The Straker label, run by Granville Straker, began in about 1971 and is still going today, making it the longest running specialist calypso label in history.
There are three main numerical series with separate series for each main category: for 7" singles, 12" singles/EPs and full length albums. Some 7" singles have been found on the Nu-Sound and Soufriere labels which fit in with this sequence and are included here.
The earliest albums were in different series and are listed separately.
Christmas records and some licensed recordings were issued in separate series.
Straker is originally from St. Vincent and has featured several Vincentians on his label, notably Winston Soso, who had a huge hit with "I Don't Mind" in 1985. The vast majority of his records from the late 1970s on have been arranged by Vincentian arranger Frankie McIntosh.
Straker also has a close alliance with Chalkdust and has produced almost all of his recordings since 1972.
Most of the releases are original productions, but a few have been licensed from other producers, notably Jamaican producer Lloyd Charmers.
Straker has run the label from Brooklyn for many years and has a record shop there:
Straker's Record World
212 Utica Avenue
Brookyn
NY 21212
Many of his releases from the 80s and 90s are still available there.
There is also a double CD of Straker's productions available - Rounder Records' "Ah Feel to Party", which was released to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the label.
7" singles - Main Series
(Some later issues in the series are actually 12" singles)
|
Catalogue Number |
Artist |
Title |
Format |
Year |
Date on Record |
|
S002 |
King Wellington |
Mango Vert/Calypso Horse Race |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S-003 |
Mighty Terror |
7"; |
1971 |
||
|
S 004 |
Caribbean Strikers Big Sound |
Mango Vert/Leave Jackie Alone |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S 005 |
Young Killer |
Leave Jackie Alone/Viet Nam Crisis |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S 006 |
Young Killer |
Say What You Mean/West Indian in New York |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S 0011 |
The Big S/MC George |
Front to Front/Oh Me Oh My |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S 0013 |
Dave Barker |
Just My Imagination/What Should I Do |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S- 0016(*) |
King C | That Wonderful Sound/Funk Part 2 |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S0017 |
Eddie Hooper | Happiness Part I/Version Part II |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S 0019 |
King Wellington |
Pepper Dey/Treat The Woman Nice |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S 0020 |
King Wellington |
Mod Squad U.S.A./Mr. Currie |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S 0021 |
Eddie Hooper | Running Over Part 1/Running Over Part 2 |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S 0022 |
Valentino |
Invitation/The Third World |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S 0023 |
Valentino |
Life Is a Stage/Mad Cure |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S0024 |
King Wellington/Cheno Fester |
New Calypso Music/Pretty Baby |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
SR 0025 |
Calypso Rose |
Leave Him is My Man/Don't Ban The Carnival |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S-0026 |
Fitz Vaughan Bryan/The Big S |
Tan Tan / The Squise Part 2 |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
SR 0030 |
Calypso Rose |
Respect the Balazay/Ben Down Low |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
SR0031 |
Calypso Rose |
Sexy Hot Pants/Duncan |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S 0032 |
Glen Adams |
Let's Stay Together |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S-0033 |
Glen Adams |
Family Affair |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S0034(*) |
Rudy & the Roosters/Sydney Prince |
Rudy Delight/Local Dish |
7"; |
1971 |
|
|
S0035 |
Joey Lewis and His Orchestra |
Slick/Grenadian Claudette |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0039 |
Shadow |
Trouble Now In '72/Salt Fish |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0040 |
Nap Hepburn |
Jourvert/Hot Pants |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0041 |
Conqueror |
Sewing Class/Baked Bean |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0042 |
Power |
Tug-O-War/Band Your Waist |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0043 |
Glen Adams/Syl McIntosh |
Take Warning/Version |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0044 |
Lord Melody |
Meluina/Bimini Gal |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0046 |
The Visitors |
Rum Punch/Holiday In Love |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S0049 |
Black Stalin |
New Portrait of Trinidad/Congratulations Tobago |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0050(*) |
Sil McIntash [sic] |
Skokian/F.B.I. |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0051 |
Mighty Terror |
Pan In Tune/Modern Day Children |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0052 |
ChalkDust |
Ah 'Fraid Karl/We is We |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0054(*) |
Glen Adams and Jamaica Grassroots/Rick Frater |
Mawga Dawg |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0057(*) |
The Equitables |
Mend a Broken Heart/Version |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0058(*) |
The Equitables |
Love Story/Jug' Head |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S0059(*) |
The Equitables/Adoms Treo |
Old Time Kaio/Reggae Exprence |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0060 |
Shadow |
Peace and Love/Funk Time |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0061 |
ChalkDust |
Goat Mouth/Imigration Problems |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0062(**) |
Mighty Sheller |
A Message To The Premier/Nothing At All |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0063(**) |
Mighty Sheller |
Big Jobs/How to Control The Birth Rate |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0064(**) |
Lord Hawke |
Oupani/Spouge Time |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0065(**) |
Lord Hawke |
Lawful One/Slums |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S 0066 |
Calypso Rose |
Forget Me Daddy/Carlyle |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S 0067 |
ChalkDust |
Who Next/Were Ten Years Old |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0068(*) |
Peter Baugh |
Man After You What You Gonna Do/Version |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-69 |
New York's Top Sounds Inc. Combo |
Bang Bang Lulu/Light My Fire |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-70 |
New York's Top Sounds Inc. Combo |
Aquarius/Stormy |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-71 |
Blues Busters |
Can I Change My Mind Reggae/Hey Jude |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-72 |
Mighty Sparrow |
Philosophy/Medley |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-73 |
Mighty Sparrow |
Love One Another/The Pump |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-75 |
Lloyd Charmers |
Birth Control |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-76 |
Lloyd Charmers |
The Sweeter She Is/Dollars and Bond |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-77 |
Lloyd Charmers |
Black Power/Safari |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-78 |
Lloyd Charmers |
I Can't Get Next To You |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-79 |
Lloyd Charmers |
Doris Pussy/Summer Time |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-80 |
Lloyd Charmers |
Color Him Brother/Pacojump |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-81 |
Lloyd Charmers |
Jingle Jangle/Doggone Right |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-86? |
Lloyd Charmers | The Straker/Color Him Father |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-86 |
Clarence Curuan [sic] and His Mod Sounds | Calypsoul/Pal Lapaloma |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-88 |
Lloyd Charmers |
Price For Love/Vengance |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-89 |
Lloyd Charmers |
Doris Open Leg/ Reggae-a-Py-Py |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-90 |
Chino Feaster |
Don't You Know Baby/The Girl I Love |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S 92 |
Big S |
Do It |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-94 |
Dave Barker? |
Nobody Wants You/Gotta Get a Message to You |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-095 |
Children of Soul (probably Bobby Blue and Derrick Harriott) |
Since I Lost My Baby/Baby I Need Your Loving |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
S-0099 |
Valentino |
Liberation/Mad Mad World |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
GS 100 |
The Sparks |
Don't Climb Picker Tree/Help Me |
7"; |
1973 |
1973 |
|
S-101 |
Calypso Rose |
Glassboro Ave./The Sweet Nest |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-102 |
Calypso Rose |
Weh She Go Do/Me Ain't Going |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-103 |
Chalkdust |
Juba Doo Bai/Our Cultural Heritage |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-104 |
Chalkdust |
Somebody Mad/P.N.M. Loves Me |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-105 |
Singing Francine |
Mr. Carnival/Equal Rights |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-106 |
Smiley |
The Chinese Man/The Housewife |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-107 |
Valentino |
Barking Dogs/Be Aware |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-108 |
Shadow |
Obeah Man/Run Du Du |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-109 |
Mighty Terror |
A Tribute to Solo Harmonites/That Woman Could Lie |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-110 |
Lord Bitterbush |
Panimangay Batar/I Can't Eat That Thing |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
GS 114 |
Conqueror |
Pussin Eaters/Uncle Sam |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-115 |
Nap Hepburn |
Theresea The Champ/Play Mass Widwe |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-116 |
Art DeCoutea |
Rain-O-Rama/ Same Time Same Place |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-117 |
Maestro |
Black Identity/ Poor Man |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
S-118 |
Joey Lewis |
Soul Chick/We Walk 100 Miles |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
GS120 |
Mighty Terror |
Road March Pay Too Small/Own What is Yours |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS-121 |
Jambalassie |
Jab Jab/Soucouyant |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 122 |
Chalkdust |
St. Thomas Telephone Call/Missa Day Must Done |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 124 |
Glen Adams |
Soul Chick Reggae/Dread Experience |
7"; |
1973 |
|
|
GS 125 |
Calypso Rose |
Give Me Brass/Tell Them They Wrong |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 126 |
Calypso Rose |
This is Carnival/I'm Not Gong There |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 127 |
The Escorts |
Sixpence/Loving Feeling |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 128 |
The Draytons Two |
G.O. Go/Mr. Jones |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 130 |
Hawk |
Carnival/Trinidad |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 131 |
Hawk |
Judy/Life in the East |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS-132 |
Shadow |
Bassman/Ah Come Out to Play |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 133 |
Valentino |
Elevation/Victim of Society |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 134 |
ChalkDust |
Ah Thief It From Kitch/Joanne |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS-135 |
Singing Francine |
The Game of Life/Block-O-Rama |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 140 |
Nap Hepburn |
Seventy Four/Old Time Kaiso |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 143 |
Glen Adams |
If You're Ready Reggae |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 146 |
Mighty Cyper [sic] |
Watergate/Guerillas |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 147 |
Crazy |
Chinaman/Modern Carnival |
7"; |
1974 |
1974 |
|
GS 149 |
Lord Melody |
Grine Am/Monday is Mass |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 151 |
The Sparks |
Steel Bands Man/Bad Neighbours |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 152 |
Squibby |
Iron Man/Bachanal |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 153 |
Gypsy |
Cock Stan/Jouvert |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 154 |
Tropical Islanders Brass Jammers |
Miss Mary/Mango Vert |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 155 |
Contender |
Shorty Affair/Kiksy - Day |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 156 |
Cro Cro |
Panty/Prices |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS-157 |
Gypsy |
Negro Man/Ah Don't Know Him |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 158 |
Lord Bitterbush |
The Truth Offends/Fall of a Home |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS-159 |
Art De Coteau/Peter Baugh |
Bass Man/Version |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS-160 |
Ray Raymond |
Coming Home/Broken Heart |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS-161 |
Vicki Martin |
Johnny Let Me Down |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS-163 |
Valentino |
Carnival Story/Calypso Pollution |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 165 |
Ron Berridge Orch |
2001 Spouge/Paris Burning |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS-166 |
Short Shirt |
Starvation/Lucinda |
7"; |
1974 |
|
|
GS 169 |
The Realistics featuring Glen Adams |
Letter from Jamaica/Letter from Glen |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS-170 |
Jambalasie |
Chains On The Mind/Back To Africa |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS-171 |
The Solid "7" Combo |
Red, Red, Wine/Goodbye |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 172 |
Mighty Zandolie |
Too Much Man Family/The Iron Man |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS-173 |
De Opels |
In Paradise Spouge/Gee Whiz |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 175 |
Singing Francine |
St. Peter Say/It's a Shame |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 176 |
Shadow |
King From Hell/Come Dance the Prance |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 177 |
Shadow |
Rap to Me/The Alien |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS-178 |
Chalkdust |
Strakers Boat Ride/To Spree With Love |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 179 |
Hawk |
All Meat is Meat/St. Vincent Mardigra |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 180 |
Hawk |
Story Book People/Helena |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 183 |
Hawk |
Miss Big Mouth/Handy Man |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 184 |
Hawk |
Licks in 75/Crazy Lady |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 186 |
Valentino |
Rass Mass 75/Dis Place Nice |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 188 |
Squibby |
The Chook/Streaker |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 189 |
Art DeCoteau |
Cannon in D/St. Peter Say |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 190 |
Cro Cro |
Bull Pistle/Streaking |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS-191 |
Lord Bitterbush |
Carnival |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 192 |
Contender |
You Make Me Feel Brand New/Johnny and Irvin |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 193 |
Gypsy |
Mad Police Man/Black and Proud |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 195 |
Winthrop Thomas & Five Fingers |
No Money No Mass |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 199 |
Anthony Bridgeman |
Why You Lie To Me |
7"; |
1975 |
1975 |
|
GS 200 |
Mighty Zondolie [sic] |
Zondole Whip/Goat Thief |
7"; |
1975 |
1975 |
|
GS-201 |
Singing Francine |
Debbie/A Call to Women |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 202 |
Shadow |
The Revenge/St. Thomas Horoscope Woman |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS-203 |
Singing Francine |
Love is the Ansaw/Black & White |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 205 |
Singing Francine |
St. Thomas Carnival/Now You're Gone |
7"; |
1975 |
1975 |
|
GS-205 |
Lord Destroyer |
Drunking Julie/Crazy Woman |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS-206 |
Lord Lee |
Music Music/For Carnival |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 208 |
Shadow | My Belief/Reggae - Calypso |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 211 |
De Opels | Kay Lay Lay Pom Pom/I Started a Joke |
7"; |
1975 |
|
|
GS 212 A |
Count Robin |
Sparrow Behave Yourself |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 212 B |
Count Robin |
Tribute to Tripoli |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS-214(*) |
Sellers & King Karol's Gang |
Tounch of Gold |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS-215 |
Sam Bo & Carol Sam |
For Your Love/Version |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 216 |
Flatbush |
Lucy "Roots"/Welcome to Barbados |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 217 |
Superior |
Mr. Steelband Man/Heaven and Hell |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 218 |
Superior |
Tramp in the Band/We Want a Day |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS-219 |
Chalkdust |
Three Blind Mice/Ah Put on Me Guns Again |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 221 |
Squibby |
Cane Peeling King/Pusher Man |
7"; |
1976 |
1976 |
|
GS 222 |
Lord Nelson |
Miss Falsie |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 223 |
Lord Nelson |
La La Jam Back |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 224 |
Lord Blakie |
Tomorrow's Children/Carnival 76 |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 225 |
Singing Francine |
Look Forward/Road March Queen |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 225 |
Singing Francine |
Mass Make to Play/Road March Queen |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 227 |
Space Travellers Orch. |
Yours Completely/Pan Rhapsody |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS-231 |
The Equitables & The Big S |
Sweet Music/Disco Sweet Music |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 235 |
Black Stalin |
Run Something |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 236 |
Black Stalin |
Mr. Culture Man |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 237 |
The Equitables |
Keep On Givin It To Me |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 239 |
Lord Lee |
Funky Calypso/Mas-O-Rama |
7"; |
1976 |
|
|
GS 240 |
Count Robin |
Give Us Our Credit Too/Mr. Boo Boo Man |
7"; |
1977 |
|
|
GS-244 |
Mano Marcelin |
Tourist Leggo/Judges |
7"; |
1977 |
|
|
GS 260 |
Gringo/Clymax Orch. |
Don't Lock Me Up |
12"; |
1977 |
|
|
GS 261 |
Gringo |
Disco Harmony |
7"; |
1977 |
|
|
GS 262 |
Soca Explosion |
?/Disco Version |
12"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
GS 263 |
Soca Explosion |
Marijuana Coming High |
12"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
GS 263 |
Singing Francine |
See Me for What I Am/Road March Queen |
7"; |
1977 |
|
|
GS 264 |
Mighty Stereo |
Olga Story |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
GS 265 |
Mighty Stereo |
Elaine |
7"; |
1977 |
1977 |
|
GS 266 |
De Opels |
I Beg Of You - Spouge/Unchained Melody |
7"; |
1977 |
|
|
GS 267 |
Gringo |
Fan Man |
7"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
GS 268 |
Lifeboy |
Oyo-Yoye |
7";12"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
GS 269 |
Lifeboy |
Poor Man |
7"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
GS 272 |
Lord Hawke |
Ahgo - Ahgo |
12"; |
1978 |
1978 |
|
GS 274 |
Mighty Toiler |
Babylon vs Civilians |
7"; |
1978 |
|
(*) Actually on the Nu-Sound label, a Straker's subsidiary
(**) Actually on the Soufriere label; no connection with Straker's is known but the artists are Vincentians and the catalogue numbers and timing of the releases strongly indicate that they are part of this series.
Other 7" singles
The Composer and Nap Hepburn singles were re-issues of original Telco recordings; the Singing Francine single was a Christmas release and not in the main series. For the other releases, information is sketchy.
| Catalogue Number | Artist | Title | Format | Year | Date on Record |
|
GS - 3418 |
Composer |
Perseverance/Child Training |
7"; |
1969 |
|
|
King Wellington |
Mass for George Bailey |
7"; |
1972 |
||
|
TL 10222/3 |
Nap Hepburn |
Tell Santa Claus/Christmas Ball |
7"; |
1972 |
|
|
GS 00 |
Singing Francine |
Xmas is Here/Christmas in the West Indies |
7"; |
1976 |