Don Messer and His Islanders


Don Messer was the best known and most prolific recording artist of all the ‘Down East’ fiddlers. This discography is an attempt to list all his recordings, including pictures of album covers and contents of the albums, the 78’s and 45’s, and the 4 albums of 78 rpm records.

Don Messer discography - 38 albums, 40 records


Apex albums:

1. AL-1600 Down East Dancin’ Vol. 1

2. AL-1602 Down East Dancin’ Vol. 2

3. AL-1604 Down East Dancin’ Vol. 3

4. AL-1606 TV Favourites

5. AL-1607 Down East Dancin’ Vol. 4

6. AL-1608 PEI Series Vol. 1

7. AL-1609 PEI Series Vol. 2

8. AL-1610 PEI Series Vol. 3

9. AL-1611 PEI Series Vol. 4

10. AL-1612 PEI Series Vol. 5

11. AL-1613 PEI Series Vol. 6

12. AL-1616 Don Messer’s Jubilee

13. AL- 1618 Christmas with Don Messer & his Islanders

14. AL-1620 Goin’ to the Barn Dance Tonight

15. AL-1622 Old Time Waltz Night ( with Don Messer & Gaby Haas)

16. AL-1623 More More More More of Don Messer & his Islanders

17. AL-1628 More Down East Dancin’

18. AL-1632 Don Messer’s New TV Favourites

19. AL-1637 The Down East Dance Music of Don Messer & his Islanders

20. AL-1639 The Don Messer Quartet Plays Country Music

21. AL-1641 Don Messer’s House Party

22. AL-1643 Coast to Coast

23. AL-1644 Don Messer’s Centennial Souvenir Album

24. SA-3 Don Messer “On the Air”

25. Special Issue - 25 Years on Apex Records


Rodeo Records:

26. CCLP2003 The Don Messer Family (Canadian Cavalade 3)

27. Banff SBS 5266 Canada’s Don Messer & his Islanders

28. Banff SBS 5341 The Don Messer Family


MCA Records:

29. CB 35001 Hello Neighbor

30. CB 35004 Don Messer’s Back

31. CB 35014 The Best of Don Messer & his Islanders

32. MCA 17002 Don Messer’s Canadian Gold

33. MCA 17008 The Everlasting Don Messer & his Islanders

34. MCA 17014 A Tribute to Maitoba’s Golden Boy

35. MCA 17018 40 Years With Don Messer & his Islanders

36. TVLP 79052 The Good Old Days, Don Messer & his Islanders

37. MCA2-4037 The Very Best of Don Messer & his Islanders (double album)

38. K-TEL NC414 A Tribute to Don Messer (double album)


Messer tracks on Compilation Albums:

Banff RBS 1263 16 Great Canadian Fiddlers - 1 track

CM593 Rodeo 50 Fiddle Favourites (double album) - 12 tracks


Albums by members of the Islanders:


Waldo Munro

Point P-290 Piano Stylings by Waldo Munro

Point P-313 The Old Time Piano of Waldo Munro

CCLP 2004 Rodeo, Waldo Munro (Canadian Cavalcade 4)

Banff RBS1144 Tap Dance to Waldo Munro at the Piano


Charlie Chamberlain

MCA CB30014 With My Shillelagh Under My Arm


Marg Osburne

Banff SBS 5329 The Golden Era of Marg Osburne

Arc 686 The Best of Marg Osburne


Marg & Charlie

Point P-318 They Never Grow Old

Rodeo RLP 36 By Request, Favorite Sacred Songs

MCA CB 35006 Best of Marg and Charlie


Johnny Forrest

Point P-247 Don Messer Presents Scottish Songs by Johnny Forrest

MCA CB 30010 A Scottish Soldier

MCA CB 30015 My Highland Home

78’s and 45’s lists to follow