Your Favorite Hawaiian Songs

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Hawaiian Songs
From: My Consistent ID
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 12:46 AM

sort of..

The Turtles "Battle of the Bands" LP

I'm Chief Kamanawanalea (We're the Royal Macadamia Nuts)

Subject: Song Of The Islands - who wrote it?
From: Genie
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 06:24 PM

Checking YouTube, I found lots of versions of this particular "Song Of The Islands," but all except one were instrumental only. Some versions were waltz time, some 4/4, and even one a rather lively fox-trot temp (except that it sounded more 2/4 than 4/4).

The only vocal version had different lyrics than I'm familiar with.

This seems to be a very well known "Song Of The Islands," but as Q's post illustrates, it is hard to research it online because the title is so common and is used for other songs too


Song Of The Islands - 1928 Colonial Club Orchestra different lyrics, waltz time
Vocal chorus by Harold Scrappy Lambert


another instrumental version in waltz time
then changes to 4/4 time

4/4 time slow, band w trombone, banjo, clarinet etc

instrumental w 2 ukes


uke pedal steel guitar bass
slow 4/4 time


Louis Armstrong 1930
faster 2/4 time - Louis just scats and plays trumpet


Brother Oswald - medium slow 4/4 w steel guitar

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Hawaiian Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 07:41 PM

allmusic.com lists 238 recordings of "Song of the Islands." All, except one, are credited to Charles E. King.
The exception actually is an arrangement for 50 guitars, Barry Gordon.

Among those crediting Charles King are Burl Ives, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Ray Charles, Carter Sisters and Mother Maybelle, Earl Hines, Duke Kamuku, Bing Crosby, Martin Denny, Benny Goodman, Marty Robbins, Betty Grable, Les Paul, Frankie Laine, Hank Snow, Andy Williams-
Allmusic doesn't list the old timers, so there are many more who used King's music. (Owens, Leon McAuliffe, etc.)

Some- like Armstrong- just used the original piece as a point to take off from, but still give credit to King.

You mention Marty Robbins and Andy Williams for "the one you sing."
They credit King. Like many artists, they perhaps added their own words and varied the tune a bit to suit themselves but recognized King as the copyright holder.

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Hawaiian Songs
From: Genie
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 09:19 PM

Q, I am pretty sure the song "Ne Lei O Hawaii" - Charles B King's "Song Of the Islands" - is a different tune than the one I sing (and which I found by a lot of people on YouTube and on records and CDs).
I could be wrong, but it seems the lyrics to "Ne Lei O Hawaii" would not scan right with the "Song Of The Islands" tune I know. Also, I think I checked on a YouTube of "Ne Lei O Hawaii" and it was a very different tune.

The song that Marty Robbins sings, the song that Joanne Castle (?) did on Lawrence Welk, the recording I have by Louis Armstrong, etc., are all the same tune I sing (though I do it in 4/4 time and not too slowly).

Is it possible that Charles E King wrote more than one song called "Song Of The Islands?"

Subject: Song Of The Islands (Na Lei O Hawai'i_
From: Genie
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 09:28 PM

Update:
Apparently Charles E King's "Ne Lei O Hawai'i" IS the same "Song Of The Islands" that I sing (though I'd still like to hear it in Hawai'ian to see how the words fit).
When I heard a recording of a song bearing that title that was a different tune, I figured it wasn't the song I was looking for, so I didn't check out other recordings of "Ne Lei O Hawaii" on YouTube. But after reading your last post, Q, I did just that, and, yes, the other ones I checked are the same tune.

I do know that there is at least one other "Hawai'ian" song, with a different tune, called "Song Of The Islands." I've seen the sheet music for it, a while back. Not at all the same song. But at least one mystery is solved - I know that Charles E King wrote the music for the "Song Of The Islands" that I sing.

Thanks, Q.

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Hawaiian Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 10:18 PM

I'm sure that Charles E. King (b. Oahu 1874, d. 1950) would not recognize some of the arrangements of his song. Your words bear no relation to his lyrics, which describe the flower of the lei of each of the islands.

This site has his original lyrics (I checked against sheet music, which I have) and a good literal translation.
Na Lei O Hawaii
Click on the title and a midi of the original plays.

King was a leader of The Royal Hawaiian Band for years. The band still plays concerts in the Park in Wai'kiki every Sunday.
King was not only a musician, but was inspector of schools for the Territory, and served in their legislature.

This website has several of the favorite old melodies and information about leis, etc.
http"//www.kaahelehawaii.com/pages/culture_lei_mele.htm"> Ka'ahele Hawai'i

Also check out the master site, www.Huapala.org

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Hawaiian Songs
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 10:23 PM

I should proof my posts!- 2nd link:
Kaahele Hawaii

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Hawaiian Songs
From: Genie
Date: 29 Aug 09 - 10:27 PM

Q, I've never doubted that the lyrics I know bear little or no relation to Charles E King's Hawai'ian lyrics.   That is not unusual when English lyrics are written for a song from another language (and vice-versa). What threw me off was that those Hawai'ian lyrics did not look like they would fit with the tune I know.

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Hawaiian Songs
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Nov 12 - 04:22 PM

Does anyone know of the song "Waitng for thee" which became "The Wedding Song" written by Charles E. King in 1926? The song was more famous when Elvis sang it in Blue Hawaii. The first song that was sung to this tune still appears on the CD Roots of the King. So if you want to get this then you can enjoy the songs on this and get it on Spotify rather than buying it!

Subject: RE: Your Favorite Hawaiian Songs
From: Steve Gardham
Date: 26 Nov 12 - 04:50 PM

I have a great 78 somewhere with Kanui and Taluha is it? They sing a great song I also heard done by The Bogus Brothers about 10 years ago.
I can't access the 78 just now but would probably recognise the title if it cropped up. Some fantastic gutteral stops and unusual vocalisations.