Go Calypso, Go

Cultural appropriation of the kitschiest variety, starring the voluptuous Mamie Van Doren:

Muriel's Treasure, Vol. 2

Now available thru iTunes, Amazon, and everywhere else. Volumes 1, 3 and 4 also available, with more to come. Meticulously digitally remastered from vinyl—which means they ain't perfect, but they're as good as you'll find them in the absence of master tapes.

Track list:

01 Percy Dixon - Bloodshot Eyes

02 Duke of Iron - Calypsonian Invasion

03 Lord Kitchener - The Wrecker

04 Marie Bryant - Don't Touch Me Tomato

05 Fabulous McClevertys - Landlady Want de Rent

06 Mighty Sparrow - Castro Eating Banana

07 Lord Christo - Boy Days

08 Lord Creator - Mr Rake and Scrape

09 unknown - Brown Skin Girl

10 Lord Nelson - I Got The Itch

11 Duke of Iron - Undercover Man

12 Lord Spectacular - Lazy Man

13 Mighty Gypsy - Sucker

14 Mighty Prince Galloway - Confusion Men

15 Count of Monte Cristo & Congo Bey - Run Joe

16 Sir Jablonski - More Pork

17 George Symonette - Camilla

18 Lord Creator - Race Track (mono)

19 Talbot Brothers - Atomic Nightmare

20 Tony Johnson - Linstead Market

21 Lord Invader - Reincarnation

22 Telco Orchestra - Belmont Jackass

23 Mighty Zebra - The Bedbug

24 The Sparrow - Donkey Want Water (Hold 'Em Joe)

25 Mighty Duke - Play Them

Muriel's Treasure, Vol. 1

Now available thru iTunes, Amazon, and everywhere else. Volumes 2, 3 and 4 also available, with more to come. Meticulously digitally remastered from vinyl—which means they ain't perfect, but they're as good as you'll find them in the absence of master tapes.

Track list:

01 Lord Kitchener - Muriel And De Bug
02 The Lion - Trinidad, Land Of Calypso
03 Mighty Sparrow - The Slave
04 Duke & the Jamaica 5 - Bloodshot Eyes
05 Wilmoth Houdini - Bobby Sox Idol
06 George Symonette - Coconut Water, Rum And Gin
07 McClevertys - Don't Blame It On Elvis
08 Duke of Iron - Fifty Cents
09 Mighty Zebra - Man Smart, Woman Smarter
10 Duke & the Jamaica 5  - Hungry Woman
11 Lili Verona - Massa Johnny
12 Duke of Iron - The Music Lesson
13 Duke Errol & the Lords - Mama Look'a Boo Boo
14 Lord Brynner - Hang Them High
15 Lord Kitchener - Smoke A Cigarette
16 Count Lasher & Williams - Mufradite
17 Talbot Bros - Too Much Rock & Roll
18 Duke Errol & the Lords - Shame And Scandal
19 Mighty Dougla - Split Me In Two
20 Mighty Zebra - We Like Ike
21 Duke Errol - Back To Back and Belly To Belly
22 Lord Christo - Trip To Mars
23 Two Gun Smokey - Vacation
24 Nap Hepburn - The River
25 Mike Alexander & the Pott Steelers - You Are My Sunshine

Calypsos for Adam and Eve

This vivacious tropical cover for the Monogram label (disc: Kalypso Records Ltd., Jamaica) appears to be the handiwork of the same uncredited artist who illustrated Ritmo's Calypsos from Jamaica.

The above 7" EP features tracks by the Duke of Iron ("Big Bamboo"), Lord Kitchener ("Big Toe"), the Four Deuces ("Lemme Go Emelda"), and Sir George Brown ("He Like It, She Like It"). The A-sides, with Kitch and Duke of Iron, are classic Trinidad calypso, while the artists on side B reflect the Jamaican mento variant.

We would appreciate any information about the illustrator, whose style is audacious and singular.

The Grotesque Dummy (El Monigote)

William Smith sent a 1958 paperback entitled Folk Songs of the Caribbean, collected by Jim Morse, published by Bantam. Along with a preface by noted songwriter Lord Burgess (Irving Burgie), the book contains lyrics to songs from Trinidad, Haiti, Jamaica, Honduras, Guatemala, and elsewhere in the tropical climes. I'm not familiar with many of these titles—it's not a calypso compendium, though works from Trinidad and Jamaica predominate, including such favorites as "Linstead Market," "Gin and Cocoanut Water," and "Out de Fire." Then there's this: "The Grotesque Dummy," from Venezuela. Macabre! Would love to hear a recording, if anyone's got one. Elsewise, here's the lyrics and chords—make your own version.

Sir Galba

Small Island Pride, King (Mighty) Sparrow, Sir Galba (mid-1950s)

London-based Kate Blenman is great-grand niece of Sir Galba, a Trinidad calypsonian who reigned briefly in the late 1940s and early 1950s, but led a troubled life. Kate discovered one of his songs on a Muriel's Treasure playlist, and wrote that despite years of searching, she had never been able to find any of Galba's music. She explained about her great-grand uncle:

Most of the information I have was obtained from Ray Funk, a kaiso researcher. Galba's real name was George Brindsley McSween, and he made his recording debut in 1946 with "Hooligan Hide Yourself" and "Put the Knife on the Shelf." In 1949 he recorded "Calypsonian from Toco" and "Residents of Nowhere Square." He was crowned Calypso King of 1952 at the Young Brigade with "Man in the Garden Hiding" out of the Victory tent. That same year he stabbed someone in a nightclub. He sang "I Don't Want Any Women Police in Trinidad" and won second place in an intercolonial calypso contest for Princess Margaret in 1955, singing "The Queen at Montego Bay." He also recorded three singles for the Sagomes label. He died September 18, 1957, at the age of 38, by committing suicide after stabbing his girlfriend.

"Too Many Fires" is the only recording I've heard by Galba. An mp3 transfer from an original 78 (Sagomes 138-27) was provided by friend and Optigan savant Pea Hicks, who does all manner of audio restoration. It can be heard here (about 20 seconds in).

Update (5 May 09): Hear Sir Galba's "Bajan Diplomat," a Vitadisc 45 courtesy listener John Hill (with thanks to Don Brockway for the mp3 conversion).

Let's Go Calypso (Somerset)

Features King Scratch and the Bay Street Boys, ca. late 1950s. "These two acts," the brief liner notes attest, "have long been favorites in the islands and many a tourist has felt the gay and carefree spell they cast with the charm of their readings and infectious Calypso rhythms. This is as much a part of the islands as the palm trees or lovely beaches." Despite a preponderance of cruiseship standards (e.g., "Marianne," "Sly Mongoose," "Jamaica Farewell," "Donkey Wants Water"), the performances are refreshingly "native" and highlighted by raucous percussion. Meaning, these recordings were not prettied up for export. Is good.

Fabulous cover illustration, unsigned, uncredited.

Calypso (Rico)

Calypso Mania

Cover illustration by Demilio from the Richmond Records LP Calypso Mania by Edmundo Ros, as discovered by Ernie, who collects the artist's work.

"It please one and all"

I gave my woman a rubber plant
She says, "That sure is elegant
I hate for it to go to waste,
but it's much too soft to suit my taste"

I gave my woman a coconut
She said, "My friend, that is OK but
You know it is no good for me
What good is the nut without the tree?"

I gave my woman some sugar cane
"Sweets for the sweet" I did explain
She handed it back to my surprise
She liked the flavor but not the size

Calypsos From Jamaica (Times Store)

Which is to say, Mento, an indigenous Jamaican style marketed abroad as calypso. The forms share many characteristics, both being African/European fusions filtered through Caribbean culture, and their audiences overlap. Like one, you'll probably like the other—unless you're some kind of weird contrarian.

Calypso Mama (Art)

The Enchanted Steel Band (Cook)

I had to "ream" this LP, because the center spindle hole was off-center, causing wobbly playback. Reaming is a highly technical process involving one blade of a double-lever scissors, positioned perpendicular to its opposite, and a rum-based cocktail, positioned less than arm's length from the work space. You carefully maneuver the blade in a back and forth carving motion to enlarge the hole and thus allow visual centering on the turntable. Each pass with the scissor is customarily followed by a sip of the cocktail.

Unfortunately, due to frequent applications of the liquid, the scissors slipped and I accidentally gouged an irrigation ditch through side A, rendering it unplayable. A priceless Cook LP, ruined. The cover survives.

Calypsos From Jamaica (Ritmo/Monogram)

A fine Mento collection featuring Hubert Porter, Lord Lebby, the Denzil Laing Trio, Harold Richardson, Lord Flea, and The Wigglers.

Calypso Songbook

Bought on eBay last year, published 1957. Fine cover, with art by Bill Charmatz, crying for Photoshop. Interior illos purloined (with attribution) for Muriel's Treasure 2006 WFMU marathon premium CD.

Lord Kitchener, 1950s

Is it her treasure?

Muriel Gaines was a dancer in Harlem's Cotton Club, and started singing calypso in the 1940s at the Village Vanguard and Le Ruban Bleu. She later toured Europe, where she was dubbed the "Queen of Calypso." She released two calypso records in 1945 on the National label, accompanied by Sam Manning's Serenaders: "Ugly Woman" c/w "You Got to Have Power," and "What You Gonna Do" c/w "Too Sweet, Too Sweet."

Above: Muriel on the cover of Jet (May 29, 1952)