HiFi Calypso is the second album by French writer, actor, filmmaker and singer Karl Zéro, backed by the Jamaican reggae band The Wailers.

HiFi Calypso
Studio album by
ReleasedAugust 30, 2004 (2004-08-30)
GenreCalypso
Length45:07 (limited edition)
47:21 (standard edition)
LabelNaïve Records, La Société Secrète
ProducerTyrone Downie, Michaëlle Roch (executive)
Karl Zéro & The Wailers chronology
Songs for Cabriolets y Otros Tipos de Vehiculos
(2000)
HiFi Calypso
(2004)

Background

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Karl Zéro's first album, Songs for Cabriolets y Otros Tipos de Vehiculos, was a collection of covers of international pop standards of the 1940s and 1950 (including "Perfidia" and "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons"). For his next album, he set his mind on recording calypso songs, and started looking for a reggae band. He then learned that Tyrone Downie, which was a member of Bob Marley and the Wailers, lived in Montpellier. It turned out that Downie used to watch Zéro's weekly TV show, Le Vrai Journal. He agreed to participate, and contacted other members of the band to recruit them to the project.[1]

Zéro wanted to record the album at Tuff Gong, where Bob Marley recorded his music, but Bernard Lavilliers, who previously recorded there, alerted him to the rampant corruption he faced there. That dissuaded Zéro, who started searching for a studio "a little bit tropical", and settled on the Studio du Manoir, in the Southwesthern corner of France, which was used by Noir Désir, amongst other French artists.[2]

Recording

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The list of songs was selected by Zéro (who prepared a list of 25 songs, including obscure compositions) and the band, who wanted to perform the songs that they knew from their childhood, or that they played when they started performing.[1] The final track list reflects both influences, which includes the French classic "Salade de Fruits" or the obscure Leslie Scott and Irene Williams song "Crazy Like Mad", amongst the calypso classics "Coconut Woman" and "Mama Look at Bubu", both made famous by Harry Belafonte.

Track listing

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Limited edition
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Reggae Merengue"Karl Zéro / Duke Reid2:15
2."Take Me Back To Jamaica"The Jolly Boys4:13
3."Coconut Woman"Harry Belafonte / Irving Burgie3:18
4."Nice Time"Bob Marley3:58
5."Jump in the Line"Rafael De Leon / Harry Belafonte / Gabriel Oller / Steve Samuel3:56
6."Crazy Like Mad"Irene Williams2:07
7."Salade De Fruits"Noël Roux / Armand Canfora3:44
8."Man Smart"Harry Belafonte / Jack Segal / Norman Span2:29
9."Jamaica Farewell"Irving Burgie4:02
10."Don't Touch Me Tomato"Traditional2:24
11."Le Gars"Mighty Sparrow / Don Raye2:48
12."Mama Look at Bubu"Lord Melody3:27
13."Tingalayo / Rastaman Chant" (hidden track)Traditional6:26
Limited edition – bonus DVD
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Making of Documentary" (directed by Daisy D'Errata) 41:44
2."Coconut Woman" (karaoke)Harry Belafonte / Irving Burgie3:18
3."Salade De Fruits" (karaoke)Noël Roux / Armand Canfora3:44
4."Take Me Back To Jamaica" (karaoke)The Jolly Boys4:13
5."Jump in the Line" (karaoke)Rafael De Leon / Harry Belafonte / Gabriel Oller / Steve Samuel3:56
6."Inouis" (video)Karl Zéro / Xavier Cugat3;24
Standard edition (2005)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Yes I"Karl Zéro / Tyrone Downie3:32
2."Reggae Merengue"Karl Zéro / Duke Reid2:15
3."Take Me Back To Jamaica"The Jolly Boys4:13
4."Coconut Woman"Harry Belafonte / Irving Burgie3:18
5."Nice Time"Bob Marley3:58
6."Jump in the Line"Rafael De Leon / Harry Belafonte / Gabriel Oller / Steve Samuel3:56
7."Crazy Like Mad"Irene Williams2:07
8."Salade De Fruits"Noël Roux / Armand Canfora3:44
9."Man Smart"Harry Belafonte / Jack Segal / Norman Span2:29
10."Jamaica Farewell"Irving Burgie4:02
11."Don't Touch Me Tomato"Traditional2:24
12."Le Gars"Mighty Sparrow / Don Raye2:48
13."Tingalayo"Traditional2:01
14."Mamadou Mémé"Nino Ferrer2:37
15."Rastaman Chant"Traditional3:57
  • "Rastaman Chant" contains excerpts from the historical collection "Afrique, une histoire sonore".

Personnel

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The Wailers

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Additional musicians

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  • Karl Zéro & Daisy D'Errata – vocals
  • Richacha – drums
  • Christophe Dutray – additional horns
  • Al Anderson, Alexandre Desplat, Daisy D'Errata, Glen Da Costa, Marie-Do & Kali, Tyrone Downie, Vin Gordon – backing vocals
  • Nelson Chambers – banjo on "Take Me Back To Jamaica"
  • Slim Pesin – additional guitars
  • Laurent Laisingué – steel drum
  • François Constantin – percussions

Production notes

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  • Produced by Tyrone Downie
  • Recorded by Bruno De Jarnac, assisted by Yohan Rivernale at Studio Du Manoir
  • Additional recording by Olivier Gro at Twin Studio
  • Mixed by Bruno Jarnac, assisted by Nicolas Sacco at Twin Studio
  • Mastered by Geoff Pesche at the Townhouse
  • Artwork by Hrvoje Goluza

References

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  1. ^ a b "Karl Zéro – Interview Foutraque.com" (in French). Foutraque.com. Retrieved September 17, 2016.
  2. ^ "Interview Karl Zéro" (in French). VSD. Retrieved September 17, 2016.