Calypso--Compilations/Various Artists





Thank tourism for making possible an incredible variety of calypso records from the islands. For an island of limited resources, one way to economize was to feature several artists on one label; calypso compilations, or various-artists collections, abound. More often than not, these are the sole releases of the particular recordings. In other cases the collections bring together unforgettable but otherwise lost material. One type is the classic, ancient calypso which may exist only rare 78s. Another is the stuff of recent years, the past "road march" and "calypso tent winners" which may have been recreated in the studio.

Buying: Calypso compilations are as sure a thing as any; almost all collections offer unique, worthwhile material if not the very best calypso on record. The Monogram family of labels, including the reissue version (Request/Sounds of the Caribbean) leads the pack.



Various-Artist Calypso LPs

Rating
7Bacchanal at Chez Paul Meeres; Carib LP-2004; 1958 (compilation; reissued as "Bacchanal at the Confidential Club"; Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor Presents, w/Guy DuRosier, Richie Delamore, Harold McNair, Vincent Martin, Andre Toussaint, Count Desire)
7The Bahama Islands; Carib LP-2038; 1962 (Eloise, Delamore, Butler, Lotmore, Kasavubu, Shurland, Taylor, Chipman)
7Bahamas Treasure Chest; Carib LP S-92016/LP-2016; 1961 (deluxe inner-leaved/photo jacket; Delamore, Kasavubu, King Eric Gibson, Shurland, Taylor, Chipman)
5Bamboo-Tamboo/Bongo & the Belair; Cook 5017 ("generic Afro-Caribbean rhythms & forms...recorded in the hills of Trinidad")
[Eastry Presents] Barbados Holiday Vol. 1; Eastry (Keith Campbell..)
7[Eastry Presents] Barbados Holiday Vol. 2; Eastry QC-152 (Lord Sivers, Keith Campbell, Opels, Norma Stoute, Clifton Glasgow's Combo, Air Canada All Stars)
8Beat of the Bahamas; [Art custom for] Bahamas Airways [no #] (Mighty Panther, Harold McNair, Calypso Mama, Peanuts Taylor, Blind Blake, Delbon Johnson, Percentie Brothers, Leslie Scott)
6Bermuda Calypso Festival; Bermuda 2000 (The Four Deuces, Kingsley Swan, Sidney Bean, Erskine Zuill)
7Bermuda Holiday Island Cruise; Edmar 1041 (George Rogers, Sidney Bean, Stan Seymour)
7Bermudarama [A Galaxy of Top Ranking Bermuda Stars]; Stanley Evans Enterprises (Hubert Smith, Red Smith, George Rogers, Sidney Bean, Esso Steel Band; introductions by Willie Smith)
5The Best of Don Gibson's Holiday Island Revue; GG 1; (calypso/lounge act show; Hugo Pedell Orchestra dir. George Cort, James Gregory; Gene & Pinky Steede, Dudley Browne, June Caisey, Bill Caisey, Eugene Ming, Sally Neal)
Cafe Music of Curacao 10"; Dial Ethnic Series 408
7Calypso; Art CELP (custom for Cunard Eagle Airways; Delbon Johnson, Leslie Scott, Percentie Brothers, Blind Blake, Digby McNair, Colin Kelly, Denis Donelson, Billy Cook, Calypso Eddie, Calypso Mama, Peanuts Taylor, Andre Toussaint)
8Calypso; Grand Award GA-33-352 (Count of Monte Cristo & Congo Bey, Ink Spots, Monarchs, Pat Mathews, Stu Phillips, Loren Becker)
8Calypso; Grand Award/Waldorf Music Hall MHK-33-1220 (1/2 overlaps w/Grand Award 352; Count of Monte Cristo & Congo Bey, Ink Spots, Lord Marlboro & the Monarchs, Pat Mathews, Stu Phillips, Loren Becker, The Zig Zag Quartet w/Enoch Light, Paul Whiteman)
8Calypso--Volume II; Grand Award GA-33-357 (Duke of Iron, Sir Lancelot, Pat Mathews, Count of Monte Cristo & Congo Bey, Monarchs)
Calypso Volume I 10"; Stinson
7Calypso Volume II 10"; Stinson SLP-27 (also a 12"; Lord Invader, Lord Beginner, Macbeth, Felix & his Internationals)
7Calypso Volume III 10"; Stinson SLP-28 (Duke of Iron, Lord Invader, Lord Beginner, Macbeth, Felix & his Internationals)
6Calypso; RCA Camden CAL-360; 1957 (Wilmouth Houdini & his Bamboo Orchestra, Felix's Krazy Kats Orch., Houdini w/Krazy Kats, Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds)
8Calypso/Meringues; Folkways FP-8; 1950 (FW-6808; SF-12192; w/Duke of Iron "Druscilla"; Lord Caresser, Lord Invader, Macbeth, Felix & his Internationals, Jazz Majestic Orchestra)
8Calypso--Musical Americana in Hi-Fi; Columbia Custom/Hi-Fi Library of the World's Greatest Music S3-308 (uncredited/Eloise Lewis; Bahamas; Nassau Blues, La Cruz, Bahama Brown Baby, Nassau Cha Cha Cha, Nassau Merengue, Jolly Junkanoo, Tina Masse (Eloise), Baila en Cha Cha Cha, Oh Mr. Brown, Down de Road, Johnny Cake)
8Calypso Capers (Calypso--Vol. II); Grand Award/Waldorf Music Hall MHK-33-1220 (2 cuts reissued from Grand Award; Wilmoth Houdini, Count of Monte Cristo & Congo Bey, Monarchs)
7Calypso Carnival; Decca 10" LP or EP set (Lord Beginner, Lord Kitchener, The Lion, The Iron Duke; reissued +3 as 12" LP Decca DL-8159, below)
7Calypso Carnival; Oleander OLP-104 (Lloyd Simmons, Red Smith Trio, Moira, Ghandi Burgess, Bishop Caines, King Trott, Graham Bean, Terry Brannon, Eugene Steed (Gene Steede of Gene & Pinky), Eric Webb, Mac Lightbourne, Al de Josheph)
8The Calypso Carnival; Columbia CL-1007 (Sammy Heyward, Irene Lusan, Lord Zebedee, Amy Goodwin, Massie Patterson, Theresa Merritt, Alfred Earle, King Flash)
8Calypso Cavalcade Vol. 1; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-731 (reissues or newly issues old Monogram; Sparrow, Melody, Terror, Lion, George Brown, Lord Beginner)
7Calypso Cavalcade Vol. 2; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-735 (reissues Monogram; Frank Deniz, Charmer, Melody, Lion, Four Deuces, King Rudolph, Macbeth, Invader, Young Kitchener)
8Calypso Cavalcade Vol. 3; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-745 (reissues Monogram; Charmer, The Sparrow, Lord Kitchener, Melody, Island Champions, Macbeth)
9Calypso Cross-Section; Cook 1916 (Young Killer, Mighty Bomber, Mighty Wrangler, Small Island Pride)
6Calypso Date; Waldorf Music Hall MHK-33-1220 (Lord Messam/Composer/Fly, Count Owen, George Moxey, The Ticklers, Baba Motta, Monty Reynolds)
8Calypso Exposed; Cook 1189 (live; Lord Melody, Mighty Cypher, Mighty Skipper, Mighty Sparrow, Herbert Howard, Brute Force Steel Band)
7Calypso Holiday in the Virgin Islands; Monogram 844 (w/Archie Thomas of St. Croix & Alwyn Richards of St. Thomas)
Calypso Jamboree; Mongoram 603 (Paragon 603; Duke of Iron, Llyd Thomas..)
7Calypso Jazz; Cook XX-2 (compilation)
7Calypso Kings & Pink Gin; Cook 1185 (Mighty Sparrow, Lord Melody, King Fighter, King Solomon, Nat Hepburn/March of Dimes Quartet, Chang-Kai-Shek, Lord Cypher, Young Brigade Tent..)
5Calypso Lore & Legend--An Afternoon with Patrick Jones; Cook 5016 (w/early string band, bamboo-tamboo, calypso "The Ugly One")
9Calypso Magic 10"; Monogram/Supertone 802 (Duke of Iron, Lord Kitchener, MacBeth, Lord Invader; possibly reissued as 12" Monogram 820 w/Marie Bryant)
9Calypso Party Featuring Outstanding Calypso Artists; Art ALP-7A (Frankie Anderson, Mighty Panther, Brownie, Calypso Mama, Lord Composer, Pershing De Graff)
6Calypso/Meringues 10"; Folkways FW-6808; 1959 (Duke of Iron, Invader..)
7Calypsos for Adam & Eve; Monogram 854 (Kitchener, Melody, Young Invader, Dictator, Beginner, Sparrow, Hepburn, Lloyd Thomas)
7Calypsos from Jamaica; Ritmo 12-503 (Lord Flea, Hubert Porter, Lord Lebby..; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-734)
Calypsos from Panama; Monogram/Paragon 600 (possibly reissued as Request 739)
8Calypsos from Panama; Request/SOC SLP-739; 1973 (10 Jamaican mento cuts plus 2 calypso instrumentals recorded in Panama by non-Panamanians; possibly reissues Monogram 600 10" LP but sounds later)
8Calypsos from the Virign Islands; Request/SOC SLP-744; 1975 (Side 1 credited to Archie Thomas & his Rhythm Makers, Side 2 to J.A. Richards)
8Calypsos from the West Indies; Monogram 834 (Duke of Iron, The Charmer, Kitchener, Mighty Terror, The Lion, Lord Beginner; jacket may be orange or green)
9Calypsos Too Hot to Handle; Monogram 837 (Duke of Iron, The Charmer, Kitchener)
8Caribbean Carnival; Mace SM-10016 (Sparrow, Nelson, Mighty Duke, Mighty Beaver, Bert Inniss/Starlift)
7Caribbean Calypsos; Capitol T-10071 (Lord Beginner, Tony Johnson, The Torpedo)
7Caribbean Dances 10"; Folkways FP-840; (c)1953 (Mighty Zebra & folkloric groups)
7Carnival in Paradise; Carib LP-2036-S; 1962 (Chipman, Eloise, Delamore, Lord Cody & Kasavubu, Shurland, Lotmore)
7Carnival in Trinidad 10"; Dial Ethnic Series 404 (Mighty Zebra & others at 1953 Carnival)
5The Castilianne; Cook 10890
9Cavalcade of Calypso Vol. 1 10"; Dial Ethnic Series 401 (Mighty Terror, Mighty Panther, The Growler, Wonder, Calypso Kings, Young Kitchener, Small Island Pride, Mighty Dictator)
8Cavalcade of Calypso Vol. 2 10"; Dial Ethnic Series 405 (Mighty Panther, Terror, Zebra, Vivian Comma)
8Cruise Party; Art/Artrec Custom (great except electronic stereo; Calypso Mama-7 songs!, Delbon Johnson-2, Calypso Eddie-1, Andre Toussaint-1, Digby Harold McNair-1)
5Dance Calypso!; Cook 1180 (w/Lord Cristo, Johnny Gomez, Mighty Dictator, Small Island Pride, Herbert Howard)
Dance Music of Martinique 10"; Dial Ethnic Series 402
7Dancing Calypso; Cook 930 (instrumental, partly jazz/vibes; Clarence Curvan, Johnny Gomez, Vin Cardinal, Tom Charles, Fitz Vaughn Bryan)
9Don't Touch Me Tomato; Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-727 (reissues Calypsos Too Hot to Handle except 1 track different)
8Favorite Calypso Songs 10"; Supertone MLP-803 (Bermudan; Kingsley Swan & Calypso Islanders, Celeste Robinson, Great Macbeth & Creole Rhythm Boys, Sydney Bean Trio; no content overlap with unrelated Monogram/Paragon/Tropicana 608 12" LP which shares artwork and title)
9Favorite Calypso Songs; Monogram 608 (or Paragon/Tropicana 608; Duke of Iron, Charmer, Lloyd Thomas, Kitchener, Invader; no content overlap with unrelated Supertone 10" MLP-803 which shares artwork and title)
7Favorite Calypsos from the West Indies; Monogram 803
9Favorite Calypsos of the Virgin Isles; Monogram 400 (Duke of Iron, Lord Kitchener, unknown; same as Virgin Islands Calypso 10"; Virgin Isle Supertone or R.C. Spenceley VLP-400)
6Folk Music of Curacao 10"; Dial Ethnic Series 407
6Folk Sounds of Trinidad & Tobago; Folk Sounds FSS-1; 1967 (w/Lord Beginner & Young Lion)
7For Adults Only; Vitadisc H-43 (Trinidad but rec. Jamaica; w/lyric insert; gold label then blue)
Hits from Bahama Hot Spots; Bahama; 1956 (Symonette/Eloise/Harold McNair)
6Holiday in Nassau; Bahamian Rhythms B-RH-25; 1957/1956 (Charles Adamson/Milton Woodside/Andre Toussaint)
6Instrumentally Bermuda; Edmar ELPS-1110 (Bermuda Gombeys, Eric Webb, Eddy de Steel Kings)
5Jump Up Carnival in Trinidad; Cook 1072
9The Junkanoo Club Presents Nassau's Star Entertainers; Art ALP-25 (Andre Toussaint, "Peanuts" Taylor, Maureen DuValier, Harold "Digby" McNair, Colin Kelly, "Blind Blake" Higgs, Vincent Martin, Frankie Anderson)
7Let's Go Calypso; Somerset P-2300 (King Scratch, Bay Street Boys)
8Let's Love a Little with Cool Calypsos from the West Indies; Monogram 610 (or Paragon 610; The Charmer..)
[artist(s) unknown:] Limbo from Trinidad; RCA Victor Trinidad LPB-3013
7Meet Me in Bermuda; Bermuda Supertone 2004 (Sydney Bean & Hubert Smith/Four Deuces & Erskine Zuill)
7Meet Me in Jamaica; Monogram 852
6Meet Me in Trinidad (Kitchener, Calypso Joe, Young Invader, Mighty Skipper); Monogram 835
4Music of the Bahamas Vol. 3; Folkways FS-3846; 1959 (Fresh Creek Dance Band/Daniel Saunders Brass Band; rec. Samuel B. Charters)
Nassau's Junkanoo Festival; Bahama BR-22 (Symonette, Lewis, Taylor, Toussaint)
8A Nation is Born--A Musical History of the Bahamas; Bahamas Nationhood Ltd.; 1973 (w/unique [live] material & rare grooves; notes by Sidney Poitier; The Lucayan Chorale: Oh Freedom, Eloise Lewis: I'm a Better Woman than You (live updated version!), Ronnie Butler & the Ramblers: Upward-Onward-Forward-Together, Rupert & the Rolling Coins: The Mail, Blind Blake: Run Come See, Exuma: Rushing through the Crowd, Beginning of the End: Funky Nassau (of course!), Biosis Now: Independent Bahamas, Bobby Smith: A New Day Dawning, Frankie "Zhivago" Young & the Rams: Pumpkin-Banana-Peas-Corn, Lucayan Chorale: March On Bahamaland)
8Native Calypso Songs 10"; Royale 1839; 1954 (8/11 of 12" LP Native Calypso Songs; RCA/Allegro 1716; 1956; G. Clark & the Calypso Orchestra, Atilla, Lord Invader, the Lion, MacBeth, The Big Boy)
7'Round Nassau Town [We Did Roam]; Island Artists LP-1009 (compilaton/sampler; Johnny Kemp, Vincent Martin w/Peanuts Taylor, Jimmy Thurston & George Moxie, Guy Durosier, Jesus de Jerez)
6Shango Ceremonial Dances 10"; Dial Ethnic Series 403
7Showtime at the Drumbeat; Tropical LP-2471; 1964 (Berkley "Peanuts" Taylor, Richie Delamore, Eloise Lewis, Pat Rolle, Bullumba Landostoy, Luis Perez)
4Sights & Sounds of Elbow Beach Surf Club; Bermuda BLP-4012 (Hubert Smith, Calypso Trio, King Trott)
8Souvenir of Jamaica; Request/Sounds of the Caribbean SLP-738; 1972 (reissues Monogram, original unknown)
6Sweet Richard's Limbo Party; Carib LP-2013; 1960 ("Sweet Richard with Princess Kitty at the Place Pigalle on Miami Beach"; Tony Allyne, Guy Durosier, King Eric & his Knights, Sweet Richard's troupe, Pat Rolle, Roy Shurland, Andre Toussaint)
8Top Calypsonians; RCA Victor Trinidad LPB-3018 (Lord Melody, King Fighter, Lord Superior, Mighty Power, Nap Nepburn, Mighty Bomber)
Trinidad All Time Calypso Hits--1960; Telco TL-5004; 1960 (Lord Blakie, Mighty Skipper..)
8Trinidad All Time Calypso Hits--1961; Telco TL-5007; 1961 (same jacket as previous year w/rear face pasted over; Mighty Dougla, Nap Hepburn, Mighty Robin, Frank Francis, Telco Recording Orchestra)
8Trinidad & Tobago All Time Calypso Hits--1969-70 [Calypso Vocals]; Telco TLS-5038; 1970 (Mighty Power, Lord Blakie, Mighty Duke, Calypso Princess, Mighty Cypher, Lord Campanero, Mighty Composer, Richard "Boyie" Lewis, Solid "7" Combo)
8Trinidad Calypso Kings 10"; Monogram ML-801 (w/Duke of Iron, Lord Kitchener, Lord Invader, Mighty Terror, Johnny Attila, Innocentay & his Afro-Caribbeans, Casablanca Steel Orchestra)
Trinidad's Favorite Calypsos; Monogram 601 (or Paragon 601; Lloyd Thomas..)
9Virgin Islands Calypso 10"; Virgin Isle Supertone or R.C. Spenceley VLP-400 (Duke of Iron, Lord Kitchener, unknown; same as Favorite Calypsos of the Virgin Isles 10"; Monogram 400)
7Your Musical Holiday in the West Indies--A Calypso Carnival; Decca DL-8159 (Wilmoth Houdini, Lord Beginner, Lord Kitchener, The Lion, The Iron Duke)


Various Artists Calypso EPs

Rating
7Hits from Bahama Hot Spots; Bahama BEP-21; 1956 (George Symonette/Eloise Lewis/Harold McNair)
7Hit Calypsos!; Capitol EAP 1-852 (Lord Flea: "Shake Shake Senora"; Stan Kenton; Nat "King" Cole w/Jack Costanzo: "Calypso Blues"; Andrews Sisters)
7The Mighty Zebra w/La Motta Brothers/Connie Boswell; RCA Victor DJ-63 (promo; "The Bedbug" & "La Empaliza"; Boswell: "Japanese Sandman" & "Giannina Mia")


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