The Midnight Special

by Harry Belafonte

The Midnight Special cover art
  • Type: Album
  • Released: 1962
  • Label: RCA Victor
  • Country: United States
  • Length: 39:04
  • Community rating: 3.57/5 from 2 ratings

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Pivoting notably from his calypso fame, 'The Midnight Special' features Harry Belafonte tackling traditional American folk and blues material. The album is deeply historic for featuring the first-ever official studio recording of Bob Dylan, who provided harmonica backing on the title track. It demonstrates Belafonte's profound versatility and his active role in bridging mainstream pop with the Greenwich Village folk revival.

Genres

Descriptors: Folk

Tracklist

  1. Midnight Special (3:59)
  2. Crawdad Song (3:36)
  3. Memphis Tennessee (4:57)
  4. Gotta Travel On (4:24)
  5. Did You Hear About Jerry? (2:55)
  6. On Top of Old Smokey (5:58)
  7. Muleskinner (3:32)
  8. Makes a Long Time Man Feel Bad (5:44)
  9. Michael Row the Boat Ashore (3:55)

Credits

  • Harry Belafonte - primary artist
  • Norman Keenan - bass
  • Jimmy Jones - conductor, arranged by
  • Danny Barrajanos - drums
  • Don Lamond - drums
  • Percy Brice - drums
  • Ernie Calabria - guitar
  • Millard Thomas - guitar

More from Harry Belafonte: full discography