King Radio
Norman Span, known as King Radio, was a top Trinidadian calypsonian active in the 1930s and 1940s. He was a waterfront worker in Port of Spain when he started performing in public in 1929. Six years later he started his short-lived recording career. He was the composer of many calypsos which later became standards, such as "Mathilda", "Man Smart, Woman Smarter", and "Brown Skin Gal". |
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1945
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, composer
Notes: His compositions are credited under his real name, Norman Span. Performs under the pseudonym, Radio. Listed on Bluebird label as King Radio.
See Also: Span, Norman
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings (Results 1-25 of 53 records)
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | BS-04602 | 10-in. | 2/4/1937 | Rats diplomacy | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-04603 | 10-in. | 2/4/1937 | The tricks of some married women | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Instrumental ensemble, with male vocal solo | composer, vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-04604 | 10-in. | 2/4/1937 | Don't touch me down dey | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-04605 | 10-in. | 2/4/1937 | Woman, you can't fool my man | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-04618 | 10-in. | 2/6/1937 | Two loving pets | King Radio ; Lady Trinidad | Female-male vocal duet, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-04619 | 10-in. | 2/6/1937 | Children love your mother | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-04642 | 10-in. | 2/7/1937 | Nettie, Nettie, I can't stand the digging | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-04644 | 10-in. | 2/7/1937 | The woman vampires | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-04645 | 10-in. | 2/7/1937 | My little pet | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-04646 | 10-in. | 2/7/1937 | Abdication | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Victor | BS-017876 | 10-in. | late 1937 | This is the life | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-017878 | 10-in. | late 1937 | Cecilia | Bert McLean's Jazz Hounds ; King Radio | Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist | |
| Victor | BS-018064 | 10-in. | 1/17/1938 | Joe Louis | King Radio | Dubbed recording : Male vocal solo, with instrumental ensemble | vocalist, composer | |
| Decca | 60996 | 10-in. | 4/7/1936 | Hell yard and George St. | King Radio ; The Lion [Hubert R. Charles] ; The Tiger [Neville Marcano] | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61005 | 10-in. | 4/8/1936 | Send your children to the orp .. | King Radio ; The Lion [Hubert R. Charles] ; The Tiger [Neville Marcano] | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61012 | 10-in. | 4/8/1936 | [Unknown title(s)] | King Radio ; The Lion [Hubert R. Charles] ; The Tiger [Neville Marcano] | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61015 | 10-in. | 4/9/1936 | Man smart, woman smarter | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61018 | 10-in. | 4/9/1936 | Gold diggers | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61020 | 10-in. | 4/9/1936 | Unfortunate bridgegroom | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61021 | 10-in. | 4/9/1936 | Warning the children towards Mother | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61028 | 10-in. | 4/11/1936 | Milly | King Radio ; The Lion [Hubert R. Charles] | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61030 | 10-in. | 4/11/1936 | War | King Radio ; The Lion [Hubert R. Charles] ; The Tiger [Neville Marcano] | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61031 | 10-in. | 4/11/1936 | we ain't 'fraid nobody | King Radio ; The Lion [Hubert R. Charles] | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61032 | 10-in. | 4/11/1936 | Don't break it I say | King Radio ; The Lion [Hubert R. Charles] ; The Tiger [Neville Marcano] | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 61033 | 10-in. | 4/11/1936 | Millington | King Radio ; The Lion [Hubert R. Charles] ; The Tiger [Neville Marcano] | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "King Radio," accessed June 29, 2022, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108537.
King Radio. (2022). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved June 29, 2022, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108537.
"King Radio." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2022. Web. 29 June 2022.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Radio (Calypso singer) - http://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/no00082522
Wikidata: King Radio - http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q6411973
VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/78781250
MusicBrainz: King Radio - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/2e432d96-f70b-4de7-9b5e-94b8852fc038
ISNI: 0000 0001 1971 1724 - http://www.isni.org/isni/0000000119711724
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