Hawaiian Records

[Phonofreak]

When I was I was in the Navy, I was stationed in Hawaii. I went to luaus and was active in many functions on the Islands. That being said, I have a soft spot for things Hawaiian. I started collecting Hawaiian records a few years ago. I have several records in disk and cylinder records, maybe 100 or so. Was there ever a published listing or a book listing of all Hawaiian records ever made? I'd be interested in all the artists on both disk and cylinder to complete my collection. That way I can look up the number and artists against what I have, and buy what I don't have.

[estott]

That would be an enormous book- Hawaiian music (of various sorts) was a huge craze in the early 20th C., to the point where it was the subject of Parody: "O'Brien Is Try'n to Learn to Talk Hawaiian" is typical.

[OrthoSean]

Yes, there is in fact a Hawaiian discography out there. Compiled by a 78-l friend, Malcolm Rockwell. I don't own it myself, but it got great reviews from list members when it was completed.

Here's a link to Mal's website where you can order his book:

http://78data.com/

Sean

[estott]

That is a pleasant surprise!

[bbphonoguy]

For a few years in the early '20's Victor published seperate catalogues for Hawaiian music recordings. One of those might be helpful, if you can find one.

[gramophoneshane]

Out here, Hawaiian music was still being sold in the 40s & 50s, mostly on the Regal-Zonophone label.
Queenie & David Kaili were still doing an Australian tour (starting in 1924) at the time the Columbia recording studios opened in Sydney (in 1926). They made some of the earliest recordings at "Studio 301" as it's now called, and they liked it here so much, they stayed for quite some time touring Australia (I think around 6 or 7 years!), and they recorded extensively here for the Parlophone label during their extended stay. Between 1924 & 1928, they only left Australia once to do a short New Zealand tour.
I've got a few of these recordings on youtube. I dont know if the aussie recording were released in USA though??? I guess they would have been.
Do you know phonofreak?

[Phonofreak]

Thanks for everybody's input. Thanks Orthosean for the link. I'm going to order it. I found a few Oxford 4 min cylinders when I was going through them. Does anybody out there know anything about Hawaiian cylinders in Edison, Columbia Indestructible, Lakeside, Oxford and other cylinder records? Thanks for all the help.
Harvey Kravitz

[Wolfe]

I picked up some Hawaiian (vertical) Pathé discs, several months ago.

[Henry]

The best Hawaiian record, IMO, is Spike Jones's version of "Hawaiian War Chant" The "straight" version was featured in a Technicolor movie from the '40s (it's shown from time to time on TCM, and I don't recall the title offhand--help, anybody). The SJ original RCA Victor record no. is 20-1893, rec. 2/11/46, b/b "The Glow Worm." It has been re-issued on LP and CD.

[syncopeter]

The best Hawaiian record, IMO, is Spike Jones's version of "Hawaiian War Chant"

.

Yes, I agree, at least it is the funniest. I remember playing it for my Indonesian father in law, who was not amused.
The voice-over in the beginning is hilarious: "and as the sun sinks slowly in the east, our boat sinks slowly in the west".
The best musical version of Hawaiian War Chant is by Andy Iona and his Islanders. That record swings like hell. If you want a good cross section of hotter Hawaiian music, "Jazz goes Hawaiian" issued on Retrieval records is a good start. I'm biased because I delivered some of the records and did research for that CD, but it is a fine start to get a taste.
Also any record by Sol Hoopii or Kalama's quartette is well worth picking up. The latter group has some of the best close-harmony singing I've ever heard. Post-WW2 look for Dutch Indonesian Rudy Wairata. He was one heck of a steel guitar player and surrounded himself with some of the best available musicians and is still very underrated.
Frank Ferera recorded for just about every company but his records are as dull as somebody reading a 'phone book in front of the microphone.