Post #188581 by Kaiwaza on Sat, Sep 24, 2005 1:55 AM

More than you ever wanted to know about "The Polynesians."

I have a few of the earlier Polynesians releases on Crown, when they were still doing liner notes on back, so I'll relate what it says about the group members:

HARRY BATY-group leader, of Hawaiian/English ancestry. His film experience includes work with Elanor Powell & Sonja Henie.

SAM KAAPUNI-arranger/guitarist, Hawaiian ancestry. Was a member of Harry Owens Orchestra and has backed up Alfred Apaka, Andrews Sister, Helen O'Connell & Dorothy Lamour.

LANI SANG-steel guitarist, Hawaiian ancestry. Toured with Ray Kinney's Hawaiian Serenaders. (Seems to have left the Polynesians quickly...)

BOB NICHOLS (arriving after Lani Sang's departure), steel guitar. (no other info provided).

Guest artist: SAM KOKI -Considered one of the foremost proponents of "modern Hawaiian music." Joined one of the moajor networks in Hollywood, and did film work with Bing Crosby, Tony Martin, and others. For the past 15 years, Sam has had his orchestra at the "Seven Seas" in Hollywwod. (Later, he also did several recordings with his own group, and in addition under a pseudonym..William Kealoha...on Kapp records).

Member or featured artist: (depending on the LP) BERNIE KAAI LEWIS, steel guitar/vocals. Born near Hilo, graduated from UCLA, back up musician and arranger for countless recordings. {He did a solo LP in the late 60s or 70s on Kolopa records of Encino...sounds a lot like the Polynesians...AND was with a group called "The Island-Aires" who performed at "The Polynesian" in Walteria, CA and THEY did a lovely LP called "Hawaiian Interlude which REALLY REALLY sounds like the Polynesians..Lewis must have done a lot of the arranging.)

Interestingly, if you speak to people in Hawaii, even those into pre-statehood era music, they've NEVER heard of "The Polynesians". Apparently they never performed in Hawaii as a group, and I guess with their material being release on budget Crown labels, they were never exposed properly. I do recall seeing them in a few Hollywood Hawaiian-type films as players at a luau or whatever. In the 80's, when I used to DJ/program direct at a Hawaiian music station, I brought in some of my own Polynesians LPs and carted some songs up and put them into circulation on the air. One week when we have "celebrity" guest DJs in, the late Israel Kamakawiwo'ole commented that he wanted to play "That great version of "Yellow Ginger Lei" I've been hearing by some group I don't know..The Polynesians...who are those guys?" I thought that was interesting and proved to me how great they were and how sad, to me, that they are so unknown in Hawaii.
Okay...way too much information.