Banana Boat Song (Day-O)

Song composer(s)

Darling, Erik / Carey, Bob / Arkin, Alan

Grateful Dead Recordings

Not recorded by the Dead

Dead Related Recordings

No Dead related recordings entered

Other Recordings

Calypso : Harry Belafonte (1956)
The Tarriers (1956)
Shirley Bassey (1957)
Golden Hits : Sarah Vaughan (1958)
Belafonte At Carnegie Hall : Harry Belafonte (1959)
All The Best Of Johnnie And Jack : Johnnie And Jack (1970)
Everybody's In Show Business : The Kinks (1972)
Belafonte - Concert In Japan : Harry Belafonte (1974)
Collection : Harry Belafonte (1984)
All Time Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 : Harry Belafonte (1988)
Folk Song America, Vol. 2 : various Artists (1991)
His Greatest Hits : Harry Belafonte (1991)
Troubadours Of The Folk Era Vol. 3 : Various Artists (The Tarriers) (1992)
Kershaw Sessions : Robyn Hitchcock (1994)
An Evening with Belafonte and Friends : Harry Belafonte (1997)

Performance History

Performed twice in 1987. On both occasions with the Neville Brothers.

Notes

Often simply known as Day-O

Writing credits are most commonly Darling, Erik / Carey, Bob / Arkin, Alan (Arkin & Darling were members of the Tarriers). Other writers are credited though both on online sites of ASCAP, BMI and HFA and on recordings. These include; Burgess, Lord / Attaway, William, Adcock / Duffey / Waller and Luyre / Cobin. This suggests that the song is perhaps adapted from a traditional song.

The Belafonte LP Calypso is thought to be the first LP that sold over 1 million copies.