Calypso (album)


Calypso is the third studio album by recording artist Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor in 1956. The album became his second consecutive number-one album on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, where it peaked for 31 weeks. Calypso was the first LP record album to sell over one million copies.
In 2018, Calypso was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or artistically significant."

Album information

The first track "Day-O " largely contributed to the success of the album and has long been Belafonte's signature song, the single reaching number five on Billboard's Pop chart.
"Star-O", the sixth track on the album, is essentially a short reprise of "Day-O", with slightly different lyrics.
It is sung from the point of view of dock workers working the night shift loading bananas onto ships. Daylight has come, the shift is over, and they want their work to be counted up so that they can return to their homes
The third track, "Jamaica Farewell", is a calypso folk song about the beauties of the West Indian islands and a love left behind. This was the first album on which the song was published. The song was released as a single, reaching number 14 on Billboard's Pop chart, becoming the second hit from the album.

Reception

Calypso was the first LP record album to sell over one million copies. Several single records, including Glenn Miller's "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," Bing Crosby's "White Christmas," and Tennessee Ernie Ford's "Sixteen Tons" had surpassed 1 million copies previously. The album is number four on Billboard's "Top 100 Album" list for having spent 31 weeks at number 1, 58 weeks in the top ten, and 99 weeks on the U.S. charts. Allmusic gave the album 5 stars out of 5 and called it, "a record of inestimable influence".

Popular culture

Belafonte's original 1955 recording of "Day-O" was heard in the dinner scene in the Tim Burton film Beetlejuice. Belafonte appeared in a "Day-O" music video, featured on MTV, promoting the film. "Man Smart " was also featured in Beetlejuice as well as episodes of The Simpsons and I Love Lucy.

Track listing

Personnel

Production notes: