Question for monkeyman

Monkeyman, I know I asked you this question before, but I lost the email! Anyway, please tell me (again) the name of the artist who recorded "Hanohano hanalei" on the "Monkeyman mix CD" you gave Bong.

Of the many hapa haole, lounge, tiki, and surf discs I have, this one is still in my top 5.

Its track # 22 on this... disc.

Hukilau Hulas

[ Edited by: Monkeyman 2005-12-13 16:55 ]

Thanks Monkeyman! If that compilation came with liner notes, do you mind checking to see if it had any more info of the artist?

I tried to search for E. Tavares, (who is listed as the artist on that song? Or composer?) and had no luck. I was hoping to find out what original album that song came from. It's got to be one of my favorite songs of all time. Completely perfect from start to finish!

If anyone knows who this artist is, or what the name of the original album was, please tell me! A description is that it has steel, uke, guitars, bass and possibly a bass drum. THe first verse is sung in harmony, then a key change and a low voiced guy sings the 2nd verse solo, then another key change and the harmony vocals to the final section. By the recording quaulity, I am guessing it was recorded either in the 60's or early 70's, but I could be wrong about that. The song is done in the Hawaiian swing style.

Some searches did reveal a "Walter Tavares", who apparently plays "Jawaiian" music. Could this be a relative or son of E. Tavares?

Its amazing coincidence that of all the songs, you should pick this one. I too did the exact same search you are performing now YEARS ago when I first purchased it. I looked high and low for anything Tavares and all that comes up is the 70's soul/disco band and a few spanish folk singers.

Try Looking FREDDIE OR ERNIE TAVARES. As far as I can tell they were brothers and have performed on a few different compilations but I did not see any albums that they released on their own.

There is a reason I chose it for the comp I gave Bong. The slow start and then increasing speed with a bang up finish.

Its awesome!

Like you, I wish I could find more of the same.....

[ Edited by: monkeyman 2005-12-14 09:28 ]

Learned something interesting.
FREDDIE TAVARES

EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN HAWAIIAN MUSIC: MOVIE SOUND TRACKS; RECORDINGS; RADIO; TV. A CONSUMMATE MUSICIAN. ADVANCED THE DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY OF PEDAL STEEL GUITAR DURING HIS TENURE WITH THE FENDER CO. - 1953-1980.

BORN: FEBRUARY 18, 1913 PAIA, MAUI, HAWAII
DIED: JULY 24, 1990

Freddie Tavares apparently played all the ukulele in the Elvis Presley movie "Blue Hawaii". (This is the same man who played the opening steel guitar intro to Looney Tunes and designed the Stratocaster guitar with Leo Fender!)

The first musician to use the P-Bass (the first
successfully marketed electric bass) was
Freddie Tavares.

Eddie Tavares was his brother.

I will add more as I learn more.

[ Edited by: Monkeyman 2005-12-14 09:37 ]

[ Edited by: Monkeyman 2005-12-14 09:41 ]

The one thing I can think of is someone from this forum might listen to the song sample and recognize the artist! I am willing to bet someone here has the LP they picked up at a garage sale...

That voice on the song is very distinctive!

Well, thanks for the info Monkeyman!

The artist is Ernest Tavares (usually called Ernie). He arranged "Hanohano Hanalei" which was written by Alfred Alohikea and is a standard in the Hawaiian repetoire. You'll find it on hundreds of older Hawaiian LPs. It glorifies the charms of Hanalei, Kaua'i. The LP the Ernie Tavares version is from comes from "Hukilau Hulas volume 2" (GNP Crescendo records GNP2003). This was reissued in CD format, together with it's companion LP "Hukilau Hulas volume 1."
His brother was Freddie Tavares and they were basically a brother act who, to my knowledge, didn't record any LPs as a group using their own names. They were generally part of someone else's ensemble. Ernie was primarily known as a steel player and he helped to develop the use of foot pedals for the steel guitar (used primarily in country-western music). His steel playing a beautiful and the best full example is an instrumental LP (also reissued on CD from GNP Crescendo, is called "Golden Hawaiian Hits" by Duke Kamoku & His Islanders.
If you like the style and sound of that "Hanohano Hanalei", I would refer you to check out the recordings of The Polynesians, particularly "Hawaii Calling" on which he participated. Sam Kaapuni & Bernie Kaai, two of the other performers on that Hanohno Hanalei song are members of The Polynesians and ALL of their recordings have that same type of swing style & harmony..very nice. I see recently that some of the Polynesians material has been reissued on CD under some strange title like "Big Hawaiian Luau" or something...can't reall. It's been mentioned on here before & I see them on eBay.
Actually, sometime in the not too distant future, I'll probably be putting together a CD for myself of my favorite Polynesians vocals (They recorded like a dozen LPS on Crown, both instrumental & vocal). I could make a copy & gift it to you, if you'd like it. They all sound similar to that HanoHano Hanalei style..the voice that's distinctive is actually Bernie Ka'ai's I believe..who is a Polynesians member.

Id take you up on that mighty generous offer.

Thanks for the in depth info.

That's awesome info!

If you could make a CD for Monkeyman, then I can get a copy from him possibly, since we live in the same area..Monkey man?

drive on down and Ill make you a monkeypod to boot!

I'd be happy to send a copy to both of you. Just get in touch with me after the New Year. I'm going off island, back to visit family in South Carolina and will be "off line" a few weeks.

On 2005-12-16 12:41, Kaiwaza wrote:
I'd be happy to send a copy to both of you. Just get in touch with me after the New Year. I'm going off island, back to visit family in South Carolina and will be "off line" a few weeks.

Thanks so much bro! They arrived 2 days ago and have not left my CD player yet! This is the exact kind of music I love!!

On 2005-12-13 08:45, lucas vigor wrote:
Monkeyman, I know I asked you this question before, but I lost the email! Anyway, please tell me (again) the name of the artist who recorded "Hanohano hanalei" on the "Monkeyman mix CD" you gave Bong.

On 2005-12-13 08:45, lucas vigor wrote:
Monkeyman, I know I asked you this question before, but I lost the email! Anyway, please tell me (again) the name of the artist who recorded "Hanohano hanalei" on the "Monkeyman mix CD" you gave Bong.

That is Ernie (Ernest) Tavares my grandfather. I have many of his unpublished songs and remember backyard parties with Uncle Freddie, Grandad Ernie and singing on his knee. He is also the voice in the Tiki Room in Disneyland (the rain chanter who speaks the fast chant).

Reading the other posts, Walter is not his son but my Dad might know who that is. His son is Jan. His wife (my grandmom) Lydia is still alive - 95.

Glad you enjoy his music!
: )

Wow Christine this is fantastic to know that directly from you. Thank you for letting us know.

How cool that you found us.......

Right on!!!!!

I thought I recognized that voice from the Tiki room at DL!

Very distinctive!

There are quite a few fans here!

Now, do you have any idea if an album was ever released that had the version of "hano Hanalei" on it?

Quite honestly it's the best version of that song I have ever heard!

Christine, you have no idea how lucky, interesting, coincidental, and funny it is to find you here. You see my father's mother is Hannah, Ernie and Freddie's sister. I was looking for information on Freddie as i was recently in Hawaii talking to Billy and Jimmy about family history. The topic of Freddie and Ernie came up as well as Mark. You see my father Doug or Dougie, as you might know him, and I are trying to collect family history and would like to hear those songs you have. I would also like to know any other facts about Freddie or Ernie you may know.

Hi there! I will email you my father's email. He is in Hawaii right now visiting Ernie's grave with Lydia.

: )

I'm delighted to have found this 'site and topic as, after thorough research, I wrote extensive career profiles on both Ernest & Freddie Tavares, which were published in various steel guitar mag's during the mid '90s.

When talentd young upright-bass player, Vince Akina was forming a group to perform Hawaiian & Tahitian songs with dancers on a casual base in '54, Fredde & Ernest Tavares made up the trio. 'The South Sea Islanders' performed all over Southern California for 15 years - mostly on the ountry-club circuit and for luaus. They were renowned ofr their professionalism and the versatility of their interesting and fascinating programmes.

They recorded HUKILAU HULAS VOL2 in 1955, but the LP wasn't released until 1964. Ernest plays all pedal steel on thhis album, Freddie plays guitar.
Ernest sings lead vocals on 'MAUI GIRL' and 'HANO HANO HANALE'.
Vince Akina is lead vocalist on 'SWEET SOMEONE' HII LAWE (LP incoorectly credits Freddie, whoh played only guitar on this track) and 'PUPU O NII HAU'.
The trio perform 'HE ONO LA' 'MINOI MINOI E' and 'HUI MAWOHO O KA WAA'.
Bernie Kaai is guest vocalist on the other 4 tracks.

A pioneer of pedal steel guitar, Ernest Tavares designed (in 1942) the unique pedal steel that he played throughout his career, building the instrument in 1946 with help from George Sereno, husband of Ernest & Freddie's sister Hannah.

Christine and Sereno-men, I would love to hear from you.
[email protected]

Sorry about the typos - I'll use spell-check next time!

This is so cool... I'm listening to the Hukilau Hulas CD on my PC here at work, and on a whim did a search for info on B. Kaai and the other vocalists on the album, and I get the best info right here.

I should have looked here first.

I never would have guessed the album was recorded in 1955 -- wow!

I thought I recognized that voice from the Tiki room at DL!

That's what I was thinking! Amazing...

On 2006-08-16 08:02, Lorraine wrote:
I'm delighted to have found this 'site and topic as, after thorough research, I wrote extensive career profiles on both Ernest & Freddie Tavares, which were published in various steel guitar mag's during the mid '90s.

When talentd young upright-bass player, Vince Akina was forming a group to perform Hawaiian & Tahitian songs with dancers on a casual base in '54, Fredde & Ernest Tavares made up the trio. 'The South Sea Islanders' performed all over Southern California for 15 years - mostly on the ountry-club circuit and for luaus. They were renowned ofr their professionalism and the versatility of their interesting and fascinating programmes.

They recorded HUKILAU HULAS VOL2 in 1955, but the LP wasn't released until 1964. Ernest plays all pedal steel on thhis album, Freddie plays guitar.
Ernest sings lead vocals on 'MAUI GIRL' and 'HANO HANO HANALE'.
Vince Akina is lead vocalist on 'SWEET SOMEONE' HII LAWE (LP incoorectly credits Freddie, whoh played only guitar on this track) and 'PUPU O NII HAU'.
The trio perform 'HE ONO LA' 'MINOI MINOI E' and 'HUI MAWOHO O KA WAA'.
Bernie Kaai is guest vocalist on the other 4 tracks.

A pioneer of pedal steel guitar, Ernest Tavares designed (in 1942) the unique pedal steel that he played throughout his career, building the instrument in 1946 with help from George Sereno, husband of Ernest & Freddie's sister Hannah.

Christine and Sereno-men, I would love to hear from you.
[email protected]

Forget my other post about B. Kaai. This kind of answers it. I wish I knew more information, though. This poster says the original album was 1955. The songs on the hukilau Hula CD (track 13 and up) seem much better recorded, and in stereo. The earlier tracks on the album sound older, from the early 50's. (Little brown gal, etc..)

1955 is WAAAAY wrong, just listen to the reverb and the stereo imaging, it's 60's.

You'll find all the bio's and more in this folder :-
http://www.waikiki-islanders.com/assets/TAVARES/

And pictures like THIS

I can.t open the link or see the picture on my phone, but can't wait till tomorrow to do so! But based on what you just said, I agree. There is no way that stereo recording of some of those songs was as early as 1955. especially the real heavy use of panning, which i believe was typical of the early 60s.
l

I used the information from basilH's post, and looked up Bernie Kaai Lewis on the net. Still could not find much biography anywhere, but it seems he did some film or TV scoring?

Anyway, that picture is great! A pedal steel in a Hawaiian band!