Inside The Blue Hawaii Recording Sessions

[davide]

deleted

[drjohncarpenter]

Fun and enjoyable as always, David!

[luckyjackson1]

This is fantastic and such a huge amount of work!
Davide, thank you very much!

[George Smith]

I think I love you ...

... more today than yesterday ...

[drjohncarpenter]

A couple of things:

- "Ken Harp" should be Ken Sharp
- Are you certain the white-haired fellow is Joseph J. Lilley?

Lilley was born in 1913 or 1914, which would make him only 47 or 48 at the time of the sessions, the same ages as Charles O'Curran, seen above.

Unfortunately, I cannot find any other images of Lilley.

[EPA4368]

Davide, Thank you!

[davide]

A couple of things:

- "Ken Harp" should be Ken Sharp
- Are you certain the white-haired fellow is Joseph J. Lilley?

Lilley was born in 1913 or 1914, which would make him only 47 or 48 at the time of the sessions, the same ages as Charles O'Curran, seen above.

Unfortunately, I cannot find any other images of Lilley.

Thanks corrected the typo.

Certain ..about Joseph J. Lilley ? To be honest,no I'can't be sure it's him - as you can imagine I've spent hours and hours looking for any image of Mr.Lilley,without any luck. He would be a fairly old looking gent for his age,I agree if that's him,but the question then has to be asked,who is it,if it's not Joseph J. Lilley? There simply has to be answer to this somewhere.I have no problems if you think the caption should have his name removed,until such time,that we can say for sure that it's him?

The one image I left a caption off,but left my thoughts at the end I'm less certain,but again how many hours can you spend looking!

Davide

[drjohncarpenter]

I'd keep the captions for now -- who else could it be?

[Mike DK]

Thanks Davide

You should do a book !

[pjdlibra]

fascinating thanks for all the info

[KiwiAlan]

Thank you. Wonderful.

Interesting comments about Ito Eats and Slicin" Sand.

[mjsantafe]

Great work as usual Davide.

Certain ..about Joseph J. Lilley ? To be honest,no I'can't be sure it's him - as you can imagine I've spent hours and hours looking for any image of Mr.Lilley,without any luck. He would be a fairly old looking gent for his age,I agree if that's him,but the question then has to be asked,who is it,if it's not Joseph J. Lilley? There simply has to be answer to this somewhere.I have no problems if you think the caption should have his name removed,until such time,that we can say for sure that it's him?

I will do my best to get to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Library early next week and see if I can locate a photo of the elusive Mr. Lilley to copy.

[davide]

Great work as usual Davide.

Certain ..about Joseph J. Lilley ? To be honest,no I'can't be sure it's him - as you can imagine I've spent hours and hours looking for any image of Mr.Lilley,without any luck. He would be a fairly old looking gent for his age,I agree if that's him,but the question then has to be asked,who is it,if it's not Joseph J. Lilley? There simply has to be answer to this somewhere.I have no problems if you think the caption should have his name removed,until such time,that we can say for sure that it's him?

I will do my best to get to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Library early next week and see if I can locate a photo of the elusive Mr. Lilley to copy.

Thank you sir.

Davide

[Rocker]

Great as usual Davide !!
I think this might fit with this topic:

Maye Elvis had Anita Wood in mind when he recorded "Hawaiian wedding song". Wikipedia:

She also worked on the Andy Williams TV Show (summer 1958) and is the uncredited vocalist with Williams on "The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)," a Top 15 hit in early 1959.

..

[colonel snow]

Great info about these recording sessions.

Here some additional information about the original recordings

Blue Hawaii
Bing Crosby recorded his version one day after the original recording by Richard Himber.

22-02-37 - Richard Himber & his Ritz Carlton Hotel Orchestra with vocal Stuart Allen (Victor 25538);
23-02-37 - Bing Crosby (Decca 1175 / Decca 25011)

Hawaiian wedding song
The original version was recorded in 1928 by Helen Desha Beamer & Samuel Kapu; Charles King wrote the song in 1926 but recorded the song later on. Bing Crosbt recorded the song in 1951 with the title Here ends the rainbow.

(Ke kali nei au / Waiting for thee) Hawaiian wedding song rec. 22-05-28 by Helen Desha Beamer & Samuel Kapu (Columbia 1583D);
(Ke kali nei au / Waiting for thee) Hawaiian wedding song rec. 18-03-35 by Joseph Kanakau's Hawaiian Orchestra
(Victor 25035);
(Here ends the rainbow) Hawaiian wedding song rec. 09-02-51 by Bing Crosby & Betty Mullin with Lynn Murray Orchestra
(Decca 27595);
(Ke kali nei au / Waiting for thee) Hawaiian wedding song rec. 00-00-50's (?)(but not 1926!!!)by Charles King & The Royal Hawaiian Band with vocal John Paoakalani Heleluhe & Lizzie Alohikea;
Hawaiian wedding song rec.07-11-58 by Andy Williams (Cadence 1358);
(Ke kali nei au) Hawaiian wedding song rec.00-00-60's (?)(but not 1926!!!) by Nina Keieliwakana.

Aloha oe
Original recording:
01-07-04 - Quartette of Hawaiian girls from Kawaiko Seminary (Victor 15038);
01-07-04 - W.S. Ellis & Ellis Brothers Glee Club Quartet (Victor 15045);
01-07-04 - Ellis Brothers Glee Club Quartet (Victor 15052);
00-03-05 - Royal Hawaiian Troubadours (ARC 30398).

Can't help falling in love
Original and first recordings:
21-05-02 - Monsieur Fernand aka Emilio de Gogorza (Victor 1405);
00-09-02 - Lucien Fugére (Zon-o-phone X 2014);
00-12-02 - Mimi Pinson (Zon-o-phone X 2091);
00-00-03 - A. Delcroix (Odeon cyl. 33093);
00-00-04 - Maurice Decléry (Edison cylinder 17072);
00-01-06 - Charles Gillibert (Edison cylinder 17830);
01-04-07 - Charles Gilibert (Victor 85118).


colonel snow

[drjohncarpenter]

Great as usual Davide !!
I think this might fit with this topic:

Maye Elvis had Anita Wood in mind when he recorded "Hawaiian wedding song". Wikipedia:

She also worked on the Andy Williams TV Show (summer 1958) and is the uncredited vocalist with Williams on "The Hawaiian Wedding Song (Ke Kali Nei Au)," a Top 15 hit in early 1959.

..

VERY interesting. Anita has a beautiful voice.
No way she and Elvis did not share this song during their overseas phone conversations in 1959.

The arrangement sounds almost exactly how Elvis did it on stage in the 70s.
The one difference is the finale is led by the female voice, with the male voice in response.

[George Smith]

Rocker, what a wonderful insight to this track, thank you!

[davide]

Thanks for the further info,I would like to update the topic, such as the text on the original versions provided by Colonel Snow(if that's ok) and the Hawaiian wedding song info by the Rocker. What would be nice to complete the subject - would be a detailed review of all the tracks,different takes,who played on what track etc - any volunteers?

Davide

[Elton]

Bunchs and bunchs of thanks you's for another fine thread Davide!

[jeanno]

Great post, great pics and very interesting info.
Thank you, Davide

[jon_burrows]

Thank you for another great post David. Your hard work is very much appreciated.

[Juan Luis]

Thank you!

[Good Time Charlie]

I always thought I'd read through the years that "Hawaiian Wedding Song" was Elvis' favourite track from this Movie. Or maybe it came to be years later, sometime after the interview during Kid Galahad where Davide get's the info from?

Fantastic topic though!

[davide]

I always thought I'd read through the years that "Hawaiian Wedding Song" was Elvis' favourite track from this Movie. Or maybe it came to be years later, sometime after the interview during Kid Galahad where Davide get's the info from?

Fantastic topic though!

Thanks - the info regarding "Hawaiian Wedding Song" has been taken from an interview between Albert Hand and Elvis entitled 'Mountain Meeting' and can be found in the January edition of Elvis Monthly 1962.

Original text:

AH : "Not Hawaiian Wedding Song?" I asked. "That's my favourite"
Elvis wrestled with the minor problem.
EP : "Well I was thinking of them as SONGS you know. I think one has to see the film to appreciate that particular song fully".
AH : I nodded,but added that in my opinion the Hawaiian Wedding Song must definitely have been the most difficult to sing,on the whole track. And Elvis gave one of his little smiles that spoke nothing,but said volumes,In short..brother, was that difficult!

Davide

Davide

[Good Time Charlie]

I always thought I'd read through the years that "Hawaiian Wedding Song" was Elvis' favourite track from this Movie. Or maybe it came to be years later, sometime after the interview during Kid Galahad where Davide get's the info from?

Fantastic topic though!

Thanks - the info regarding "Hawaiian Wedding Song" has been taken from an interview between Albert Hand and Elvis entitled 'Mountain Meeting' and can be found in the January edition of Elvis Monthly 1962.

Original text:

AH : "Not Hawaiian Wedding Song?" I asked. "That's my favourite"
Elvis wrestled with the minor problem.
EP : "Well I was thinking of them as SONGS you know. I think one has to see the film to appreciate that particular song fully".
AH : I nodded,but added that in my opinion the Hawaiian Wedding Song must definitely have been the most difficult to sing,on the whole track. And Elvis gave one of his little smiles that spoke nothing,but said volumes,In short..brother, was that difficult!

Davide

Davide

Cool. I'm certain there's another instance, perhaps it was on stage in the 70's, where he states it was his favourite. Also a clue is the amount of times he decided to include it in his live performances and give it good treatment. You can tell he enjoyed singing it right up 'til June 21st 1977.