Exotica/Hawaiian album finds

Aloha!
To follow are some interesting images of $1.00 albums I scored this weekend at an antique shop's yearly clearance sale here in Seattle:

This seems like a real score, almost mint condition and the music is pretty cool, straight up mid 20th century Hawaiian stylee.

I just heard Paul Page for the first time at Tiki Oasis III. I heard a funny spoken word piece, and checked in with the DJ. I believe the album he had was "Luau Music". My wife (puamana) has an image saved of "The Reef Is Calling". If anyone has these, and would like to trade CDRs, please let me know. Anymore info on him would be greatly appreciated.

These guys sound kind of mod Hawaiian. The vocals are in a native island language.

"Kuuipo" and "Poolside Music" are both on Waikiki Records. They're both great. I thought the "Poolside Music" image was appropriate to share after Tiki Oasis III. I haven't heard the "South Pacific" yet, but the cover is too cool. And Polynesian Percussion sounds pretty darn kooky, guitars, native vocals, and clickety clack percussion.

I'd love to hear of any other obscure LPs to look for (either music or graphics, but especially music).

Thanks

[ Edited by: Selector Lopaka on 2003-05-18 22:00 ]

Oooh I am jealous! I have Pineapple Percussion, Provocative Percussion, and every other sort of 'percussion' record, but I've never seen POLYNESIAN PERCUSSION!

Those are nice finds. I have most of those, but not the Kuuipo lp. That is one sweet cover. I'm going to have to find one of those for myself. Great score!

Sabu

I see the Captain, but.........Where's Tennille?!?

Picked these up the other day:

Gotta love 'em!

somehow I can hear the music, but as I am not owning these particular albums, how do your finds differ from all the other similar short ear reckids?

Magnus,
http://www.bellybongo.com

[ Edited by: bellybongo 2005-09-23 11:21 ]

That "Polynesian Percussion" LP by "Chango & The Polynesians"...I've sometimes seen people on eBay and elsewhere list it as "Chaino"..it's not. I don't know the story behind it, but it's a re-issue of a Crown Records LP "Polynesia" by "The Polynesians", a great group who recorded about 10 LPs on the Crown label.
I wonder what the grand total number of "Percussion" LPs issued is? The record bins must have been crammed full of them in the early days of stereo. Like the priceless "New Age Gorilla, etc" post earlier, imagine all the strange percussion LPs one could record.
I especially love a budget label LP (Coronet, I think) called "Hawaii in Ping Pong Percussion", which was a "Luke Leilani" reissue that had not ONE percussion instrument in the ensemble. But Pirouette made up for by issuing "Hawaii in Ping Pong Percussion" by Lukleani (like that name could even exist in Hawaiian) adding the samer percussive intros they stuck on all their percussion LPs (Banjo and.....Harmonica and....etc,etc.)..it's sweet.

On 2005-09-23 11:59, Kaiwaza wrote:
it's a re-issue of a Crown Records LP "Polynesia" by "The Polynesians", a great group who recorded about 10 LPs on the Crown label.

Kaiwaza, me, and a bunch of other people discussed this stuff at length, here:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=10714&forum=11&hilite=luke%20leilani

If anyone's interested to hear yourself, here are some comparisons...

"Minoi Minoi"
By the Polynesians on Crown, and by Chango & the Polynesians.

"Vana Vana"
By the Polynesians on Crown, and by Chango & the Polynesians.

This is the Chango cover again, and actually the whole album is still sitting around and downloadable on my site.

Also, here's a related thread with some speculation about the relationship between a bunch of these versions of the Tahitian percussion classics. Seems like the earliest recording of these songs is by "Charles Mauu and the Royal Polynesians" and that Charles Mauu is credited with writing most of them. Still don't know if there's a connection between all these "Polynesians" combos, but the recordings definitely sound similar, although not identical.

-Randy

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.

Great records!

I too am into that Waikiki records company. I found that their overall quality really separates them from a lot of wanna be Hawaiian records.

I looked around to find a listing of their total production but never found anything.

Anybody know if they're covered in the goldmine books?

Kernel Tiki

I heard this great song on "Hukilau Hulas" CD today and had to look into the singer, B. Kaai or Bernie. Of course I found a few threads here on TC that mention him. To hear the song I refer to, go HERE and listen to "Island Moon." I thik Pablus could sing this well. Now I am n\on the hunt for more of his stuff. Several 78s on Ebay. Anoyone have any of his records?

Hi Tiki Music folks...

I was listening to the Mai Kai Gents album today and got to wondering just what the heck are the lyrics to KanaKapila

So I started a googlin' and found this which I figure I'd share...

http://www.thecalicowall.com/45s/cousins.html

An upload of an old 45 by the Continental Cousins (1961) with mp3s for the two songs: Buddha and Kanakapila

enjoy.

On 2006-04-27 20:52, Kernel Tiki wrote:
Great records!

I too am into that Waikiki records company. I found that their overall quality really separates them from a lot of wanna be Hawaiian records.

I looked around to find a listing of their total production but never found anything.

Anybody know if they're covered in the goldmine books?

Kernel Tiki

I know I'm late to this party, but I've been wondering the same thing - I'd like a date for a Gabby LP I have from them, "Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar with Singing, Vol. 1".

[ Edited by: Tiki Boys 2011-03-23 06:59 ]

I can only guess, judging by the look of the girls, I would say mid- to late 50s.

What a great cover! Wonder where that was taken. Obviously in Hawaii, with a fern wood Tiki of that size! But where exactly, with that view...

Also another great example for the unique light-sucking properties of the fern wood Tiki: While the whole scene has a perfect, saturated exposure, that thing is just BLACK!

The year for this Gabby LP is 1960. Check out the Dancing Cat Records website - great information, including LP dates, for a wide variety of vintage Hawaiian artists.

Aloha

On 2011-03-23 09:55, The Original Tikitaboo wrote:
The year for this Gabby LP is 1960. Check out the Dancing Cat Records website - great information, including LP dates, for a wide variety of vintage Hawaiian artists.

Aloha

Mahalo! I just found it there myself this morning, too! Doesn't come up when searching because they left off the "with Singing" in their listing. Appreciate your help.

Hey Sven isn't that the Trader Halls Tiki? I put a postcard image on the fern wood Tiki post.

Bosko

On 2011-03-25 14:33, TIKIBOSKO wrote:
Hey Sven isn't that the Trader Halls Tiki? I put a postcard image on the fern wood Tiki post.

Bosko

You're right! "Front cover photographed at Trader Hall's Hawaiian Village overlooking beautiful Kaneohe Bay at Heeia, Oahu."

Another question, then. Does anyone know if this should be considered a various artists album? There's an artist listed for each track, but I wonder if it's the same band throughout and those listed are more like soloists or featured artists. The others include Iwalani Kahalewai, Gabby with Alvin "Barney" Isaacs, Jr., Fely Gabriel, and Norman Isaacs.

cheers!

Well that answers MY question, it's our furry friend from Trader Hall's! Sorry for veering off again, I am just the guy for visuals. Looks like they took the shot just past the huts, framing them out on purpose:

http://www.tikicentral.com/viewtopic.php?topic=35700&forum=1&3