Italics are added to highlight the fact that in Caribbean culture "jumbies" are quite different from "zombies". It released as a 7-inch single and was included on the 1996 CD compilation The Toughest". It used the original lyrics of the song (not the Zombie ones), and also added a new chorus based on "De River Ben Come Dung" by Edric Connor (a traditional Jamaican mento song).
The Kingston Trio recorded "Zombie Jamboree" on their Stereo Concert album in 1958 and on their.Jamaican mento group The Wrigglers recorded "Back to Back" for their 1958 album At The Arawak featuring Ernest Ranglin on guitar.
A version of "Jumbee Jamboree" appears in the 1957 movie "Calypso Joe".Jamaican mento singer Lord Foodoos recorded "Back to Back" for his 1957 Elektra album Calypso, an early production by Jac Holzman, who later produced The Doors, Nico and The Stooges among others.King Flash and Calypso Carnival recorded a version of "Zombie Jamboree" in 1956.Back to Back, Belly to Belly" by The Charmer (Louis Farrakhan) with Johnny McCleverty Calypso Boys recorded in 1954.The third verse of King Flash's 1956 version further discusses the female zombie's romantic pursuit of the singer. The third verse is the most variable with The Charmer's version discussing the local food at a previous jumbie carnival parade while Rockapella's version discusses zombies invading various New York City landmarks. While many versions set the song in a New York, Long Island or Woodlawn Cemetery, some place it in Kingston or an island cemetery. Like many "folk" songs, there is unclear copyright in the song and many lines are variable between versions. The switch to "Zombie Jamboree" occurred very early with King Flash's version with those lyrics coming out in 1956, only three years after "Jumbie Jamboree" first appeared. The song's references to Carnival also suggest a connection to the Moko jumbie, a protecting spirit figure represented during Carnival on Trinidad by stilt walkers and dancers. Jumbies are evil spirits who were thought to cause wild dancing in their victims. The oldest versions of the song refer to a jumbee jamboree. In the introduction to the Kingston Trio's version "Lord Invader and his Twelve Penetrators" are incorrectly credited with the song instead of Lord Intruder. The song is also known as "Zombie Jamboree" and "Back to Back". In 1953 Lord Intruder released the song as the B-side to "Disaster With Police". "Jumbie Jamberee" is a calypso song credited to Conrad Eugene Mauge, Jr. INFORMATION ABOUT THE SONG "JUMBIE JAMBOREE" ("ZOMBIE JAMBOREE") Thanks also to all the vocalists who are featured in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube. Thanks to Conrad Eugene Mauge, Jr, the first person to have performed (if not composed) "Jumbie Jamboree". The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes. Information about this song is included in this post along with the lyrics to Laurel Aitken's Ska version of this song, and selected viewer comments. Thispancocojams post showcases seven examples of the Caribbean song "Jumbie Jamboree" (also known as "Zombie Jamboree" and "Back To Back, Belly To Belly").