The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett - Visit Hawaii (1962)

Just spent a little time meditating in my Hawaiian-themed guest room, which left me in a Hawaiian state of mind, so I decided to share this one with you today. I do love Tommy Garrett and this album is a delight (love the cover art, too!). It has the usual selection of Hawaiian songs, including my very favorite, "Hawaiian War Chant". I don't know what it is about that song that just makes me get up and dance! (I'm just grateful that no one is around to videotape me.) So, put on your Hawaiian skirt and dance like no one is watching!

Track listing for The 50 Guitars of Tommy Garrett Visit Hawaii:

Side 1:
1. Blue Hawaii
2. Hawaiian Wedding Song
3. Pagan Love Song
4. My Little Grass Shack
5. Now Is the Hour
6. Hawaiian War Chant

Side 2:
1. The Hukilau Song
2. Song of the Islands
3. Lovely Hula Hands
4. Sweet Leilani
5. Moon of Manakoora
6. Aloha Oe

Jon Hall - Jon Hall Brings Music from Hawaii

Here's another album from my Hawaiian category and celebrity category. It's in my celebrity category because Jon Hall was an actor - he starred in "The Hurricane" with Dorothy Lamour, and in the TV series, "Ramar of the Jungle". And it's obvious why it's in my Hawaiian category. Well, Jon Hall does not sing on this album. According to the liner notes, he went into a Hawaiian village pub, set up his own recording equipment, and recorded "a genuine Hawaiian Mardi Gras". So, it's a "live" album, but there's no credit given to the musicians anywhere on the record. It's also not like the other Hawaiian albums I have - it doesn't have the usual, typical songs on it. This one still has to grow on me - the jury is still out on this one. Oh, and I couldn't find a release date on this album.

Track listing for Jon Hall Brings Music from Hawaii:

Side 1:
1. Sweet Leilani (a skip at the end of the song)
2. Minoi Minoi E
3. Fish and Poi
4. Hawaiian Hospitality

Side 2:
1. My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua Hawaii
2. Hula O Maki
3. Que Linda
4. Tematangi

The Fantastic Strings of Felix Slatkin - Paradise Found (1960)

It's cold here in Dallas and I just don't do well in cold weather (my hats off to those of you who live in really cold climates!). So, in order to make it a little more tolerable, I chose this lovely album of Hawaiian music. Ah, if only to be relaxing on a white sandy beach in Hawaii, listening to the roar of the waves, watching the surfers and sipping on a cold drink while someone plays the ukelele nearby... sigh. See? I feel warmer already!

Well, I found this little gem sometime late last year at the little resale shop down the street. Anytime I see a cover that says "Hawaii", I have to buy the record. I don't care if it's someone I never heard of, or if it's the same songs over and over again. I just have to have it! So, this cover definitely called to me, especially the cut-out and the pages inside. Unfortunately, the inside pages had some water damage and were stuck together, and when I went to pull them apart, they tore, even though I was doing it ever so slowly and carefully. :-( But, the record itself was in excellent condition and thoroughly enjoyable! Oh, and it was recorded in Hawaii!

Track listing for The Fantastic Strings of Felix Slatkin - Paradise Found:

Side 1:
1. Moon of Manakoora
2. My Little Grass Shack
3. My Isle of Golden Dreams
4. Hawaiian Wedding Song
5. The Hukilau Song
6. To You Sweetheart, Aloha

Side 2:
1. Sweet Leilani
2. Little Brown Gal
3. Paradise Found
4. Hiilawe
5. Beyond the Reef
6. Aloha Oe

Louise Akeo and Her Royal Hawaiian Girls - Authentic Music from the Kodak Hula Show (1956)

Oh, how I wish I could be in Hawaii right now! Sigh... But, since I can't be there right now, I'll have to console myself by listening to one of my Hawaiian music albums. This album is "Authentic Music from the Kodak Hula Show". The Kodak Hula Show was a free show sponsored by Kodak that ran for many, many years in Waikiki. Unfortunately, Kodak pulled out its sponsorship in 1999 due to rising costs (it cost around $400,000 to $500,000 a year to put on this free show). A private family trust took it over for another three years or so, but they pulled their sponsorship as well due to the cost. I went to Hawaii in 1997 to participate in the Honolulu Marathon, and if I had known about the Kodak Hula Show I most definitely would have gone. Oh, well. Anyway, since I am so in love with all things Hawaii, I had to buy this album when I saw it in the HPB bargain bin. The first side is by Louise Akeo and her Royal Hawaiian Girls, but the second side just says "Instrumental Music for Your Hawaiian Pictures and Parties". So, at least you now have background music to play when you show your friends your pictures from your Hawaiian vacation - because that's what the record says.

Track listing for Louise Akeo - Authentic Music from the Kodak Hula Show:

Side 1:
1. Hilo E
2. Hoonanea
3. Haole Hula
4. E Liliu E
5. Nani Wale Na Hala
6. Ula Noweo
7. Lovely Hula Hands
8. I Alii No Oe
9. Thus Pounds the Poi
10. Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai
11. Kawika
12. Hanohano Hanalei

Side 2:
1. Song of the Islands, "Na Lei O Hawaii"
2. Dargie Hula
3. Moana Chimes
4. The Wedding Song, "Ke Kali Nei Au"
5. Farewell Song, "Aloha Oe"

Sam Makia and the Makapuu Beach Boys - Hawaii: The Fabulous Fiftieth State (1959)

As we get ready for another cold spell to hit Dallas in a day or so, my mind drifts away to Hawaii, where I hope to live one day. Sigh. So, I took this album off the wall (I have it framed) of my Hawaii room (the guest room in my house) and decided to share it with you. This is another rescue from the HPB bargain bin, and I immediately fell in love with the cover! I have three Hawaiian music albums hanging on the wall in that room, and I change out the other two, but this one stays because I just love the statue of King Kamehameha. I've only been to Hawaii once - in 1997, when I participated in the Honolulu Marathon - and I did get to see the statue "in person" during one of my sight-seeing tours. Just that one visit to Hawaii was enough to know that I want to live there. One day... So, join me right now and go on a little trip to Hawaii.

Track listing for Sam Makia and the Makapuu Beach Boys - Hawaii: The Fiftieth State:

Side 1:
1. Sweet Leilani
2. The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)
3. Maui Chimes-Hilo March
4. Blue Hawaii
5. Waipio
6. King Kamehameha (The Conqueror of the Islands)
7. To You Sweetheart, Aloha

Side 2:
1. Across the Sea; Mai Poina Oe I'au
2. Hawaiian War Chant; Hana Lei
3. Kuu Ipo Ika Hee Pue One
4. Lovely Hula Hands; Anapau
5. Kaimana Hila-Kalena Kai
6. Aloha Oe

Andy Williams - To You Sweetheart, Aloha (1960)

In honor of Hawaii's 50th birthday as a state on Friday (August 21st), I decided that today's post would be an album of Hawaiian songs. I've already posted several Hawaiian music albums over the past three years, so be sure to take a look at those, too. But for today, I chose Andy Williams and this album of his on the Cadence label from 1960. As always, Andy's smooth voice is soothing and is perfect for singing these songs. While listening to this album, I can close my eyes and practically hear the surf and smell the ocean breeze - ahhh! (BTW, my birthday is also on Friday!)

Track listing for Andy Williams - To You Sweetheart, Aloha:

Side 1:
1. To You Sweetheart, Aloha
2. Blue Hawaii
3. I'll Weave a Lei of Stars for You
4. Sweet Leilani
5. The Moon of Manakoora
6. The Hawaiian Wedding Song

Side 2:
1. Song of the Islands
2. A Song of Old Hawaii
3. Love Song of Kalua
4. Beyond the Reef
5. Ka-Lu-A
6. Aloha Oe

On Sunday (August 23), be sure to catch the latest episode of my podcast at The Spin-O-Rama Hour. The episode will be all Hawaiian songs in honor of Hawaii's 50th birthday as a state!

Arthur Lyman - Hawaiian Sunset (1959)

Time to take a trip to Hawaii - musically, that is! Well, here's a great album by Arthur Lyman, one of the masters of exotica. The music is absolutely wonderful. Close your eyes and listen to this album and you'll be transported to paradise, the Hawaiian Islands, where "the native art of living gracefully, simply and happily seems to extend to all who visit or stay."

Track listing for Arthur Lyman - Hawaiian Sunset:

Side 1:
1. Hawaiian War Chant
2. Sweet Leilani
3. Imi Au Ia Oe
4. My Tane
5. Whispering Reef
6. Na Lei O Hawaii

Side 2:
1. Hiilawe
2. Isle of Golden Dreams
3. Mapuana
4. Waipio
5. Kawohikukapulani
6. Ke Kali Nei Au
7. Harbor Lights

Martin Denny - 20 Golden Hawaiian Hits (1965)

How many of you are experiencing freezing temperatures right now? We had some very cold days in Dallas just a couple of days ago, but today it's rather nice out. Anyway, to help warm you up a little, how about some Hawaiian tunes? ("How about a nice Hawaiian Punch?" - remember that commercial?) Well, here are twenty tunes that'll take you away to the sunny beaches of Hawaii (warming up yet?), and played by none other than the king of exotica himself, Martin Denny. Aaahhh... Feel the balmy breeze on your face and see the palm trees lining the beach? Well, go pour yourself a Mai Tai or a Blue Hawaiian, and sit back and listen to Martin Denny (another treasure I picked out of the bargain bin at HPB).

Track listing for Martin Denny - 20 Golden Hawaiian Hits:

Side 1:
1. Hawaiian Village
2. Little Brown Gal
3. The Cockeyed Mayor Of Kaunakakai
4. To You, Sweetheart, Aloha
5. The Hukilau Song
6. Diamond Head
7. Lovely Hula Hands
8. Across The Sea
9. Princess Poo-poo-ly
10. On The Beach At Waikiki

Side 2:
1. My Little Grass Shack
2. Off Shore
3. Hawaiian Paradise
4. Pagan Love Song
5. The Hawaiian Wedding Song
6. The Moon Of Manakoora
7. Aloha Oe
8. Now Is The Hour
9. Hawaii Is Waiting For You
10. Hawaiian War Chant

Hawaiian Moonbeams - Hawaii Goes Percussion (1961)

I'm feeling especially happy tonight, so it's time for another album of Hawaiian music. This is another treasure I found recently in the HPB bargain bin, and again I bought it for the cover art. I like the cover so much that I'm going to frame this one and hang it on my wall. Like other albums of Hawaiian music that I've posted, you'll find several of the songs to be quite familiar and enjoyable. So, without further ado, here it is!

Track listing for Hawaiian Moonbeams - Hawaii Goes Percussion:

Side 1:
1. Hawaiian Blues
2. Serenade
3. Lovely Guitars
4. Hawaiian Bounce
5. Swinging Palm Trees

Side 2:
1. Sunset
2. Guitar Chant
3. Hawaiian Light
4. South Sea Island
5. Luau Lei

The Diamond Head Beachcombers - Aloha from Hawaii (1959)

It's dreary and drizzly here in Dallas, and a cold front has come in. So, what better time than to post some music from that island paradise, Hawaii! Just listening to this album as I recorded it made me feel a whole lot better! Aahhhh!

I really liked the liner notes on this album, so I'll share them with you:

After Mark Twain visited the Hawaiian Islands, he described the grass shacks, the horse and sailboat travel, and the girls who would toss off their muu muus and jump into the water naked - although, Twain insists, he wasn't really looking. The American humorist's sense of Stateside propriety may have kept him from looking, but could also have been that he was kept busy listening to the haunting and exotic music of the Islands.

In the days since Mark Twain's visit the grass shacks have been replaced by modern houses, notels and motels; the horses by U-Drive cars; and the girls have become a bit more modest. The music, however, remains as magical as it ever was, creating pictures of exotic flowers, sun-drenched beaches and year-round springtime.

So, sit back and close your eyes, and let this album take you away to Hawaii...

Track listing for The Diamond Head Beachcombers - Aloha from Hawaii:

Side 1:
1. I'll See You in Hawaii
2. Beyond the Reef
3. Lovely Hula Hands
4. I Will Remember You
5. Blue Lei
6. For You a Lei

Side 2:
1. Song of the Islands (Na Lei O Hawaii)
2. Across the Sea
3. Keep Your Eyes on the Hands
4. Love Song of Kalua
5. A Song of Old Hawaii
6. To You, Sweetheart, Aloha

The Hawaiian Islanders - Hawaii Tattoo and Other Hawaiian Favorites (1964)

Rain, rain, rain - it seems that's all we've seen in Dallas lately. To help relieve some of those rainy day blues, I decided to listen to one of my Hawaiian music albums. It always helps me feel better when I dream about living in Hawaii someday. (BTW, I'd love to hear from folks that live in the beautiful island paradise of Hawaii!)

This album has some different songs from most of my other Hawaiian music albums. Here are the liner notes:

Each song in this album is Hawaiian music as you like it... Authentic island style using the traditional combination of the ukulele, the steel guitar and native percussion. And for an extra The Hawaiian Islanders perform the hit song HAWAII TATTOO.

Track listing for Hawaiian Islanders - Hawaii Tattoo:

Side 1:
1. Hawaii Tattoo
2. Wild
3. Hawaiian Promenade
4. Hawaiian Paradise
5. Lost Love

Side 2:
1. Aloha
2. Maoris Farewell
3. White Sands and Coconuts
4. Dark Dawn
5. Beautiful Girls and Sunshine

Banjo Barons - Golden Hawaiian Hits (1963)

I've mentioned in the past how much I like Hawaiian music, and I've posted a couple of albums of Hawaiian music. But this one is certainly different because it's Hawaiian music played Dixieland style! As I listened to this I could certainly imagine watching the old "Lawrence Welk Show" - it's just the kind of music you'd hear on the show. All but one of the tracks are played as medleys, so there are a total of 37 songs that are played on this album - some are quite familiar, and some not so familiar. All in all, if you are a fan of banjo music or Hawaiian music, this one's for you.

Track listing for Banjo Barons - Golden Hawaiian Hits:

Side 1:
1. Medley 1: My Little Grass Shack in Kealakekua, Hawaii; Pagan Love Song; Hawaiian War Chant
2. Medley 2: Hello, Aloha!-How Are You?; Adventures in Paradise; I've Found a Little Grass Skirt (For My Little Grass Shack in Hawaii)
3. Medley 3: Song of the Islands; King's Serenade; The Cockeyed Mayor of Kaunakakai
4. Medley 4: A Song of Old Hawaii; Maori Brown Eyes; It Was in Kalua
5. Medley 5: Honolulu Punch; Hawaiian Holiday; Mele Kalikimaka
6. Medley 6: Tropic Trade Winds; Lovely Hula Hands; Aloha Oe

Side 2:
1. Medley 7: Blue Hawaii; Hawaiian Paradise; The Hawaiian Wedding Song
2. Medley 8: For You a Lei; An Old Hawaiian Custom; The Hawaiian Christmas Song
3. Medley 9: In a Little Hula Heaven; Cocoanut Grove; Pretty Red Hibiscus
4. Medley 10: Hawaii Calls; Hawaiian Hospitality; To You Sweetheart, Aloha
5. Medley 11: I Want to Learn to Speak Hawaiian; When Hilo Hattie Does the Hilo Hop; On the Beach at Waikiki
6. Medley 12: Sweet Leilani; Aloha, Kuu Ipo, Aloha; South Sea Island Magic
7. Hawaii Ponoi

Les Paul and Mary Ford - Lovers' Luau (1959)

Today I have another album of Hawaiian music, this time by that guitar-playing husband and wife team of Les Paul and Mary Ford. If you're used to their songs like "How High the Moon" and "Bye, Bye Love", you'll find that they play the songs on this album at a much slower pace. You can even imagine yourself on one of the Hawaiian islands, just lying in a hammock, enjoying the breeze and sipping a cool drink out of a coconut. Sigh. I'll go back to my day-dreaming now...

Track listing for Les Paul and Mary Ford - Lovers' Luau:

Side 1:
1. Blue Hawaii
2. Drifting and Dreaming
3. King's Serenade
4. Song of the Islands
5. Sweet Leilani (has a skip)
6. To You Sweetheart, Aloha

Side 2:
1. On the Beach at Waikiki
2. Golden Sands
3. My Little Grass Shack
4. Hawaiian Charms (has a couple of skips)
5. Pacific Breeze
6. Farewell to Thee (Aloha Oe)

Harry Kaapuni & His Royal Polynesians - Aloha Hawaii

As I mentioned on a previous post, I am obsessed with Hawaii and anything Hawaiian. So, today's album is one from my expanding Hawaian collection (I've had this one for several years). I have to admit that the reason I bought this one was primarily for the cover. I mean, how can you resist the cute girl on the cover? She just looks so darn...perky! (Everyone who likes cheesecake covers, raise your hands!)

I don't know the year this album was produced. There's no date anywhere on it, and I couldn't find any information about it on the web. The only information I have is that it's from Coronet Records, CXS 43. Must be from the late 1950s or early 1960s. Anyway, here are the liner notes:

The music of Hawaii is a mixture of many varied elements. First and paramount, is the music of Polynesian heritage; music that is rooted deep in the history of the Hawaiian people, music that was composed by Hawaiians of a civilization long since vanished. Supplimenting this heritage is music that has been brought to the islands by migrating races from foreign lands, and music composed by visiting artists who became enchanted with the well known magic of Hawaii.

All of these elements have contributed to the music of Hawaii and we have endeavored, through this album, to present you with an exciting selection of Hawaiian music. This treasured album, beautifully performed by Harry Kaapuni and his Royal Polynesians, will hold an eminent place in your collection of enjoyable music.

Track listing for Harry Kaapuni & His Royal Polynesians - Aloha Hawaii:

Side 1:
1. Red Sails in the Sunset
2. Hawaiian War Chant
3. Harbor Lights
4. Hawaiian Holiday
5. Luau Lei
6. Drowsy Waters

Side 2:
1. Hawaiian Love Song
2. Kula Ha
3. To You Sweetheart Aloha
4. Hawaiian Starlight
5. Aloha Oe

Leo Addeo & His Orchestra - More Hawaii in Hi-Fi (1960)

I found this little gem in the 50-cent clearance section at one of our local Half-Price Books stores! I am currently obsessed with anything Hawaiian (check out my Luau Compilation in one of my previous posts), so every time I see an album of Hawaiian music, I just have to buy it. It doesn't matter that I may already have umpteen million versions of the same songs - as long as it's someone different performing them, I'll buy them!

Here's some info about Leo Addeo, courtesy of Space Age Pop:

Leo Addeo - Born October 14, 1914, New York City, New York; Died May 1979, Long Island, New York

Addeo was one of RCA's key house arrangers for most of the 1950s and 1960s. An Italian American from Brooklyn, Addeo's specialty was Hawaiian music. He studied violin as a child, but switched to clarinet and saxophone in his teens when he noticed these instruments were in greater demand for local dance bands. He gradually moved from performing to arranging, working with Gene Krupa, Larry Clinton, and Frankie Carle.

Hugo Winterhalter hired Addeo as an orchestrator and brought him along when he moved to RCA in the early 1950s. Addeo was a steady producer for RCA, backing vocalists such as Vaughan Monroe and Don Cherry, arranging and conducting on numerous credited and uncredited instrumentals, and writing an occasional song. Addeo held down the marimba band corner for RCA's "Living" series, producing a respectable knock-off of Julius Wechter's Baja Marimba Band.

Track Listing for Leo Addeo and His Orchestra - More Hawaii in Hi-Fi:

Side 1:
1. The Sheik of Araby
2. Isle of Paradise
3. Near You
4. Song of India
5. Harbor Lights

Side 2:
1. Third Man Theme
2. Moon of Manakoora
3. To You, Sweetheart, Aloha
4. Song of the Islands
5. Red Sails in the Sunset

Luau Compilation

Today is my birthday! Yep, I am definitely a Leo (if you look closely at my profile picture, you'll see that there's a Leo picture in the girl's room). Since my birthday falls on a Monday this year, I'm not having my birthday party until Saturday, and it's going to be a Hawaiian luau! So, in preparation for the luau, yesterday I spent several hours creating three different compilations of Hawaiian music to play at my party. (I did it the easy way and let iTunes pick the songs for me, so you'll find that there are several songs by the same musicians - iTunes picks randomly.) Anyway, since I'd already created these compilations, I decided to go ahead and post one of them. You'll find some more contemporary Hawaiian songs here (such as Israel Kamakawiwo'ole) along with the typical steel guitar type music (Jack DeMello) and even a cute tune from Annette Funicello's "Hawaiiannette" album. Plus, "Hawaii Five-O" is on here! As I said, there's a variety - not just your usual Hawaiian tunes. Hope y'all enjoy it - aloha!

Luau Compilation 1 Track Listing (yes, they're in alphabetical order - I'm funny that way) -

1. Adventures in Paradise - Les Adams & His Fabulous Hawaiians
2. At the Bay of the Rainbows - George Kainapau
3. Beyond the Reef - Jack DeMello
4. Blue Hawaii - Dick Contino
5. Blue Lei - George Kainapau
6. Diamond Head - Dick Contino
7. Far Across the Sea - Alfred Apaka
8. Farewell My Tani - Les Adams & His Fabulous Hawaiians
9. Hawai'i 78 - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
10. Hawaii Five-O - The Ventures
11. Hawaii Sang Me to Sleep - Les Adams & His Fabulous Hawaiians
12. Hawaiian Luau - George Kainapau
13. Hawaiian War Chant - Dick Contino
14. Hawaiian Wedding Song - Elvis Presley
15. Kalua Skys - Les Adams & His Fabulous Hawaiians
16. Kauai Beauty - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
17. Lei Aloha - George Kainapau
18. Lei Hana I Ka Makani Ualau'awa - Keali'i Reichel
19. Maui Medley - Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
20. On the Beach at Waikiki - Les Adams & His Fabulous Hawaiians
21. Pineapple Princess - Annette Funicello
22. Pua 'Ala Aumoe - Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau
23. That's What the Lei Said to Me - George Kainapau
24. To Make You Love Me, Kuu Ipo - George Kainapau
25. Tropical - Dick Contino
26. Waimea Waltz - Arthur Lyman

Luau Compilation