Granville Williams & His Orchestra – Wailin’ / Old Macdonald 1965

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granville Williams & His Orchestra – Wailin’ / Old Macdonald (Vinyl Review & Audio) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G.W.O Records ‎1965 – DSR-GW7-01

 

 notes:

Granville Williams & His Orchestra deliver a vibrant slice of 
early Jamaican ska with “Wailin’ / Old Macdonald”, a collectible 
7-inch vinyl that captures the raw, upbeat energy 
of the genre’s golden era. This release stands out for its 
lively brass arrangements and infectious rhythm, 
making it a sought-after record among ska collectors.
“Wailin’”is driven by punchy horn sections and a steady
 ska beat, delivering a lively and danceable groove. The track 
highlights the orchestral arrangement style typical of
 early Jamaican recordings, with tight instrumentation and rhythmic precision.

credits:

Musicians (known & inferred)
Confirmed
Ernest Ranglin – guitar
Specifically credited on “Old Macdonald”
Likely / contextual (not formally credited)

Granville Williams’ orchestra is generally understood as a studio 
aggregation rather than a fixed touring band, typical of Jamaica 
in 1964–65. Based on the Federal Records session pool, likely 
participants would have overlapped with leading Kingston 
players of the time (often also tied to groups like The Skatalites).

Recording session & studio
Studio
Federal Records Studio (Kingston)
Identified by:
The band recorded “exclusively for Federal”
The track’s rare stereo recording, something Federal
 was uniquely equipped to do in Jamaica at the time

Session context
Period: circa 1964–1965 (single issued 1965)
Production environment:
Federal was Jamaica’s most technically advanced studio 
(multi-track / stereo capability early on).
Sessions typically used ad-hoc ensembles of top session 
musicians, often unrehearsed but highly skilled.

 Tracklist:

A     Wailin'     
written by Felix, Taylor
B     Old Macdonald
written by Karas

 

 

link