A pair of 10 inch...records

While we're on the Hawaiian thing, I ran across a couple of "tourist-y" 10-inch records. I'll let you decide which of these are better than the other...



The first one, "...recorded on the beach at Waikiki..." (with the surf sounds between each song to prove it...) is Webley Edwards presents Hawaii Calls (with Al Keahola Perry). It is on a Capitol 10-inch disc, and the tunes are....passable, I suppose... nothing to write home about, but they would pass for suitable tourist-y rememberances, I suppose for the early 1950s...


Na Lei O Hawaii (Song of the Islands)
Ta-Hu-Wa-Hi-Wai (Hawaiian War Chant)
Lovely Hula Girl
Imi Au Ia Oe (King's Serenade)
Ke Kali Nei Au (Hawaiian Wedding Song)
The Hawaiian Cowboy
I'll See You In Hawaii
Aloha Oe (Hawaiian Farewell Song)

Comments: You'll note that the Hawaiian Cowboy is indeed the one written by Sol K. Bright. I need to get that version up on the Shellac Shanty. It's much better than this one. Overall, this one is a yawner. This whole ALBUM is a yawner. Bleh. Consider it as the MoodieToonz Clanker.

Now, then, we come to the SECOND 10-inch record on this post, one which has the potential to be MUCH worse than the Hawaii Calls thing. Released on Royale (a division of Record Corp. of America), which was another budget label like Pontiac, is this collection of Polynesian and Hawaiian Music, performed by Bernie Kaai & His Hawaiians. This was released in, I think, 1954, but the tracks sure sound like they may have come from 10-15 years earlier. Royale had a reputation for scouring the outtake bins of other labels and releasing stuff that the big boys would have dumped, usually from the shellac era. This is how the folks-at-home got a lot of music, cheaply. Most were drek-ords, but there were the exceptions, and this here 10-incher is one of them!



Polynesian Rhythm
Hula Lullabye
Steel Guitar Boogie
Kuuaina Aliha (My Beloved Homeland)
Halihi (Native Hula)
My Purple Lio (My Crazy Horse)
Lee Aloha (Flower of Love)
Aloha and Goodnight

Wow. I sure was surprised at this one. Granted it is pressed on some of the worst polystyrene one can imagine (hence the occasional click and pop, which I will re-master out later), and there are engineering faults a-plenty (levels all over the place), but if you suffer through the imperfections, you'll hear some very nice swinging Hawaiian music from the 40s in here, along with some very capable Hawaiian electric steel guitar.

Now watch, someone is gonna say that this was a bunch of guys in a studio in East Hackensack, New Jersey wearing floral shirts....

Listen anyways, I think it is worth it, and a little bit of mid 20th Century Hawaiian culture stuff never hurts, even if it is second-hand bargain label stuff from the thrift store bin.

Make Mine a Mai-Tai! Mahalo!

the Impaler

PS - Pics will be put up when I wrangle the digital camera away from the daughters...