Musicians

Henry Gibson "Seaman" Dan

Origin
Thursday Island, Torres Strait, Australia
Genre/styles
Blues | Folk | Jazz
About Henry

Seaman Dan was 70 years old before he recorded his first music CD. At age 81 he had published five CDs.

His band members include Dr Karl Neuenfeldt who encouraged him to record his first CD.

I belong to the sea and that's why people call me Seaman.

— Seaman Dan

[Before concerts I'm still nervous] but what I do is look to the audience and pick out the most attractive lady and I sing to her.

— Seaman Dan

Discography

Album formats explained

Album formats

  • 10": 10 inch vinyl records were played at 45 or 33 1/3 rounds per minute (rpm). The former could hold 9, the latter 12 minutes of music per side.
  • 7": 7 inch records (often referred to as 45s) were played at 45 rpm or 33 1/3 rpm, with about 4:30 or 6 minutes of music per side.
  • LP: Long play, is a vinyl record played at ​33 1⁄3 rpm with a 12 or 10-inch diameter.
  • EP: Extended play, are vinyl records that allowed two or even three songs on each side.

Follow The Sun

Released
4 January 2001
Tracks
  1. Follow the Sun
  2. Welcome to the Torres Strait
  3. Sunset Blues
  4. T.I. Blues
  5. Danville Seaman Dan
  6. Black Swana
  7. Isles of the Torres Strait
  8. Little Pony
  9. Island Lady
  10. Old T.I.
  11. Friday Night Blues
  12. Forty Fathoms
  13. Farewell to the Torres Strait
Notes

"Sometimes songs come to me in my dreams, like the song Island Lady," Seaman Dan reveals [1]. "I was half asleep and woke up and saw the back of a lady sitting on the end of my bed. I went to touch her and put my hand right through her. I wrote the song thinking of her and it's a nice song too.


Steady Steady

Released
1 April 2002
Tracks
  1. Somewhere There's an Island
  2. Mena Menali
  3. Ailan Kwiktaim
  4. Pearly Shells
  5. Steady Steady
  6. Barron Delta Blue
  7. Running Aground
  8. Return to Me
  9. A Song for Leilani
  10. Thank You for Saying Hello
  11. Gubaw Paruka (Sailing Into the Wind)
  12. Are You from T.I.?
  13. Torres Strait Hula

Perfect Pearl

Released
1 January 2004
Tracks
  1. Feel Like Going Back Home
  2. Waiting for the Iceman
  3. Perfect Pearl
  4. Frangipani
  5. Red Shirt Day
  6. T.I. Taxi Driver
  7. Watching the Weather
  8. Veiga Veiga
  9. Ukelele Waltz
  10. Magic Carpet of Pearls
  11. Minna Murra Moon
  12. Islander Drums / Warraber

Island Way

Released
17 April 2006
Tracks
  1. Kapa Roa'ia Se Laloga
  2. Let's Get To Where We Ain't
  3. Ailan Man
  4. Blues on a Ukulele
  5. Old Men and the Sea
  6. The Hawaiian Turnaround
  7. Rhythm of the Hula
  8. Jymeekah
  9. Thirsty Work
  10. Magic Island Moon
  11. Island Way

Somewhere There's An Island: Best Of 1999-2006

Released
27 November 2007
Tracks
  1. Somewhere There's An Island
  2. Ailan Kwimtaim
  3. Are You From T.I
  4. T.I Taxi Driver
  5. Perfect Pearl
  6. Red Shirt Day
  7. Running Aground
  8. Welcome To The Torres Strait
  9. Ailan Man
  10. Blues On A Ukelele
  11. Let's Go To Where We Ain't
  12. Follow The Sun
  13. Thirsty Work
  14. T.I Blues
  15. Islander Drums Warraberr

Sailing Home

Released
30 March 2010
Tracks
  1. Sailing the Southeast Wind
  2. Lighthouse
  3. Mango Rain
  4. The Floria Sails Again
  5. Dock of the Bay
  6. Shimmering Blue
  7. Water
  8. Full Fathom Five
  9. Baba Waiar
  10. Mak Taim
  11. Saltwater Cowboy

Sunnyside

Released
31 August 2012
Tracks
  1. It's Only a Paper Moon
  2. Dream a Little Dream of Me
  3. Sunny Side of the Street
  4. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself a Letter
  5. Autumn Leaves
  6. Is You Is or Is You Ain't My Baby?
  7. Makin' Whoopee
  8. Sweet Embraceable You
  9. Ain't Misbehavin'
  10. Stardust
  11. What a Wonderful World

Still On Deck

Released
5 July 2013
Tracks
  1. Torres Strait Hula 2013
  2. TI Taxi Driver
  3. Steady Steady
  4. Little Pony
  5. Mango Rain
  6. Danville
  7. Watching the Weather
  8. Waiting For Ice Man
  9. Mak Taim
  10. Makin’ Whoopee
  11. 40 Fathoms 2013
  12. Baba Waiar (Featuring Cairns Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir)
  13. Ukulele Waltz
  14. Red Shirt Day
  15. Are You From TI?
  16. TI Blues 2013
  17. Sayonara Nakamura
  18. Old TI (Featuring Cairns Gondwana Indigenous Children’s Choir)
  19. Island Way/Kapa Roa’ia Se Laloga

A Caribbean Songbook

Released
5 September 2014
Tracks
  1. Rivers of Babylon
  2. Brown Girl In the Ring
  3. Island In the Sun
  4. Tree Little Birds
  5. Rum and Coca Cola
  6. Yellow Bird
  7. Oppressor Man
  8. Sloop John B
  9. Maryanne
  10. Banana Boat Song
  11. Jamaica Farewell
  12. The Tide Is High
  13. I Can See Clearly Now
  14. Moonlight

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References

View article sources (1)

[1] 'Singing songs of the ocean', Koori Mail 487 p.21

Cite this page

Korff, J 2019, Henry Gibson "Seaman" Dan, <https://stage.creativespirits.info/resources/music/henry-seaman-dan>, retrieved 17 November 2024

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