This is just one of many albums released by Harry Belafonte over the course of his long career. This one is a bit unique, however, in that the title track "The Midnight Special," contains the first official recording of Bob Dylan, who played harmonica on the song. A traditional Southern folk song, "The Midnight Special" has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, my favorite being the version by Creedence Clearwater Revival. Another interesting tidbit regarding this album: it was produced by Hugo Montenegro, composer of scores for a handful of spaghetti westerns, most notably The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, one of the most well-known movie themes in history.
Apart from his musical career, Belafonte has acted in both film and television, and has been a hard-working activist since the Civil Rights Movement. He was very close to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and helped organize the 1963 March on Washington. He has remained involved in activism to this day, and will be remembered for both his talents as a musician and actor and as an activist.
Other notable records from 1962:
Chet Atkins - Down Home
Ray Charles - Modern Sounds in Country and Western Music Volume Two
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