Don't you go saying bad things about Basil Henriques!
He is a superb professional and session musician, an acknowledged authority on traditional Hawaiian music, a key figure in British steel guitar playing and a good friend.
I don't know if it was that record, but on one of his Hawaiian "Hotel Lobby" (His words) music LPs, he was recording at Abbey Road and a couple of young men called Lennon and Mc Cartney played rhythm and bass guitars on one of the tracks- they were there at the time!
The Easy Listening albums were made for one very good reason- EMI paid him lots of money to do them. That's what professional musicians do- pay what they are paid to play!
Basil is originally Irish by the way, and is very familiar with both Carolan tunes and more folky Irish music.
If a Greek bouzouki can be Irish by adoption, why not a Hawaiian guitar?
Cheers
Dave