Telco

Telco was a subsidiary of the West Indies Telephone and ELectric COmpany run by Dr. Roy Sampath and Lennox D. Whiteman. Legendary arranger and saxophonist Frankie Francis was the musical director until around 1964, after which point guitarist Richard “Boyie” Lewis took over. The studio was located near Gorden & Maingot Streets (near the Eastern Main Road) in Mount Hope, Trinidad.

The studio was equipped with an Ampex 200 tape machine in the early days, which was used up until the early 1960s. Around 1963 an Ampex 600 was in use, which appears in a photograph on the back cover of TL 5022. The label had pressing facilities but no mastering facilities, so tapes were sent to the U.S. (typically the New York-based Audio Matrix, Inc. or Bell Sound) or Barbados to be mastered.

Telco had a license agreement with the American Columbia label. Some of the early releases were issued on the Columbia label, and are included here. Telco also had an agreement with the British label Pye Records to manufacture records for the local market.

479 records.

Label Artists Title Year Format
Telco PXM 2
 Denny Curtis Crying Over You / You Don't Love Me No More 45
Telco PXM 4
 Sadie's Expression Deep In My Heart / My Way Of living 45
Telco PXM 6
 Denny Curtis The Message / You Gotta Be Mine 45
Telco SW 005
 King Fighter Sour-Sop / Albeena 1968 45
Telco TL 5000
 Various Christmas Time 1960 LP
Telco TL 5001
 Errol Ince Dance Trinidad 1960 LP
Telco TL 5002
 Various Ritmo Tropical 1960 LP
Telco TL 5003
 Invaders Steel Orchestra The Invaders 1960 LP
Telco TL 5004
 Various Trinidad All Time Calypso Hits 1960 1960 LP
Telco TL 5005
 Mano Marcellin Dance Hits 1961 LP
Telco TL 5006
 Dutchy Brothers Music of the Year 1962 LP
Telco TL 5007
 Various Trinidad All Time Calypso Hits 1961 1961 LP
Telco TL 5008
 Frank Francis Musically Yours 1962 LP
Telco TL 5011
 Sanatan Dharma Raymayan Group The Ramayan Artee 1962 LP
Telco TL 5012
 Various Looking at the Stars 1962 LP
Telco TL 5013
 Joey Lewis "A Portrait of Joey" 1962 LP
Telco TL 5014
 Lord Inventor Inventor Invents 1962 LP
Telco TL 5015
 Sel Duncan Poetry in Rhythm 1962 LP
Telco TL 5016
 Various All Time Calypso Hits 1962/63 1963 LP
Telco TL 5017
 Silver Stars Steel Orchestra 12 Top Hits 1963 LP
Telco TL 5018
 Clarence Curvan The Greatest Sound Around 1962 LP
Telco TL 5019
 Various Trinidad All Time Calypso Hits 1963-1964 1964 LP
Telco TL 5020
 Silver Stars Steel Orchestra 10 Top Hits 1963 1964 1964 LP
Telco TL 5021
 Ansel Wyatt Going Places 1964 LP
Telco TL 5022
 Clarence Curvan The Artiste 1964 LP
Telco TL 5023
 Hylanders Steel Orchestra Steelband Calypsoes and Classics 1964 LP
Telco TL 5024
 Various Independent Trinidad and Tobago All Time Calypso Hits 1964 - 1965 1965 LP
Telco TL 5025
 Westside Symphony Steel Orchestra Festival Winners! 1964 1965 LP
Telco TL 5026
 Clarence Curvan Body and Soul 1965 LP
Telco TL 5027
 Various All Time Calypso Hits 1965/66 1966 LP
Telco TL 5028
 Esquires Combo Young Lovers 1966 LP
Telco TL 5029
 Mighty Bomber Calypso Jamboree 1966 1966 LP
Telco TL 5030
 Solo Harmonites Steel Orchestra Calypso in Steel 1966 LP
Telco TL 5031
 Dennis Pinhero, Silver Strings Combo An Evening With Silver Strings 1966 LP
Telco TL 5032
 Various Independent Trinidad & Tobago All Time Calypso Hits 1966-67 1967 LP
Telco TL 5033
 Solo Harmonites Steel Orchestra Calypso in Steel Vol 2 1967 LP
Telco TL 5034
 Various Trinidad And Tobago All Time Calypso Hits 1967-1968 1968 LP
Telco TL 5035
 Solo Harmonites Steel Orchestra The Wrecker 1968 LP
Telco TL 5036
 Various Calypso Spectacular 1968 LP
Telco TL 5037
 The Ju-C Antilleans Sweet Sweet Pan 1969 LP
Telco TL 5038
 Solid 7 Combo, Mighty Duke, Lord Companero, … Trindad and Tobago All Time Calypso Hits 1969 – 70 1970 LP
Telco TL 5039
 Solid 7 Combo The Feeling is Right 1970 LP
Telco TL 5040
 Composer This is Composer 1970 LP
Telco TS 1000
 Invaders Steel Orchestra Michael / Gun Slingers / Liebenstraum / Melody In F c. 1959 7" EP
Telco TS 1001
 Invaders Steel Orchestra Who's Sorry Now / Sweet Beat / Theme From Romeo and Juliet / Syncopation in G c. 1959 45
Columbia TS 1002
 Boys Town Steel Orchestra, Silvertones Steel Band Kari Waits For Me / Marianne / Everybody Loves Saturday Night / The Happy Wanderer c. 1959 7" EP
Telco TS 1003
 Invaders Steel Orchestra In a Monastery Garden / Misty / Cuban Love Song c. 1959 45
Columbia TW 3000
 Invaders Steel Orchestra Cute Chick / Crazy Love 1960 45
Columbia TW 3001
 Choy Aming Hawaiian Wedding Song / Sayonara 1960 45
Columbia TW 3002
 Invaders Steel Orchestra Hawaiian Wedding Song / With a Song in My Heart 1960 45
Columbia TW 3003
 Invaders Steel Orchestra Come Back to Sorrento / Softly as in a Morning Sunrise 1960 45
Telco TW 3004
 Mighty Power You Wasting You Time / The Smart Barbadian 1960 45
Telco TW 3005
 Choy Aming Love Song From House Boat / Cha Cha Cha 1960 45
Columbia TW 3006
 Choy Aming Choy's Concerto / Lalisa 1960 45
Telco TW 3007
 Choy Aming Misty / Judy 1960 45
Columbia TW 3008
 Choy Aming Rich Man, Poor Man / The Slogan 1960 45
Columbia TW 3009
 Invaders Steel Orchestra Leiberstraum / Melody in F 1960 45
Telco TW 3010
 King Striker Macumere & Compere / Dr. Paul 1960 45
Telco TW 3011
 Viper Moses Law / Doris 1960 45
Columbia TW 3012
 Lord Blakie Send Them Back / This Modern Generation 1960 45
Telco TW 3012
 Lord Blakie Send Them Back / This Modern Generation 1960 45
Telco TW 3013
 Lord Brynner The Princess' Wedding / South African Riot 1960 45
Telco TW 3014
 Lord Brynner Riot at the Oval / Why Sparrow Got the Crown 1960 45
Telco TW 3015
 Errol Ince Happy Birthday Polka / Maria Bonita 1960 45
Telco TW 3016
 Mighty Spoiler Fountain of Youth / Lost Memories 1960 45
Telco TW 3017
 Avenger Female Police / Poonie 1960 45
Columbia TW 3018
 Mighty Skipper Foreign Lover Boys / The Old Widow 1960 45
Columbia TW 3019
 Frank Francis Theme from a Summer Place / Mae Mae 1960 45
Telco TW 3020
 Mighty Popo Forbidden Fruit / Bingo Party 1960 45
Telco TW 3021
 Lord Caruso Burn Them / Lucy c. 1961 45
Telco TW 3022
 Lord Blakie Don't Be Too Quick to Judge / Chinese Baby Sitter 1960 45
Telco TW 3023
 Lord Brynner Martiniquian Woman / Calypso Story 1960 45
Telco TW 3024
 Mighty Power Happy Birthday / Federation 1960 45
Telco TW 3025
 Lord Caruso The Cat and the Mouse / The Rope 1960 45
Telco TW 3027
 Lord Blakie Five Cents and Ten Cents / Lorna 1960 45
Columbia TW 3028
 The Wyoming (Tin Cans) Combo The Ice Man / Pillow Talk 1960 45
Telco TW 3029
 The Wyoming (Tin Cans) Combo Come Back to Sorento / Waltzing Matilda 1960 45
Columbia TW 3030
 Frank Francis Clara / Caio Caio Bambina 1960 45
Columbia TW 3031
 Frank Francis, Columbia Recording Orch Benwood Dick / Yellow Bird 1960 45
Telco TW 3031
 Frank Francis, Columbia Recording Orch Benwood Dick / Yellow Bird 1960 45
Columbia TW 3032
 Columbia Recording Orch Mustapha / Cheek to Cheek 1960 45
Columbia TW 3033
 Gemma Noel Dream of Gemma / Send Them Back 1960 45
Columbia TW 3034
 Sundowners El Reloj / M’Appari 1960 45
Telco TW 3035
 Frank Francis We Governor / Poeme 1960 45
Columbia TW 3036
 Mano Marcellin You Do Something to Me / Sweet Mano 1960 45
Telco TW 3037
 Sel Wheeler With All My Heart / Come Back Melvina 1960 45
Telco TW 3038
 Frank Francis Summertime / Bess, You is My Woman Now 1960 45
Telco TW 3039
 Frank Francis, Patsy Haynes Moonlight and Roses / Rhymes in Rhythm 1960 45
Telco TW 3040
 King Striker After Johnny / You Want to Come Kill Me 1960 45
Telco TW 3041
 Dutchy Brothers Chopin's Piano Bolero / He'll Have To Stay 1960 45
Telco TW 3042
 Frank Francis I Saw Mammy Kissing Santa Claus / Where is Santa Claus 1960 45
Telco TW 3043
 King Solomon Miss Santa / The Dumb Boy 1960 45
Telco TW 3044
 Mighty Power The Market / The Census 1960 45
Telco TW 3045
 Mighty Power Germaine / Marriage of the Year 1960 45
Telco TW 3046
 Mighty Dougla Dance Me Lover / The Laziest Man 1961 45
Telco TW 3047
 Mighty Dougla Teacher Teacher / Ugliness 1961 45
Telco TW 3049
 Lord Brynner See Meh Mamma / Congo 1961 45
Telco TW 3050
 Frank Francis Vegan A Baliar / La Bunbam 1961 45
Telco TW 3051
 Mighty Crooner, Telco Recording Orchestra Josephina / Royal Jail c. 1961 45
Telco TW 3052
 Mighty Popo Police Looking For Me / Jack Spania Bite Me 1961 45

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