Yes that’s right, there are so many footie&calypso songs that I had to split this in half.

In the 50′s there was a craze for the music in Britain and this even spread over to football.

There were some notable and very famous calypso singers… and I’m not talking about Harry Belefonte, he was the commercial populist version who cashed in on the craze. The real stars of the genre were singers like Lord Kitchner and Mighty Sparrow.

It seems with calypso you gave the artist a subject he would then create a song about it. Anything at all. I’ve seen calypso titles about the New York Subway, buying a TV and about not needing glasses to see. (Long story, don’t ask).

So with the beautiful game being such a big obsession with us it was only natural that it would eventually be covered.

  I wanted to post these in order that they were released, but I couldn’t verify what year some of them were done. So taking a best guess… Update: Just found some info about the year each song was released.

So then:

- The very earliest one is from 1953, this one I know because it was entitled as such.
In this one the singer Edmundo Ros is in the pub when some people come up and ask him to settle a bet on who is the better football team:

[See post to listen to audio]
» Edmundo Ros – Exotic Football Calypso of 1953

- Next up is from 1 year later is Edric Conner with a short one, but a long lasting one. This song has been re-recorded and re-released often since it’s first outing in 1954:

[See post to listen to audio]
Edric Conner -Manchester United Calypso

- Two years after that and the king of calypso steps up to give us some footballing history about Manchester – United and City.
He tells us in song form about the fortunes of the clubs from the 1940′s to the present (1956) day:

[See post to listen to audio] » Lord Kitchner and Fitzroy Coleman Band – The Manchester Football Double

Then there’s a space of 8 years and in 1964 Ronnie Hilton sings about the very successful (at the time) Leeds United…
*WARNING* At the very beginning some blokes remind you – very loudly – of which team the song is about:

[See post to listen to audio]
» Ronnie Hilton – Leeds United Calypso

- Fast forward another 8 years to 1972 and two tractor fancying/turkey plucking rivals release their calypso’s:

[See post to listen to audio] » Johnny Cobnut – Ipswich Football Calypso

[See post to listen to audio] » Chic Applin Sound – Norwich City Calypso

There will be more general football calypso’s posted another time, for now if you want to discover more calypso music have a look at Honest Jon’s Records, which has some history about the arrival of some immigrants to London in the late 40′s and the resultant rise and craze for the music.

Also have a visit to Schadenfreudian Therapy which as collected some 50′s & 60′s vintage calypso.