Co-run by Stan Chaman and David Beresford, the Semp label ran from 1973 to about 1983, releasing a varied range of music by Trinidadian performers..
There seem to be at least two numerical series of 7" singles, and one series of 12" singles, with several further releases falling outside of these series.
Most of the records were arranged by Carl "Beaver" Henderson or Stan Chaman himself.
A number of the 12" singles were released in the US on the Play Me label.
The album Little Giants featured King Austin's "Progress", written by Winsford Devine, which was voted top calypso of the 20th century in a recent poll.
7" singles - 1st Series
| Catalogue Number | Artist | Title | Format | Year | Date on Record |
|
002 |
McCallums Mano Marcellin & Orch |
Toronto Mas/Rope |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
003 |
Stan Chaman's UFO |
?/Gotta Nice Buzz |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
005 |
Mighty Tranquil |
Funky Family/Inflation |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
007 |
Danny Boy |
World Of Carnival/Constitutional Reform |
7"; |
1973 |
1973 |
|
008 |
Sonny Calypso |
Gone Are The Days/The Baton |
7"; |
1973 |
1973 |
|
013 |
Felix Ceasar |
Wine Down/Funky Calypso |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
014 |
King Fighter |
Carnival Time/Mr. Musician |
7"; |
1976 |
7" singles - 2nd Series
| Catalogue Number | Artist | Title | Format | Year | Date on Record |
|
SM 002 |
Papa Music |
Trinidad/European Peace March |
7"; |
1977 |
|
|
SM 004 |
Valentino |
King Carnival/Bills & The Acts |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SM 005 |
Plain Clothes |
Show Him the Way/Children's First Love |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SM 006 |
Ken Haywood |
New York Mas/Rasta Sly |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SM 007 |
Black Stalin |
Man is Man/Love Your Own |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SM: 008 |
End Time Messengers |
The Battle is Ended/Jesus is Coming |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SM 009 |
Professor Matty |
Love in a Big Way/J'ouvert to Ash Wednesday |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SM - 010 |
Lord Inventor |
Pum Pum Serenade/Avon Lady |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SM 011 |
Denise Plummer |
When I Need You/Jambalaya |
7"; |
1977 |
|
|
SM: 012 |
Wayne Bonaparte |
For Every Hour/Pan City |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SM: 013 |
Theophilus Homer |
We Ain't Got No Love |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SM: 14 |
Melanie Duval |
Shower the People/Give a Little Bit |
7"; |
1977 |
|
|
SM:-016 |
Fluke |
Sweet Beat/Pennie |
7"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
SM 016 |
Gene Lawrence |
After Sunrise/Marjorie |
7"; |
1978 |
1977 |
|
SM-026 |
Eagle |
Guerilla/Pantin |
7"; |
1979 |
1978 |
|
SM-027 |
JC Hughue |
The Sweetest Fruit/All The Time |
7"; |
1979 |
1978 |
|
SM - 028 |
Poser |
Ah Tell She/Love and Care |
7"; |
1979 |
1978 |
|
SM-029 |
Explainer |
Dread/Sunday Night Fever |
7"; |
1979 |
|
|
SM-030 |
Explainer |
Tell Me Mama/In Parliament |
7"; |
1979 |
|
|
SM 032 |
Explainer |
Sir Gairy |
7"; |
1979 |
|
|
SM 033 |
Melanie Duval |
Mud Slide Slim |
7"; |
1979 |
|
|
SM 035 |
Mc Millon |
Mama Love Papa Love |
7"; |
1979 |
1979 |
|
SM-036 |
Hamilton Brothers |
Mighty High/Life is a Struggle |
7"; |
1979 |
1979 |
|
SM-037 |
Wilson Le Gendre |
Soca Music |
7"; |
1979 |
1979 |
|
SM-038 |
Poser |
I Ya Yae, Oh Yo Yoe/Tempo Soca |
7"; |
1980 |
1979 |
|
SM-040 |
Kelwyn Hutcheon |
My Lullaby to You/Hold On To Now |
7"; |
1979 |
1979 |
|
SM-041 |
Young Exposer |
Miss Jennifer/Dirty Harry |
7"; |
1980 |
1979 |
|
SM-042 |
Magruff |
Bad Lucky Man |
7"; |
1980 |
1979 |
|
SM-043 |
Samuel Patterson/Edwin Noel |
Stealing Love/Live, Love & Die |
7"; |
1980 |
1980 |
Other 7" singles
| Catalogue Number | Artist | Title | Format | Year | Date on Record |
|
SDP 020 |
Denyse Plummer |
You Are What I've Waited For/Words |
7"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
S.H.B. 022 |
Hamilton Brothers |
Music Makes the World Go 'Round/ |
7"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
SSC-028 |
Jester Stanisclause |
Jah Jah I Thank Thee/Big Man In This Town |
7"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
S.T.H. 0110 |
Theophilus Homer |
Why Can't We Love Each Other/Too Ungrateful |
7"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
RR01 |
Raf Robertson |
Sideways/Moonlight |
7"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
AMP-666 |
Sound Revolution |
Wining All Night |
7"; |
1980 |
1980 |
12" singles
Some of the records below were not actually issued on the Semp label, but were recorded at Semp Studios and have catalogue numbers that fit in with the Semp issues. The Explainer record was on the Boaex label and the Andre Tanker records were on the Contraband Records label. In the absence of Semp records with these numbers, these are assumed to be part of the Semp records sequence and are included here for completeness.
| Catalogue Number | Artist | Title | Format | Year | Date on Record |
|
SDI-001 |
Explainer |
We Just Can't Go On This Way/Sir Gairy (instrumental) |
12"; |
1979 |
1979 |
|
SDI-002 |
Andre Tanker |
Sayamanda/River Come Down |
12"; |
1980 |
1979 |
|
SDI-003 |
Eagle |
Whey You Want/Jean Pierre |
12"; |
1980 |
1979 |
|
SD1 - 004 |
Harmony |
Freaky Situation/Soca Harmony |
12"; |
1980 |
1979 |
|
SD1-005 |
Squibby |
Shango/The Pan |
12"; |
1980 |
1979 |
|
SDI-006 |
Poser |
Rock Party/Ah Fus' It Cold/Woman of the Land |
12"; |
1980 |
1979 |
|
SDI-007 |
Shorty |
Plant De Land/Soca-Man Scrunt |
12"; |
1980 |
1980 |
|
SDI-008 |
Andre Tanker |
Basement Party/Hosannah |
12"; |
1980 |
1980 |
|
SDI-009 |
Zodiac featuring Denyse Plummer |
I Believe/Sweetest Thing |
12"; |
1980 |
1980 |
|
SDI-010 |
Tony Ricardo |
African Music/Soca Party |
12"; |
1980 |
1980 |
|
SDI-011 |
The Roberts Brothers |
A Message to the Nation/Tell Me You Like Good Music |
12"; |
1980 |
1980 |
|
SDI-012 |
Joe Tempo Caesar |
Soca Mosa/I'm Hot |
12"; |
1980 |
1980 |
|
SDI-13 |
Brother Idi |
Pump/Fete |
12"; |
1981 |
1980 |
|
SDI-14 |
Mighty Terror |
Steelband Improvement/War in '81 |
12"; |
1981 |
1980 |
|
SDI 15 |
Eagle |
Hush Yuh Damn Mouth/Looking for Land |
12"; |
1981 |
1980 |
|
SDI 16 |
Exotic |
Breakaway Granny/Want Some |
12"; |
1981 |
1980 |
|
SDI-17 |
Zessman |
Mama Any Number Could Play/Ah We Buoy |
12"; |
1981 |
1981 |
|
SDI-18 |
Temple |
Disco Chic |
12"; |
1981 |
1981 |
|
SDI-22 |
Poser |
I-Man Forwarding/Nowadays |
12"; |
1981 |
1981 |
|
SDI-23 |
Michael Baker |
Blow My Mind/Ticket For The Road |
12"; |
1981 |
1981 |
|
SDI 24 |
Delamo |
Apocalypse/Musical Rasta/Doreen Party |
12"; |
1981 |
1981 |
Other 12"
| Catalogue Number | Artist | Title | Format | Year | Date on Record |
|
MAC-01 |
Clyde McAlpin |
The Best Thing to Do/Bitter Sweet Memory |
12"; |
1981 |
1980 |
LPs
| Catalogue Number | Artist | Title | Format | Year | Date on Record |
| 0002 | Mano Marcellin | Brass Fo So | LP |
1973 |
|
|
S-006 |
Gene Lawrence |
Saturday Night Sunday Morning |
LP |
1978 |
|
| S0007-B | Phase II Pan Groove | Rock It With Pan |
LP |
1975 |
|
| S 010 | Phase II Pan Groove | Rags |
LP |
1976 |
1976 |
|
SO 12 |
Valentino |
Third World Messenger |
LP |
1977 |
|
|
S 015 |
Gene Lawrence |
Sunrise To Sunset |
LP |
1978 |
|
|
SSL-0016 |
Mighty Sparrow |
Boogie Beat |
LP |
1977 |
|
|
SSL - 0017 |
Shorty |
Sokah Soul of Calypso |
LP |
1977 |
1977 |
|
SSL - 0018 |
Carl Beaver Henderson |
A Touch of Class |
LP |
1978 |
|
|
SSL: 0019 |
Errol Ince Brass Vibrations Orch |
I Hear A Call |
LP |
1978 |
1978 |
|
SSL - 020 |
Gene Lawrence |
Special Delivery |
LP |
1978 |
|
|
SDP-021 |
Denyse Plummer |
Natural |
LP |
1978 |
1978 |
|
SRB-001 |
Various Artists |
Kaiso Royale |
LP |
1979 |
1979 |
|
SWH 01 |
Explainer |
Positive Vibrations |
LP |
1979 |
1978 |
|
SLT-25 |
Latumba |
Benna Soca |
LP |
1980 |
1979 |
|
SMLG-26 |
Various Artists |
Little Giants |
LP |
1980 |
1979 |
I have been advised of albums by the San Jose Serenaders and John Mendez but need further details.