Comments on: HARRY BELAFONTE – “Mary’s Boy Child”

By: Mutley

Mutley — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 14:30:05 +0000

Johnny Otis – also did pretty well with Willie and the Hand Jive. If you want to learn how to hand jive see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOrQTh_Cq7U&feature=related

By: lonepilgrim

lonepilgrim — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:18:56 +0000

R.I.P. Johnny Otis – who got to Number 2 with ‘Ma he’s making eyes at me’ behind this number 1.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jan/19/johnny-otis?intcmp=ILCMUSTXT9390

By: Billy Smart

Billy Smart — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:53:17 +0000

Light Entertainment Watch:Harry belafonte didn’t make any appearances on UK television until the 1970s. All 3 shows survive;

HARRY BELAFONTE: with Harry Belafonte (1977)

THE JULIE ANDREWS HOUR: with Harry Belafonte, Rich Little, Sivuca (1973)

THE MUPPET SHOW: with Harry Belafonte (1979)

By: Matthew

Matthew — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 09:42:49 +0000

I knew and remain nostalgically fond of the Boney M version, but this is much classier. Heartwarming and beautiful.

By: DJ Punctum

DJ Punctum — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 09:20:12 +0000

It’s those Alabama vowels, I guess…

By: wichita lineman

wichita lineman — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:46:37 +0000

I think yr right, and I think Harry sings it quite beautifully. Nat’s odd pronunciation has often baffled me, “a blassom fell”, “are you rill mona lisa?” etc. What’s that all about?

By: DJ Punctum

DJ Punctum — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 07:47:38 +0000

Pretty patronising to suggest, without substantive evidence and particularly in view of Belafonte’s subsequent political activities, that he was singing like this deliberately. You might as well say that Nat “King” Cole was pandering.

By: wichita lineman

wichita lineman — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 23:51:27 +0000

I’d never thought of it like this, gently patronising one and all. It’s a good point. But I’m not sure this wasn’t a preferred clipped, enunciated style of singing that extended to Johnny Mathis, then Arthur Lee. It can also be heard in Jamaican recordings like Derrick Harriott’s Do I Worry from some years later.

Tom, I’m intrigued to know if you’ve revised yr opinion on this ‘report’ as you have on other 45s from the 50s. I think it has a tangible festive magic worth a 7, and certainly find it better than Boney M’s slouchy, joyless version.