Webley Edwards presents "Hawaii Calls" - Soft Hawaiian Guitars

I tried to upload this fine little Hawaiian/Exotica (Hawaiianotica?) LP once before but my copy sucked, quality-wise. Got a new copy and it sounds pretty good. This a very very nice exotica lite style collection of instrumentals. Don't let the "guitars" thing throw you off: the guitars are not overwhelming. Some ethereal (mostly wordless) vox and just a touch of sound effects make this most definitely an exotica album. Don't pass it up!

Webley Edwards presents...

Nat Mara and his Tahitians - Welcome to Tahiti

I don't know much about Tahitian pop music but I do know that some of the more traditional sounding tamure type stuff usually has a very frenzied tempo. These romantic pop tunes are of a much more sweetly languorous style that I, for some unknown reason, associate with Yves Roche.

If you know Tahitian pop standards then you'll find many of them here.

Hilo Hattie - at the Hawaiian Village

Recorded Live in the Tapa Room of the Hawaiian Village Hotel.

Maybe you thought Hilo Hattie's was just a chain store?

From the liner notes:

Hilo Hattie has long been known as the "Clown Princess of Hawaii." For many years she has been spreading throughout the world her comedy versions of the lore and lure of the Hawaiian Islands. Although she is known and has been seen and heard by millions, this album is Hilo Hattie's first LP and it is sure to add many more fans to her long list of international followers.

This is her live comedy and music show opening for the Hawaiian Village Serenaders at the Hawaiian Village Hotel (later to be the Hilton Hawaiian Village).

Hilo Hattie performed live all over the US and was a regular part of the Harry Owens TV show (yeah, I never heard of it either). She also appeared in several movies including "Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki" and "Hell's Raiders." And, pssst...her real name was Clara Nelson.

This album is a fun little jaunt back in time to catch Hattie's slightly risque comedy live and in person with a room full of fellow haole tourists.

Sit back in your "noho" with a tall glass of "Okolehao" and imagine yourself in the Polynesian atmosphere of the colorful Tapa Room, and you will be ready to listen and enjoy this incomparable performance of Hawaii's own and beloved HILO HATTIE.

Hilo Hattie Does The Hilo Hop

Hilo Hawaiians - Honeymoon in Hawaii

This was a booklet plus LP that was sold or given away to tourists by City Bank of Honolulu. Its a fairly large book that gives an overview of all of the islands, Hawaiian history, language, culture as well as current attractions. The art and photos suggest to me that it was made in the late 60s or very early 70s. The album that was included is "Honeymoon in Hawaii" by the Hilo Hawaiians. Its a beautiful little slab of island goodness and one of my very, very favorite Hawaiian music LPs.

There are at least two versions of this LP that I've seen and in both instances the song lists on the covers do not match those on the labels (the labels being correct). The only questionable thing about the label listings is that Aloha Oe is at the end of side one, whereas on the cover (and as common sense would suggest) it closes side two. Since the labels are correct in all other aspects I have continued to use that track list order for my files.

Enjoy

Mele Kalikimaka: A Hawaiian Christmas Party

This is a really neat little Kalikimaka themed album that I give you just in time for the holidays! Its yet another fake live album. The concept for this one is that we get to listen in on an informal hootenanny style Christmas jamboree hosted by Kent Bowman and featuring the Kamahameha Alumni Glee Club, the great Nina Kealiiwahamana, the legendary Hilo Hattie, the Maile Serenaders and Kent's own haole faux pidgin comedy.

The Kamehameha Glee Club tracks may be live but I'd bet your okole that all the other tracks are previously recorded and dropped into the "party" recording at the appropriate moments. It's like when you were a kid and you'd get out your tape recorder and record player (or CD player for the youngsters) and make tapes like you were a DJ; introing songs and engaging in silly banter. Same concept.

Kent Bowman's pidgin comedy would probably get him killed on The Rock if he tried it as a fresh new act today. Then again, Rob Schneider did something similar in "50 First Dates," however I don't know if he can now walk the streets of Honolulu without being in fear for his life.

FWIW: I nearly blew out my keyboard editing the mp3 tags when I got to "Spring Spends The Winter In Hawaii" by Nina Kealiiwahamana and Boyce Kaihiihikapuokalani!

I'm uploading two versions of this LP. Because of the party conversation that segues song to song, the album is essentially two long tracks. The first link contains the rip broken into twelve individual mp3s, one for each song, with fades where appropriate so that the songs can be used in other mixes. The second link contains just two mp3s representing each of the two LP sides.

Mele Kalikimaka!

12 songs, 12 mps3s

2 LP sides, 2 mp3s

Repost!

As requested by Chris, a repost of The Fantastic Strings Orchestra can be found in the original post here.

Chris also requested Milt Raskin's Kapu. I'd recommend you head over to Manakoora's site because his is a cleaner rip.

Tak Shindo - Brass and Bamboo

While it's not the best exotica album of all time, Brass and Bamboo does contain what I consider to be one of the top three exotica tracks of all time, Tak's version of "Bali Ha'i."

There are several other great tracks such as "Caravan" and "The Song of Delilah."

Reminder: if you request a repost of a dead link you have to state which LP it is in your comment. Blogger emails me your comments but does not tell me to which post the comment was attached.

Tak Shindo

Frankie Carle - The Tropical Style of Frankie Carle

Piano based Exotica Lite. Frankie was a legendary big band pianist that continued to record and play live long after the demise of big band as a popular genre. This one is from 1966 and has yer "Bali Ha'i" and yer "Quiet Village" and yer "Ebb Tide," "Pearly Shells," "Yellow Bird" etc etc.

Nice to play around the pool whilst sipping Rum Barrels.

Tickling the ivories

Webley Edwards - Hawaii The Island of Dreams

I'm sure most of you are familiar with the Webley Edwards series. For those who are not, the short story is that for 3-plus decades Mr Edwards hosted a radio show out of Waikiki called "Hawaii Calls" where he showcased the best of Hawaiian music, which was then re-broadcast by hundreds of radio stations around the world. The LPs are compilations of some of the best music from the shows. Each LP was usually at least loosely based around a central theme.

This album's music is more on the ethno-traditional side with the exception of tracks 5 and 10 which are a little more popular sounding. Highlights for me include "Canoe Song," "Thoughts of Love," "Fire Goddess" and "Island of Dreams."

Here it is.

If any of you are curious as to why there's been such a flurry of activity on this site as of late...if you look back at the start of this blog you'll see that I started with a similar burst of uploads because I was sick at home with pneumonia. So guess what...I broke my flippin' right ankle in a freakish accident(!) and where the pneumonia laid me up for about 10 days or so this should keep me somewhat homebound for several farking weeks. My loss is your gain I suppose, as I will probably turbo-plow through most of the rest of my Hawaiian and Exotica collection over the next few weeks.

God bless Trader Vic Bergeron for inventing the mai tai and also whoever it was that invented oxycodone. Cheers!

Roy Holland & Milt Holland - Perfect Percussion

Perfect Percussion by The 44 Instruments of Roy Harte & Milt Holland. From 1961 on World-Pacific Records. Roy Harte and Milt Holland, percussion and special effects; Buddy Montgomery, vibes; Monk Montgomery, electric bass; Wes Montgomery, guitar; Richie Crabtree, piano; Benny Barth, drums.

Eight popular songs done with an array of exotic percussive instruments. No bird calls, but you know with a vibes player on the recording that it'll sound great in your tiki bar. And it will!

Enjoy!

Wynton Kelly - Comin' In The Back Door

A nice piece of fairly standard piano jazz from 1963. Wynton Kelly, piano; Kenny Burrell, guitar; Paul Chambers, bass; Jimmy Cobb, drums; with orchestra arranged and conducted by Claus Ogerman.

You may be thinking: "Why Kono? Why? This isn't exotica!"

Well, because it has a cover of "Quiet Village." That's why!

Comin' In The Back Door

Lots of music coming up over the next few days (I think)!

Tiny and His Hawaiian Bubbles - Hawaiian Luau Party

This one's quite a bit better than it might appear to be, if you are one who tends to judge an LP by its cover. Its a faux live album, recorded in a studio with a fake live audience. A few of the tracks are very haole but many of the others have a more trad-pop feel. Most of side two is instrumental and quite sweet.

All in all its a strong addition to the soundloop for your next luau. Enjoy!

Aloha


I should have a couple other uploads this week. Stay tuned...