Rodney Arias

Artist: Rodney Arias

LP: Rodney Arias

Song: "I Believe In Love"
[ listen ]

I Believe In Love...and white tuxedo shirts unbuttoned all the way down to there! According to the Bizarre Records Blog Rodney Arias was a Hawaiian lounge legend in the 1970s. "I Believe In Love" is probably the best song on Rodney's self-titled album—so, you know, you can imagine what the others are like. Even so, Rodney reportedly used to roam the halls of Maui Memorial Hospital, strumming his guitar while loungingly serenading the sick and afflicted, so he gets some big kudos for that. I found this autographed copy of Rodney's record at a junk shop in Dallas, Texas a while back and, as is often the case, I was completely captivated by the hair.

 

Society of Seven

Artist: Society of Seven

LP: Simply Ourselves

Song: "I Gotcha"
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Song: "Love Theme from 'The Godfather'"
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"Society of Seven" has become a household word around my apartment over the past 48 hours, ever since I found this LP of theirs in the bargain bin at Sonic Boom in Ballard the other day. And they're still performing! ...as you can read here. "I Gotcha" is actually kinda' rapey, and "Love Theme from 'The Godfather'" actually sounds more like the theme to a low-budget early-'70s Bond film, but it's still got a sort of rinky-dink classy kind of charm.

Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau

Artist: Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau

LP: No Kristo

Song: "Waikiki Hula" 
[ listen ]

Speaking of Fantasy Islands, here's something soothing from the beautiful state of Hawaii. This 1976 LP was the first from Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau, which included siblings Skippy and Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole. When Skippy died in 1982 at age 38, his younger brother followed in his musical footsteps and eventually became rather famous throughout the world. Sadly, Israel (far right on the LP cover) also died at age 38, back in June of 1997. You can read about Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau here. 

Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau in 1979 on YouTube:
[ "Ka Mamakakaua" ]

[ Makaha Sons of Ni'ihau ]

Annette Funicello [1942-2013]

Artist: Annette Funicello

LP: Hawaiiannette - Annette Sings Songs of Hawaii

Song: "Pineapple Princess"

[ listen ]

Song: "Hawaiiannette"

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I didn't hear the sad news last month that Annette Funicello had died until a week or so after it had happened. I still haven't seen any of her famous beach movies with Frankie Avalon, but they're certainly on my movie bucket list. Annette's cheerful 1960 Hawaii-themed LP on Disney's Buena Vista label is one of my favorite records to listen to in the springtime. A "Hawaiiannette" must be a sort of cute little half-Hawaii that you might find in an exotic restaurant in Utica, NY or somewhere, just like how a "kitchenette" is a little half-kitchen in the room of a nice motel. You can read all about the life and career of one of the most famous Mouseketeers ever on Wikipedia here and go here to find Annette's obituary in the New York Times.

Annette Funicello

[ October 22, 1942 — April 8, 2013 ]

We will miss you, Annette.

Jonnie Aluani and His Orchestra

Artist: Jonnie Aluani and His Orchestra

LP: Hawaiian Interlude

Song: "Hawaiian Holiday"

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Song: "Hawaiian Starlight"

[ listen ]

Here's a neat Hawaiian-rockabilly-surf-themed LP I came across in Toledo, Ohio last summer. There's no photo or information about Jonnie Aluani to be found on the web, but that might be because he doesn't really exist. Click here to visit The Atomic Attic blog where you can read about how the songs on this album have been recycled, re-packaged, and re-released by a variety of different "artists" with Hawaiian-sounding names. Even the "Hawaiian Interlude" liner notes avoid mentioning Jonnie Aluani and His Orchestra, rambling on instead about geography, the weather, the beauty of the Hawaiian Islands, and the placidity of the Polynesian people. Visit The Steel Guitar Forum here to find more confusion about who's actually playing these songs and to log your own complaint about Jonnie's choppy work on steel guitar. After taking a good hard look at the LP cover, Gerald Ross of Ann Arbor, MI even goes so far as to call that lovely Hawaiian lady's ukulele-playing abilities into question.

Nephi Hannemann

Artist: Nephi Hannemann

LP: The Polynesian Man

Song: "She's My Woman"

[ listen ]

Song: "Baby's Lullabye"

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Song: "Elusive Dreams"

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Actor/singer Nephi Hannemann was born in Samoa, a descendant of Samoan royalty. The name Nephi, however, comes from his LDS heritage. (Nephi, the son of Lehi, was an ancient prophet and an author—he wrote the first two sections of The Book of Mormon. He was also founder of the Nephite Tribe, an Olympic bodybuilder, and second runner up in the very first Mister Universe contest.) Several years after graduating from Farrington High in 1962, Nephi Hannemann began making regular appearances on TV episodes of "Hawaii Five-O," playing various characters with names like Gus, Pimp, Surfer, Puni, Yoko, Tamaki, Aku, Mahina, and Paul. He was cast in the role of an evil witch doctor named Malakoma for the delightfully preposterous 1974 Disney film THE CASTAWAY COWBOY, a James Garner vehicle set sometime between 1825 and 1974 (everyone looks and acts like the 1970s, but they're all riding horses and buggies). The film tells the story of a Texas cowhand who washes ashore in Hawaii, where he makes the local natives into the island's first (and hopefully last) cowboys, thereby saving an attractive (and lonely) widow and her cloying (and fatherless) young son from the clutches of a scheming (and dastardly) dandy. According to an article in the Monday, September 17, 1973 edition of The Deseret News, the film's original title was PANIOLO, but it probably had to be changed because nobody could pronounce it. 

In 1972, Hannemann recorded and released his solo LP "The Polynesian Man," which showcases his versatile musical talents. The lively "She's My Woman" features Hannemann at his Tom Jonesiest and includes some of the worst gender-related stereotypes ever put on vinyl; in the lovely ballad "Baby's Lullabye," Hannemann envisions his infant daughter's future as a life filled with high heels and lipstick; Nephi's cover of "Elusive Dreams" chronicles his fruitless wanderings through the South Pacific isles in search of happiness, riches, and fame. Unfortunately, one can assume that "Polynesian Rock Star" was one of Nephi Hannemann's elusive dreams, since he never made another record. You can read about the life and career of The Polynesian Man on Wikipedia here, go here to see a 1966 Hannemann Family photo—Nephi's in the back row, second from left—and the LP liner notes are included below.

 

 [ Nephi Hannemann as "Surfer" on Hawaii Five-O ]

[ Nephi Hannemann as "Mahina" on Hawaii Five-O ]