who sang mary's boy child in 1957
Mary's Boy Child Harry Belafonte heard the song being performed by the choir and sought permission to record it.[2] It was recorded in 1956 for his album An Evening with Belafonte. An edited version was subsequently released as a single,[3] reaching No. 1 on the UK Singles Chart in November 1957.[1] It was the first single to sell over one million copies in the UK alone.[1] To date, Belafonte's version has sold over 1.19 million copes.[4] In 1962. the full-length version was added to a re-issue of Belafonte's previously released album To Wish You a Merry Christmas.
Millie Jackson Jackson's singing career reportedly began on a dare to enter a 1964 talent contest at Harlem nightclub Smalls Paradise, which she won.[3] Although she first recorded for MGM Records in 1970, she soon left and began a long association with New York-based Spring Records. Working with the label's in-house producer, Raeford Gerald, her first single to chart was 1971's deceptively titled "A Child of God (It's Hard to Believe)," which reached number 22 on the R&B charts. In 1972, Jackson had her first R&B Top Ten single with the follow-up, "Ask Me What You Want", which also reached the pop Top 30, then "My Man, A Sweet Man" reached #7 R&B; all three hits were co-written by Jackson. "My Man, A Sweet Man" retains its popularity today for northern soul enthusiasts and is played on the radio in the UK and quoted as an example from this musical genre[4] as is her 1976 recording, "A House for Sale".[5] The following year brought her biggest single success and her third Top Ten hit, "It Hurts So Good," which made #3 on the R&B charts and #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop chart. The single was featured on the album of the same name and in the blaxploitation film Cleopatra Jones, also appearing on that film's soundtrack along with the song "Love Doctor".