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The Duke of Iron









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here for an MP3 of the Duke Of Iron classic,
"I Left Her Behind For You"


Born Cecil Anderson in Trinidad, the Duke of Iron learned music from his famous father and others. He came to the United States and made New York City his new home in 1923. In 1940 he began playing professionally at the Village Vanguard, and after ten months he headed west, touring until a triumphant return to New York in 1943. From then on he was King of Calypso and toured college campuses for some time until returning to Trinidad. There, he formed a new band and headed to Europe for a tour. He returned to New York at the height of the calypso craze (1956, the year Belafonte's debut eclipsed Elvis') to begin a long stint as headliner of the Jamaican Room.

On the LP Jungle Calypso, the Duke is accompanied by Modesto Calderon (bass player), Gregory Feliz, and Victor Pacheco. The latter two take turns at drums, violin, and clarinet. By the time of his Jamaican Room engagement, the Duke was playing quattro (four-stringed guitar) with a drummer, bassist, pianist, and two others doubling on sax and clarinet. The inclusion of steel pan would have marked Limbo, Limbo, Limbo as a low point in the Duke's career but for the strong original material and excellent recording by Rudy Van Gelder.

The trademark, distorted clarinet was as vital a part of the Duke's charm as his unique voice and phrasing. In case anyone could not make out the ribald lyrics --always sung very innocently, of course-- the clarinet's "dirty" tone told the story without irony. The clarinet is especially strong in the classic, swinging rocker, "The Big Bamboo," possibly the world's greatest song. "Parakeets," sung by the Duke of Iron (as well as the Talbot Brothers of Bermuda), is another of the earthy tunes for which calypsonians are notorious.

The Duke of Iron carried the true sound and many of the best calypso songs into the recording era, steadfastly refusing to modernize. The liner notes of the Calypso! LP quote the Duke as saying, "Calypso has a different rhythm all its own. It may resemble this and that at times, but it is in a class by itself where rhythm, style, and delivery is concerned. Some singers try to change Calypso but I try to keep it as it is." Thankfully, the Duke of Iron's calypso was recorded that way -- faithfully and extemporaneously.




I am looking for these songs by The Duke Of Iron

Gefeeltah Fish
Invasion
Josephine
Medley Of Brown Skin Girl & Mary Anne
Meringue Jam
We Are Afraid Of Nobody
Zets Calypso

Duke Of Iron Songs I Have
50 Cents
A Better Woman Than You
Bambouche
Bartender Harry
Bei Mir Bist du Schoen
Belle Marie
Bernhard Altmann Song
Big Bamboo
Bob White
Bonds Of Matrimony
Boo-Boo
Bootanga
Calypsonian Invasion
Calypso Samba
Clear De Road
Coldest Woman
Constance
Convoy
Courtney’s Saga
Creole Girl
Dipsey Doodle
Don’t Stop The Carnival
Dorothy One Morning
Druscilla
Duke Of The Calypso
Easy Fish (Man)
Everybody Merengue
Fire Down There
Freedom Waltz
Georgie Porgie
Hanging Tree, The
He's Cuckoo And Disorderly
I Left Her Behind For You
It’s The Rhythm We Want
Jam Session
Katie
Kockeemoonga
Last Train
Lemme Go Melda
Limbo
Lost Watch, The (Tick, Tick, Tick)
Loving Women Is A Waste Of Time
Mambo Calypso
Mamma Gave Me Something
Man Centipede
Man Smart, Woman Smarter
Mandolin Jive (Music Lesson)
Marriage Recipe
Marian Coldova
Matilda
Merengue Jenny
Mickey Cipriani
Miss Constance
Monkey Calypso
Monkey See Monkey Do
Mr. Rake & Scrape
Music Lesson (Mandolin Jive)
N.Y. Mets, The
Naughty Little Fly
One Gone
Out The Fire
Pam - Palam
Parakeets
Pepper Sauce Milly
Postman
Potato
Pretty Woman
Prisoner Arise
Rice & Tanya
Rock Cum Babe
Rookoobay
Rye Saly Water
Sally Waters
Samson & Delilah
Small Island
Song Of Cecelia
Take Me
Take Six
Taxes
The Duke Of Calypso
Tick, Tick, Tick (The Lost Watch)
Tie Up Me Dress
Touch It
Trinidad Waltz
True Confession
U.S.A.
Undercover Man
Vitalogy
Walking Department Store
Walter Winchell
Wide Screen
Wild Indian
Woman Police
Yellow Bird


Selected Discography

Year Format Title Label Cat# Cat/Label+ Songs Misc

10"
Virgin Isle Supertone/R.C. Spenceley VLP-401
Parakeets, Man Centipede, Woman Police, Calypso Samba, Tick Tick Tick (The Lost Watch), Constance, Monkey Calypso & Undercover Man

10" ??? Monogram MLP-812



10" Calypso Jamboree Paragon 603
A various artists album, it features Duke Of Iron, Lord Invader, Lloyd Thomas, and Lord Kitchener. Tracks are "Woman Police", "Samson & Delilah", "Monkey Song", "Take Me Back To Trinidad", "Kitch", "Tongue Tied Mopsie", "Gotta Eat", and "Creole Chinee Party".

10" Calypso Magic Monogram/Supertone 802

might have been reissued as 12" Monogram 820 with Marie Bryant

10" Calypso Volume 3 Stinson SLP-28
Small Island & Matilda also with Macbeth, Lord Beginner, Lord Invader & Felix And His Internationals
1950 10" Calypsos And Meringues Folkways FP-8 FW-6808; SF-12192 Druscilla
1953 10" Duke Of Iron & His Calypso Troubadours: Calypso Carnival Monogram MLP-800
Mandolin Jive (Music Lesson), Easy Fish (Man), Loving Woman Is Waste of Time, I Left Her Behind for You, Mambo Calypso, Clear de Road, Creole Girl & Last Train
not the same as 12" 842
1945 10" Jungle Calypso Stinson SLP-10
Pretty Woman, Mickey Cipriani, Duke Of The Calypso, Potato, Don’t Stop The Carnival, Rookoobay, Jam Session & Wild Indian was reissued as Folksay (FLP-10) & again by Stinson in 1963 on red vinyl with a different cover

10" Jungle Calypso Folksay FLP-10
Pretty Woman, Mickey Cipriani, Duke Of The Calypso, Potato, Don’t Stop The Carnival, Rookoobay, Jam Session & Wild Indian this is a reissue of Stinson (SLP-10)
1950 10" Trinidad Calypso Kings Monogram MLP-801
Man Smart Woman Smarter & Coldest Woman
1953 10" Virgin Island Calypsos Virgin Isle Supertone/R.C. Spenceley VLP-400
One Gone (aka Jonah & The Bake), Big Bambo, Creole Girl & I Left Her Behind For You

12" ??? Paragon 608


1957 12" Calypso Carnival RCA Victor LPM-1386
A Better Woman Than You, Bambouce, Fifty Cents, Katie, Vitalogy, The Walking Department Store, Calypsonian Invasion, Mamma Gave Me Something, Bartender Harry, It’s The Rhythm We Want, The Duke Of Calypso & Pepper Sauce Milly

12" Calypso Carnival With The Duke Of Iron Monogram 842
Man Smart Woman Smarter, Music Teacher, Woman Police, Merengue Jenny, Big Bamboo, Last Train, Lost Watch, Creole Girl, Undercover Man, The Naughty Fly, Coldest Woman & Woman Love only 2 cuts reissued from the 10"

12" Calypso Songs Tropicana 608
Man Smart Woman Smarter & Lost Watch

12" Calypsos From The West Indies Monogram MLP-834


1957 12" Calypsos From The West Indies Monogram MLP-835


1957 12" Calypsos Too Hot To Handle Monogram 837
Big Bamboo, I Left Her Behind For You, Parakeets, Music Lesson & Postman
These 12" LPs are almost entirely repackagings of earlier Monogram/Supertone/Spenceley stuff from the early 50s, which themselves were
issued on 78s, 45s, and 10" LPs.

12" Cool Calypsos From The West Indies Monogram MLP-838
Man Smart Woman Smarter & Lost Watch
1950 12" Don’t Touch Me Tomato: Sounds Of The Caribbean Sounds Of The Caribbean SLP-727
The Big Bamboo, I Left Her Behind For You, Parakeets & Music Lesson reissues Calypsos Too Hot to Handle except Lloyd Thomas' "Mary Had No Little Lamb" instead of Duke of Iron's "Postman"

12" Duke Of Iron Ritmo EP-100

unless reissues Monogram MEP-100

12" Duke Of Iron Sings Calypsos Sounds Of The Caribbean SLP-730
Man Smart, Woman Smarter, The Fly, Meringue Jenny, Creole Girl, Last Train, Man Centipede, The Lost Watch, Loving Women Is Waste Of Time, Man Is Easy Fish, Mambo Calypso, Clear The Road & We Are Afraid Of Nobody reissue

12" Favorite Calypso Songs Paragon 609



12" Limbo! Limbo! Limbo! Prestige/International INT-13068
The Hanging Tree, The New York Mets, Marriage Recipe, Limbo Limbo Limbo, Yellow Bird, Courtney’s Saga, Calypso Merengue, Take Six, Taxes & Mr. Rake And Scrape might have been reissued on Status

12" More Calypsos by The Duke Of Iron Sounds Of The Caribbean SLP-747
Miss Constance, Monkey Calypso, Under Cover Man, One Gone, Rye Saly Water, Samson And Delilah, Wide Screen, Tie Up Me Dress, The Postman, Woman Police, Coldest Woman & Rock Cum Babe reissue
1957 12" The Duke Of Iron & The Fabulous Steel Bands: Calypso! Crowell-Collier Record Club G-142
Man Smart Woman Smarter, Music Lesson, Merengue Jenny, Creole Girl, Last Train, Lost Watch, Loving Woman Is Waste of Time, Man Is Easy Fish (aka Easy Fish (man)), Mambo Calypso & Clear De Road
This gathers ten Monogram tracks, largely from MLP800 (though the last track on each side does not feature the Duke of Iron)

7"
Monogram M-45-101
Parakeets & Music Lesson red vinyl

7"
Lloyds Records EP 711 EP C 2000-2003 Convoy, Invasion, Pam Palam & Out Of The Fire

7" Big Bamboo b/w One Gone Monogram M-863
Big Bamboo & One Gone

7" Calypsos For Adam & Eve Monogram MEP-64 Kalypso Records Ltd SIDE A: Lord Kitchener "Big Toe" & Duke of Iron "Big Bamboo”. SIDE B: Sir George Brown "He Like It, She Like It" & Four Deuces, "Lemme Go Emelda"

7" Coldest Woman b/w Sally Waters Monogram M-873
Coldest Woman & Sally Waters

7" Creole Girl b/w Easy Fish Monogram ???
Creole Girl & Easy Fish

7" Fire Down There b/w Clear De Road Monogram M-855
Fire Down There & Clear De Road

7" Kockeemoonga b/w Mambo Calypso Monogram M-853
Kockeemoonga & Mambo Calypso

7" Last Train b/w Loving Women Is Waste Of Time Monogram M-851
Last Train & Loving Women Is Waste Of Time

7" Man Centipede b/w Calypso Samba Monogram ???
Man Centipede & Calypso Samba

7" Man Smart b/w Medley Of Brown Skin Girl/Mary Anne Monogram ???
Man Smart & Medley Of Brown Skin Girl/Mary Anne

7" Meringue Jam b/w ??? Monogram M-944
Meringue Jam

7" Monkey Calypso b/w Undercover Man Monogram ???
Monkey Calypso & Undercover Man

7" Music Lesson b/w I Left Her Behind For You Monogram M-850
Music Lesson & I Left Her Behind For You

7" Music Lesson, Parakeets & Big Bamboo Monogram M-837
Music Lesson, Parakeets & Big Bamboo

7" One Gone b/w Big Bamboo Monogram M-836
One Gone & Big Bamboo

7" Parakeets b/w Monkee See Monkey Do Monogram M-865
Parakeets & Monkee See Monkey Do

7" Postman b/w Man Smart, Woman Smarter Monogram M-872
Postman & Man Smart, Woman Smarter

7" Rice And Tanya b/w Song Of Cecilia Monogram M-858
Rice And Tanya & Song Of Cecilia

7" Samson And Delilah b/w Woman Police In Trinidad Monogram M-920
Samson And Delilah & Woman Police In Trinidad

7" The Naughty Fly b/w Tie Up Me Dress Monogram M-834
The Naughty Fly & Tie Up Me Dress

7" The Naughty Fly b/w Tie Up Me Dress Monogram M-206
The Naughty Fly & Tie Up Me Dress

7" Wide Screen b/w Meringue Jenny Monogram M-934
Wide Screen & Meringue Jenny

7" Zets Calypso b/w Gefeeltah Fish Monogram M-856
Zets Calypso & Gefeeltah Fish

7" EP ??? Monogram MEP-104

1 Duke song

7" EP
RCA Victor 47-6841 (H2NH-1824) DJ-89 Take Me & Prisoner Arise DJ white label single - split single with Lou Monte

7" EP Calypso Magic Monogram MEP-100
Man Centipede, Woman Police, Calypso Samba & Man Smart - Woman Smarter red vinyl

7" EP Calypso Magic Monogram MEP-103
Trinidad Waltz & Freedom Waltz Duke’s “castayan" Trinidad waltzes - split single with Trinidad Steel Band - red vinyl

7" EP Calypso Magic R.C. Spenceley VEP-402 (MEP-100)
Man Centipede, Woman Police, Calypso Samba & Man Smart, Woman Smarter red vinyl

78
Apollo 102 C 2002/3 Pam-Palam & Out The Fire
1938 78
Decca 17345A
Bei Mir Bist du Schoen & ??? credited to Felix & His Krazy Kats (with Cecil “Duke Of Iron" Anderson on vocals)
1938 78
Decca 17344B
Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight) & ??? credited to Felix & His Krazy Kats (with Cecil “Duke Of Iron" Anderson on vocals
1938 78
Decca 17346A
The Dipsy Doodle-Paseo also released as 1856 A - credited to Felix & His Krazy Kats (with Cecil “Duke Of Iron" Anderson on vocals)
1938 78
Decca 17346B
True Confession credited to Felix & His Krazy Kats (with Cecil “Duke Of Iron" Anderson on vocals)
1939 78
Varsity 8138
U.S.A.

78 Calypso Disc Company of America 628
Matilda 2 78’s in a binder

78 Convoy b/w Calypsonian Invasion Apollo 106 C2000-1 Convoy & Calypsonian Invasion
1944 78 Don’t Stop The Carnival b/w ??? Asch 105-3
Don’t Stop The Carnival

78 Duke Of Iron & His Calypso Troubadours Titan Records 1102
Curacao (vocal by Jeanne DeMetz) & Jo Jo Zombie (The Voodoo Man) - vocal with orchestra

78 Duke Of The Calypso b/w Jam Session Stinson 105
Duke Of The Calypso & Jam Session

78 Georgie Porgie b/w Bootanga Monogram M-857
Georgie Porgie & Bootanga
1938 78 Josephine b/w Bob White Decca 17344A
Josephine & Bob White credited to Felix & His Krazy Kats (with Cecil “Duke Of Iron" Anderson on vocals
1939 78 Maria b/w Walter Winchell Varsity 8130
Maria & Walter Winchell credited to Gerald Clark & His Calypso Orchestra
1945 78 Matilda b/w Donkey Wants Water (by Macbeth) Disc 5056
Matilda

78 Mickey Cipriani b/w Rookoombey Stinson 1051
Mickey Cipriani & Rookoombey
1945 78 Small Island b/w Sly Mongoose Disc 5058A
Small Island & Sly Mongoose

LP Calypso Grand Award Records GA 33-357
Convoy, Calypsonian Invasion & Out Of The Fire

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