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

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.