonians: Jamaica Calypso; Audio Fidelity AFLP-1832; 1957; gold deep groove E-/E- $25 -- 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..
"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
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: 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, Opportunity..
Stan Seymour (Lord Necktie): Calypso Carnival; Edmar ELPS-1116 (Canada); silver label E+/N- S $15 -- top Bermudan calypso star's best LP, from just after winning the crown in 1971; nice music, 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
George Symonette & his Calypso Sextette: "Goombay"--The Folk Songs of the Bahamas; Art/Bahama Records ALP-14A; 1957; AUTOGRAPHED deep groove V+/as is $15 -- calypso; top star of the Bahamas, bar none, in the original group of acclaimed drummer Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor; great jacket, liners, 14 songs--terrific scarce LP of classic material!; Peas & Rice, Sponger Money, Delia Gone, Eight Babies, Love Alone, J.P. Morgan, Goombay, Boat Pull Out-Bahama Mama; rough but listenable/worth it for the jacket
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda: The Talbot Brothers Calypso 10" (jacket: "Bermuda"); Audio Fidelity AFLP-903; deep groove E+/E $30 (or same but AUTOGRAPHED V+/V+ $20, specify) -- 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; deep groove E/E $25 -- "an impromptu Bermuda Calypso party"; their rare earliest 12" LP!; see linked page for songs
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda: Calypsos; ABC-Paramount ABC-156; 1957; deep groove E+/E+ $30 -- all great but 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, which is itself a collectors item); see linked page for all songs
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda; ABC-Paramount ABC-214; deep groove N-/N- $25 (or E+/E- $20, specify) -- 2nd & rarer of their famous pair for the label & 1 of their best; see linked page for songs
Talbot Brothers of Bermuda: Vol. 2; Talman; deep groove N-/E- $15 -- 2nd of their homespun records reissuing material earlier released on Audio Fidelity (but always with a change or two); 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-/N- $40 -- their rare, very different & original, final LP!; on Talman, it's their own mono repackaging of the only stereo/gatefold LP they ever made (also rare!) but with the addition of "Going Back to Bermuda"; see linked page for songs
Ross Talbot: Bermuda is Paradise; On the Green (Ross's own reissue of Audio Fidelity AFSD-6125); 1964/1961-64; E-/E $20 -- tremendous bonus for the Talbots fan has some surprises, such as bossa & even a couple of twists composed for the Kennedys--these sound like great rare 45s!; jacket has some water damage but it's mainly confined to the back & bottom (face is largely intact); Bermuda is Paradise, I Found a Home, It's My Destiny, Golf Time in Bermuda, Calypso-Cha Cha Cha, Scotch & Soda, Sunset in Bermuda, Cognito at Midnight, Castro-Twist, Child Don't You Call Me Boo Boo, Short Skirts & Polly Pants, This is Bermuda
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 Virgin Isles group
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..
Ti-Roro/Ti-Marcel: Voodoo Drums in Hi-Fi; Atlantic 1296; 2nd/red-purple/deep groove N-/E- $100 (or 1st/black/deep groove E+/V+ $75, specify) (or 2nd/red-purple/deep groove E+/V $50, specify) -- Haiti/voodoo/drums; very rare!; incredible percussion as well as deep bamboo flute sounds (also essentially percussive) in some of the most impressive ra-ra performances ever captured by these two masters of the art; terrifically sinister jacket (worth it for that alone)
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..
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..
Various: Bomba!--Monitor Presents Music of the Caribbean; Monitor MFS-355; E/E+ S $15 -- Haitian; good for Vaccines Petionville: "Ra Ra No. 2"; Trio Chanteclair: "Choucounne"
Various: Calypso; Grand Award GA-33-352; deep groove E-/E- $50 -- calypso; surprisingly, calypso LPs on this label are some of the rarest issued in the US (perhaps 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: 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 Cavalcade Vol. 1; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-731; N/E+ shrink $75 -- 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 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 -- great Monogram-produced rarity w/famous full-color jacket art & top song 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 V/V $25 -- 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; brown tape on jacket seams, disc wear heard mostly only on Side 2
Various: Caribbean Calypsos; Capitol T-10071; deep groove E+/E- $25 -- top comp of great, otherwise rare, authentic Trinidad songs by Lord Beginner, Tony Johnson, The Torpedo; great jacket/photos/liners; rare as a promo & 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..; top shape except 1 song has marks/noise
Various: Caribbean Dance Party; Gateway GSLP-3544; 1977; E+/N S $50 -- caribeat/disco/voodoo/mazurka/beguine/cadence-lypso; hip, funky, modern LP that few know about (looks like an old limbo-instruction record but it 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: Don't Touch Me Tomato; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-727; E-/N- S $60 -- reissues the terrific Monogram LP "Calypsos Too Hot to Handle" except 1 track different: instead of Duke of Iron's "Postman," it's Lloyd Thomas' "Mary Had No Little Lamb"; obscene jacket art (tomato on black lace panties) & top modern sound also make it essential, even if you're lucky enough to have "Calypsos Too Hot to Handle" too!
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
Various: Meet Me in Jamaica; Monogram 852; deep groove E-/E+ $40 -- 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; most mento (Jamaican calypso) is sluggish but not this!; 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: A Nation is Born--A Musical History of the Bahamas; Bahamas Nationhood Ltd.; 1973; gatefold deep groove E-/N- S $100 -- calypso/caribeat/funk; w/unique [live] material & rare grooves, chiefly the fantastic "Independent Bahamas" by Biosis Now (long incredible goombay funk w/extended drum soloing & several terrific James Brown-style callouts, such as "give the drummer man some")--if you've discovered a better caribeat rare groove than this, hip us to it!; notes by Sidney Poitier; w/Eloise, Beginning of the End (Funky Nassau), Blind Blake, Ronnie Butler..
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)
Calypso: Original 45s/EPs
Please note: shipping/handling for 45s is gratis!
Luis Amando: Calypso Joe/Trinidad-E-O; Encino 1006; E $15 -- crossover calypso from Hollywood (old, rare, & not at all bad, as these things go)
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
Wanted in Trade:
- Art LP #s: 7,16,20,23,24,31 (maybe others)
- Lord Brynner's Big Big Bamboo Calypso; Erin LP-1941 (disc at least)
- Duke of Iron rarities (all formats; inquire)
- Kenny Graham & his Afro-Cubists: Bongo Rock, Caribbean Suite (& others)
- Monogram LPs/45s (may be Ritmo, Supertone, Paragon, etc.):
- Calypsos from Panama; Monogram 600
- Trinidad's Favorite Calypsos; Monogram 601
- Calypso Jamboree; Monogram 603
- 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
- Olive Walke's La Petite Musicale; RCA Victor Trinidad LPB-3001
- 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)
(Herb Jeffries)