The Essential Harry Belafonte | ||||
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Greatest hits album by | ||||
Released | October 4, 2005 | |||
Recorded | 1952 - 1977 | |||
Genre | Calypso | |||
Label | Legacy | |||
Producer | Bob Bollard, Frantz Casseus, Bill Eaton, Dennis Farnon, Hy Grill, Dave Kapp, Jack Pleis, Phil Ramone, Edward Welker, Andy Wiswell | |||
Harry Belafonte chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
The Essential Harry Belafonte is a two-disc compilation recording by Harry Belafonte, released in 2005 on the Legacy label. The 37 tracks span Belafonte's career from 1952 to 1977, including his RCA Victor and Columbia Records releases. All selections for inclusion were made by Belafonte himself.[ citation needed ]
AllMusic stated: "Harry Belafonte's influence on pop music is much more far reaching then many realize, as he was one of the first performers to bring worldbeat rhythms to the U.S. charts in the postwar era... Innovative, intelligent, and unceasingly creative, Belafonte is long overdue for a critical reappraisal."
Calypso is the third studio album by recording artist Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor (LPM-1248) 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.
"Choucoune" is a 19th-century Haitian song composed by Michel Mauléart Monton with lyrics from a poem by Oswald Durand. It was rewritten with English lyrics in the 20th century as "Yellow Bird". Exotica musician Arthur Lyman made the song a hit in 1961.
Belafonte at Carnegie Hall is a live double album by Harry Belafonte issued by RCA Victor. It is the first of two Belafonte Carnegie Hall albums, and was recorded on April 19 and April 20, 1959. The concerts were benefits for The New Lincoln School and Wiltwyck School, respectively. The album stayed on the charts for over three years.
Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean is an album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor (LPM-1505) in 1957.
In My Quiet Room is an album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor in 1966. The orchestra was conducted by Howard A. Roberts and arranged by Hugo Montenegro, with musical coordination by Bill Eaton.
Calypso in Brass is an album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor in 1966. The album contains new arrangements of previously recorded songs, notably from Calypso and Belafonte Sings of the Caribbean, with a brass ensemble accompaniment. The orchestra was conducted by Howard A. Roberts and arranged by Bob Freedman.
The Many Moods of Belafonte is an album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor (LSP-2574) in 1962. The album features performances by South African trumpeter Hugh Masekela and vocalist Miriam Makeba.
Fred Hellerman was an American folk singer, guitarist, producer, and songwriter. Hellerman was an original member of the seminal American folk group The Weavers, together with Pete Seeger, Lee Hays, and Ronnie Gilbert. He produced the record album Alice's Restaurant (1967) for Arlo Guthrie, played accompaniment guitar on scores of folk albums, and wrote a number of folk and protest songs.
An Evening with Belafonte is a studio album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor in 1957.
Irving Louis Burgie, sometimes known professionally as Lord Burgess, was an American musician and songwriter, regarded as one of the greatest composers of Caribbean music. He composed 34 songs for Harry Belafonte, including eight of the 11 songs on the Belafonte album Calypso (1956), the first album of any kind to sell one million copies. Burgie also wrote the lyrics of the National Anthem of Barbados. To date, songs penned by Irving Burgie have sold more than 100 million copies worldwide.
Belafonte is the second studio album by American recording artist Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor in late 1955. The album was the first number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, topping the chart for six weeks before being knocked out of the top spot by Elvis Presley's self-titled debut album, also issued by RCA Victor.
Streets I Have Walked is an album by Harry Belafonte, released in 1963. The album contains songs from around the world as well as gospel songs. It reached #30 on the Billboard Albums 200, making it his last studio album to reach the top 40.
Belafonte at The Greek Theatre is a live double album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Victor in 1963. It was his last album to appear in Billboard's Top 40.
My Lord What a Mornin' is an album of spirituals sung by Harry Belafonte and released by RCA Victor in 1960. The album was reissued in 1995 with additional bonus tracks.
Belafonte on Campus is an album by Harry Belafonte, released in 1967.
The Warm Touch is an album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Records in 1971.
Belafonte...Live! is a live double album by Harry Belafonte, released by RCA Records in 1972.
Belafonte Concert in Japan is a live album by Harry Belafonte, released in 1974. It is the only album by Belafonte that has been released in Quadrophonic. The album was Belafonte's final release for RCA Records, concluding a 21-year association with the label.
Belafonte '89 is a live album by Harry Belafonte, released in 1989. A truncated version of the album was released in the U.S., featuring only 10 out of 15 tracks. The international CD release was also truncated, featuring 13 tracks. It was also released in Germany as Stationen in 1990, and 1993. The CD release of Stationen from 1990 contains all 15 tracks.
An Evening with Harry Belafonte and Friends is a live album by Harry Belafonte, released in 1997. The album is the soundtrack of a concert, televised by PBS in March 1997. It was also released as a concert video. In 2003 the concert video was also released on DVD.