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Lord Melody with the Cook Calypso Combo
Calypso Through the Looking Glass
Cook 1960
Lord Melody was born Fitzroy Alexander in 1926, San Fernando,
Trinidad and Tobago. He had his training to calypsonian by Alwyn
Roberts, better known as Lord Kitchener. On this record from 1960
we find Belmont Jackass in which Melody berates Mighty Sparrows
wife. It is Melody’s third album for Cook and fourth overall. In Trinidad
this elpee was released under the name Melody’s Top Ten with different
sleeve and track order. We have the US version. Get it & spread it..
Geboren als Fitzroy Alexander in 1926, San Fernando, Trinidad and
Tobago, is dit Lord Melody. Hij kreeg zijn opleiding tot calypsonian
van niemand minder dan Alwyn Roberts, beter bekend als Lord
Kitchener. Op deze plaat uit 1960 vinden we onder andere het
nummer Belmont Jackass waarin Melody spot met de omvang
van Mighty Sprrow’s vrouw. Het is zijn derde album voor Cook
en vierde in totaal. In Trinidad kwam deze uit onder de naam
Melody’s Top Ten, met andere hoes en track volgorde..
tracks ;
01 – The letter
02 – Belmont jackass
03 – Hungry barbers
04 – Turn back melody
05 – The river
06 – Si señor
07 – Joseph
08 – The jumbie
09 – Alexander the murderer
12 – Kathleen
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Oh boy I love this one. Lord Melody is the highest king of Calypso for me, above even (the much more prolific) Sparrow and Kitchener.
There’s a great band on this one too. Creative melodies and a good mix of lyrics – from lustful to boastful to self-deprecating. ‘The jumbie’ is maybe the most famous song here. It is basically about a child bursting into tears when introduced to him, saying he’s an ugly monster and refusing to believe he is Lord Melody even when told so several times by his mother. Hah!
I am a big Kitchener fan myself, probably also
because we hardly find the works of Melody while
Kitchener’s records are more common. Just to
illustrate, I’ve got 19 Kitchener records
against two from Lord Melody..
Kitchener is great too don’t get me wrong.
I’d really love to see someone come out and release some more of both Kitchner and Melody’s early work. There’s not even many compilations with much of Kitchener before the 1960s when he returned to Trinidad from the UK (aged 40), or Melody around the same time (the first proper album from 1958).
I sure wish I had ’em
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