Don Dellmann wrote in a message to Joan Kelly:
 JK> I don't know its origin or anything else about it, but many years ago
 JK> Harry Belafonte recorded a song about a mine disaster, entitled "Dark
 JK> as a Dungeon".  I have been looking for the recording for some time
 JK> and have not run across it. 
 DD> It's on the 1962 LP "The Many Moods Of Harry Belafonte" (RCA
 DD> LPM/LSP 2574) I don't know if it was ever reissued on CD.
Oh, thanks!  I will enquire about it at my local "Strawberries".  They've 
ordered some off-the-wall stuff for me before.  (Ever hear of Johnny Hoy and 
the Bluefish?)
 DD> Johnny Cash also did it on his "At Folsum Prison" LP, and I also
 DD> have it by Tennessee Ernie Ford and Merle Travis on compilation
 DD> tapes.
Do you know who wrote the song, or anything about its origin?
 JK> An interesting point about the recording involved the fact that every
 JK> time he went into the studio to record it, a thunderstorm blew up. 
 JK> Studio time being expensive, after waiting awhile (unsuccessfully) to
 JK> blow over, they went ahead and recorded the song with the storm.  It
 JK> creates an incredibly spooky background for the piece. 
 DD> I will have to give it a listen, I never really noticed that. 
The copy of the song I originally had was made for me on a reel-to-reel tape. 
 I lost track of the tape somewhere along the line, but the song really made 
an impression on me.  The copy I had definitely had the thunder, but I don't 
know whether that was the only recording.  I'd be interested to know if yours 
has it.
Thanks for the info!
--Joan
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