SOTU 475 Aloha Spirit

Aloha, Sabine! Hawaii Five-O was a crime drama on American television from 1968-1980. It is where I first learned about anything Hawaiian. Enjoy!
 
Quick recap:
There were late night contributions from Fred, John (Flatbaroque), and two from Brian (Pabrizzer). They wrote and brought some great originals about Hula girls, Pele the vulcano goddess among others. Myrna Ukulele checked in on the Island of Misfit Seasonistas where she posted about an earlier terrific video. If you've got time then check out her previous song.
This evening we had a further three additions to the playlist, one fron Liz (Cua94), Rick, and Liz (Brinker). I'm really pleased with the variety of the songs. Great stuff, everybody. I can't wait to see your new entries tomorrow. I'm sure that some of you are still working on them. :D
 
Dust has been (sadly) gathering on my ukuleles for the last couple of years-I've focused most of my creative energy on painting portraits and landscapes in oils and acrylics. Still I love to peek in on the Seasons now and again. When i saw that this is Aloha Week I decided to join in. Hawaii holds a special place in my heart. I love the culture and music of Hawaii. Due to travel restrictions this is the first winter in many years that i have not spent a couple weeks on one Hawaiian island or other. They are all unique in their own way. The footage in this video is from 2012- filmed in my backyard and on Molokai. The audio was recorded last night. It replaces the original audio which was played on an out-of-tune uke. I've always wanted to redo the audio and this week has given me the perfect excuse to do so. Audio is out of synch with the video but then it was in the original too- so it goes. I hope you enjoy this fun song by Joe McDermott.
 
Last edited:
How lovely to see you here, Myrna!!!

And, hello again, Sabine, I bring you a second song for the week. (Getting in quickly here, as my husband, Harry, and I are having our first Covid vaccinations this afternoon - in his case, because he's old and in mine because I'm rather high risk - and I was a bit concerned that we might be feeling under the weather for a day or so. Just delighted really that we are getting them now, because vaccinations here in Europe are way behind the UK and the States!)

Anyway, this song is a real oddity which I came across yesterday ... I assume it was cashing in on the beginning of the rock and roll craze and adding some Hawaii for extra appeal. Since I absolutely loathe the way that "hula, hula girls" are always portrayed as available sex objects in these songs, I decided to feature "hula, hula boys" instead ... which obviously makes it FAR more interesting!

 
Well someone was going to do Queen Lili'uokalini's opus weren't they, so

I grasped the nettle and had a stab.

More "Aloha Uh Oh" than "Aloha 'Oe" methinks


 
I've been away from the seasons for a while now. I've been busy with making recordings for a music group I'm involved with locally which I joined a while before Covid reared its ugly head. During the Lockdown period we've been making recordings of our music and then using them as the basis for a regular zoom session.

Added to that my wife had a stroke about a month ago and while, fortunately it was not a major one, it has had a significant impact on our lives. She's on the mend but it's a slow process.

I did have something semi lined up for last week but never quite managed to get down to recording it so I thought I would grab a chance and get something done this week. I do keep an eye on the seasons and see what you're all up to.

Here's a song from the Elvis film 'Blue Hawaii'. After I'd done the video, I noticed the cap of a bottle of water that was stood on the shelf behind my laptop was somewhat prominent in the video. Doh!

 
Thanks to Lynda, Myrna, Val, CeeJay and Geoff the playlist grew a bit longer today. Follow them, you'll have a fantastic time on a Hawai'ian beach.
Val, I hope that neither you nor your husband get side effects from your first vaccination.
Lynda, are you sure you're not writing an original?
Myrna, I'm really glad you could make it. It was very clear from your video that Hawai'i holds a special place in your heart.
CeeJay, thanks for saving me from having to tackle Aloha 'Oe myself :D.
Geoff, I hope that you'll find some more time as your wife recovers. I'm sending good vibes her way.
Tomorrow is a new day, so I'll check in then!
 
SOTU 475 - "The Hula Hula Boys" - Warren Zevon's tale of trouble in paradise from his 1982 album "The Envoy." I saw that Rick Henderson beat us to the punch on this one, but we had a lot of fun singing "ha'ina 'ia mai ana ka puana" ("And So The Story Is Told") so I had to post this. I saw Warren on the David Letterman Show one time when Dave asked him what the chorus meant? Warren replied, "Sing the Chorus." Whatever... Aloha!

 
R. Alexander Anderson was a Hawaiian composer who wrote over 100 Hapa haole songs including Lovely Hula Hands, Mele Kalikimaka, Lei of Stars, and On a Coconut Island. Haole Hula (1927) was his first big hit. It has become a favorite hula song and hula dances have been written specifically for it. The footage in this video is of various dance groups dancing this hula. I’ve tried to match the hula moves to the appropriate lines in the song. A similar version of this video was posted during Hawaii Week- Season 286 but (due to sub-standard ukulele playing) has since been removed.
The title of Anderson’s biography- “From a Joyful Heart”- is a lyric in this song.
 
Last edited:
Last time there was a Hawaii theme I played Jack Johnson, but not the one I originally wanted to do.

Now, three and a half years later, it seems I'm equal to it. Mrs RABB has been wanting me to play this for ages.

 
Hawaii - learned from the Jim Kweskin Jug Band.

Neither the liner notes, record label nor Google tell me who wrote this song or where the Jug Band got it.
I couldn't really hear the words too clearly, so I hope I didn't screw them up too badly; not sure they make a lot of sense.
Unblushing Brassiness.jpg Unblushing Brassiness 2.jpg

 
Last edited:
Straight to camera best as I can remeber from when CeeJay was a ukelele learning nipper.....I got some of it wrong...

 
Aloha, Sabine! This was Hollywood’s idea of Hawaii in 1952’s The Greatest Show On Earth, about Ringling Brothers-Barnum and Bailey circus. Performed by Dorothy Lamour, with Emmet Kelly beside her with a plastic purple ukulele and oversized pineapple replica. Here is the original: https://youtu.be/dygaWkKI2UM


Lovely Luawana Lady
E. Ray Goetz-lyrics
John Ringling North-music
1952
 
Nine new additions to the playlist today. Thanks to everone who contributed or commented on YouTube!
Lynda did bring a second entry, an original. Marc and Kevin played a duet, Ryan serenaded his wife, Charley, Jim, Mark (mythinformed), Myrna, CeeJay and Liz all were inspired enough to submit a second song this week.
On the Island of Misfit Seasonistas Edwin submitted a song that featured a beach. Joko wrote an original, which he posted on the Island too.
We're almost halfway through the season, so still quite a bit of time to write something, or to start practising for this week. That last remark is definitely a reminder for myself.:D
 
Top Bottom