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, several of which later became standards through popular recordings by Harry Belafonte such as "Matilda", "Man Smart, Woman Smarter", and "Brown Skin Girl". |
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1936 - 1945
Roles Represented in DAHR: vocalist, composer
Notes: His compositions are credited under his real name, Norman Span.
See Also: Span, Norman
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| 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 | vocalist, composer | |
| 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 | ||
| Decca | 68944 | 10-in. | 4/11/1941 | Chip chip water | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 68974 | 10-in. | 4/11/1941 | My girl Mabel | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 68977 | 10-in. | 4/11/1941 | Government house dance | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 68979 | 10-in. | 4/11/1941 | Jitterbug | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 69005 | 10-in. | 4/16/1941 | Lovely women, noble men | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 69022 | 10-in. | 4/18/1941 | Go and sleep at your neighbour | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 72891 | 10-in. | 6/7/1945 | Want to die with my boots on | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 72892 | 10-in. | 6/7/1945 | Go far it | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 72903 | 10-in. | 5/25/1945 | Madame, look back you basket | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 72904 | 10-in. | 5/25/1945 | Air raid shelter | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 72905 | 10-in. | 5/25/1945 | Control to blast | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 72906 | 10-in. | 5/25/1945 | Mothers who supporting your child : Calypso | King Radio | vocalist, composer | ||
| Decca | 72915 | 10-in. | 5/31/1945 | I'll be a colored Hitler | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 72916 | 10-in. | 5/31/1945 | Not me with old women | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91635 | 10-in. | 2/1/1939 | Elsie | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91636 | 10-in. | 2/1/1939 | Old men come back again | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91637 | 10-in. | 2/1/1939 | Matilda | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91638 | 10-in. | 2/1/1939 | Joh O' Carr | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91639 | 10-in. | 2/1/1939 | It's the rhythm we want | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91657 | 10-in. | 2/6/1939 | Too much sorrows and pains | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91918 | 10-in. | 2/4/1940 | My impression of Demarara | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91919 | 10-in. | 2/4/1940 | Sedition law | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91920 | 10-in. | 2/4/1940 | Two sisters scandal | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91935 | 10-in. | 2/9/1940 | Emily | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91936 | 10-in. | 2/9/1940 | Germany invades Poland | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91937 | 10-in. | 2/9/1940 | Story of Mr. Paul | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91975 | 10-in. | 2/12/1940 | The guardian contest | King Radio | vocalist | ||
| Decca | 91976 | 10-in. | 2/12/1940 | The war | King Radio | vocalist |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "King Radio," accessed April 26, 2024, https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108537.
King Radio. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved April 26, 2024, from https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/108537.
"King Radio." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 26 April 2024.
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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