Post #441094 by basilh on Thu, Mar 19, 2009 2:17 AM

OK Zeta, the previous post by Mister Naufrago asks about "Tiger Shark" the TUNE (NOTE that I said TUNE) Written by Peter and Joe Hodgkinson (Brothers)
Well, Birmingham was the centre of Hawaiian groups in the 30's, 40's 59's and 60's. There were at least half a dozen working groups at any point in time.
The Waikiki Islanders led by the "Cox" Brothers William and Archie, AND the Hawaiian Islanders Led by Joe on Ukulele and the eldest brother Peter on plectrum guitar (the terminology at the time for a regular six string guitar)
Joe still comes to some of our conventions !!

A MOST interesting fact is that Tiger Shark was quite a big hit in Finland, as a SONG...

Recorded in Finland by Juha Eirto

Tiger Shark - Tiikerihai
CLICK HERE

Juha Eirto was a popular singer in the 50's. He had a classical training in singing (his father was an opera singer) and this clearly had impact on his popular music recordings. His most famous song is "Tiikerihai" (Tiger shark), recorded in 1955. It is one of the ultimate classics of Finnish popular music. And again - like the other 50's classic "Kuningaskobra" (see previous entry) this isn't actually a love song .... The original was an instrumental record called "Tiger Shark" and recorded in the 30's by a group called Hawaiian Islanders. In spite of the name, the group wasn't from Hawaii, but from Birmingham, England! This steel guitar group included brothers Hodgkinson led by Peter, the eldest brother. Peter was also the composer of "Tiger Shark". I'm not aware of any other vocal versions of this tune, but perhaps those exist ...

The original version

Can our Finnish friends let us know of any other versions ?

by "Max Laine" (Member of the European Steel Guitar Hall of Fame Committee)....Tiger Shark was very popular in Finland - and still is very well known. Felix Mendelssohns recording from 1948 was a hit here, it stayed on the lists for several months. The first Finnish versions were recorded by Juha Eirto and Olavi Virta, both in 1955, here's the latter:

CLICK

Onni gideon recorded an instrumental version in 1956:

CLICK

After that there has been, well quite a few versions of Tiikerihai, 31 in all. It has been recorded in many styles, sometimes the lyrics changed and twisted - well what do you think of a version titled "Siiderihai" (Cider Shark)!!!

By the way Basil, the version you sent is not the original version, it's the second version from 1938. Peter Hodgkinson recorded the first version (on acoustic guitar) in 1935...

The Hawaiian Islanders Broadcast many time for the BBC,

They played on on a radio play: Friday 16th October 1936 at 7.30pm, there was Hawaiian Rhapsody, musical play for radio by Annette Mills (brother of actor John Mills, and future presenter of Muffin the Mule). Archie Campbell produced, and the cast included Marjorie Westbury, John Bentley, Denis Folwell, Hugh Morton, Jane Minton, Barbara Helliwell and the Hawaiian Islanders, directed by Peter Hodgkinson.

Just as a bit of interesting info: Marjorie Westbury's first broadcasts for the BBC were given on the Birmingham-based Midland Regional programme. Her very first appears to have been at midday on Wednesday 7th December 1932. She sang with Harold Howes (baritone), Norman King (tenor), Muriel Tookey (violin) and J. William Dunn (piano). (That evening at 11pm the BBC were transmitting a television programme by the Baird process, featuring Alice Delysia, John Tilley and Laurie Devine.)

TELEVISION broadcasts in 1932 !!

[ Edited by: basilh 2009-03-19 02:58 ]

[ Edited by: basilh 2014-05-19 19:06 ]

[ Edited by: basilh 2014-05-19 19:08 ]