My Boy Lollipop: The Caribbean comes to Britain
Stuart Maconie speaks to those who arrived from the West Indies for a new life in the UK in the 40s, examining the culture they brought with them.
On June 22, 1948, an ex-Troop ship called the Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury carrying nearly 500 passengers who had left behind their home in the West Indies for a new life in Britain. For them, it must have been a massive culture shock. It must also have been something of a shock to the people of the UK. With the new immigrants came their slang, their customs, their food and their fashion. But it was probably the music that had the first impact.
Afro-Caribbean calypsos had taken root in the folk scene of the early 60s, but for many Britons their first experience of this new music came courtesy of an effervescent, feisty young woman from the Jamaican slums called Millie. My Boy Lollipop was recorded in Forest Hill, London, and became the first hit single for Island Records. Millie even appeared on a Beatles TV special in 1964. This was the start of a cross-cultural pollination.
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Music Played
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John Holt
Winter World Of Love
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Lord Kitchener
London Is The Place For Me
- Melodisc.
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Chubby Checker
Let's Twist Again
- Cameo Parkway 1957 - 1967 (Various Artists).
- ABKCO Records.
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Desmond Dekker & the Aces
Israelites
- Island.
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Harry J. Allstars
Liquidator
- Island.
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Harry Belafonte
Island In The Sun
- Rediscover The 50's - Sugartime.
- Old Gold.
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Bob & Marcia
Young, Gifted & Black
- Young Gifted & Black (Various).
- Trojan.
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Bob Marley & The Wailers
No Woman No Cry
- Island.
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Althea & Donna
Uptown Top Ranking
- Rhythm Of The Sun (Various Artists).
- Telstar.
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The Supremes
Nathan Jones
- Diana Ross & The Supremes - 40 Motown.
- Polygram Tv.
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Millie
My Boy Lollipop
- Young Gifted & Black (Various).
- Trojan.
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- Sun 25 Jun 2023 00:00Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 2