In an attempt to capitalize on the success of calypso and
the
Harry Belafonte name, the Coronet label found some old masters from the
early '50s of
Belafonte singing tepid versions of pop songs, some of which had been
released on the Jubilee label. Coronet in turn tried to pass these off as
"folk songs" by interspersing them with authentic calypso songs performed by
a group called the Islanders. Of the six
Belafonte tracks, one was a genuine West Indian folk song: "Venezuela,"
which had been released as a single by Jubilee in 1954. A better version was
released by RCA Victor in 1957. The additional
Belafonte tracks are "Annabelle Lee," "Only One Like Me," "The Night Has
a Thousand Eyes," "Simple, Simple, Simple," and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes."
For completists only.
~ Cary Ginell, All Music Guide |
