Funk

Free Mixtape: Paradise: 1x10x100 Revisited

You know the story: 1 store. 10 dollars. 100 records.

When Harry’s Music Store closed in February to reopen down the street, I immediately jumped in the car and headed to their daytime clearance sale. Vinyl records, dirt cheap, I was stoked.

So I made a mixtape of my finds (you’ve probably heard it by now) and called it 1x10x100.

But one mixtape just wasn’t enough.

That’s why I made another, it’s called Paradise:1x10x100 Revisited.

Finding paradise in your soul

In Hawaii, paradise is everywhere you look.

But there’s another kind of paradise—you’ll find it inside you, close to your soul. Music will help you find that place.

Curated strictly from the records I bought at Harry’s Music Store, Paradise: 1x10x100 Revisited will take you to the paradise within your soul. This isn’t Hawaiian music, but music by artists who connect directly to the inner self—much like Hawaiian music does.

Download it now, free.

(By the way, Harry’s is still closed. Apparently they had issues with business permits or something. I’m not entirely sure. But, the storefront will reopen in a few weeks’ time, hopefully).

The Krush: Hawaii’s Favorite Band

It’s a huge claim to make: being Hawaii’s favorite band. But back in the 1980s, nobody could touch the Fabulous Krush.

Honolulu entertainment writer John Berger once described The Krush as ”charismatic, dynamic and superbly talented,” a band that gave its audience “good, clean fun and a happy wholesome entertainment” with every performance.

Hawaii's The Krush throughout the years

Instant success

Krush won two Na Hoku awards in 1981—the quickest way to ensure instant success—Best Album of the Year and Most Promising Artist.

Five days following the 4th annual Na Hoku Hanohano awards, the Fabulous Krush launched straight to the top of Hawaii’s music scene. Their biggest

An evolving act

Like I mentioned earlier this week, the Krush went through several transformation before finally dropping “Fabulous” from their name:

• The Exotic 5, a humble North Shore act from Waialua
• New Experience, a “marginally successful cover band”
• Fabulous Krush, featuring the addition of Glass Candle’s Bobby Gonzales
• The Krush, a name change that coincided with the evolution of the band’s rock sound

The Fabulous Krush

How the band was formed

The Krush began in 1977 when Yemun Chung, one of Hawaii’s top talent managers and booking agents, created a simple formula:

• Hire the marginally successful cover band New Experience
• Add Bobby Gonzales of Glass Candle
• Debut a new show band, the Fabulous Krush.

Rising stars

Despite a near constant rotation of members, the Fabulous Krush shot straight to the top, fast.

Their biggest gig in Hawaii? A headliner act at the Outrigger Hotel’s main showroom (they shared the space with the Society Of Seven).

A new direction

Manager Chung resigned and retired from show business, giving the Krush to make their own destiny.

Moving away from pop material and into a louder and more rock-oriented sound, the Krush eventually outgrew their Outrigger showroom.

The Fabulous Krush continued their successful career with mainland performances, sold-out concerts, and TV appearances like the Mike Douglas Show.

Saying Goodbye to The Krush

Lead singer Edwin Ramones left the group in 1987 with plans to live on the mainland with his wife and sons.

Without an official public annoucement, the Fabulous Krush disbanded.

Hawaii’s Favorite Band

Over the years, various Krush members would reunite with the same mission of bringing happiness and good, clean fun to the dance floor—it’s what makes them Hawaii’s favorite band.

Check out one of my favorite Krush cover songs, “Blame It On The Night.”

Nohelani Cypriano “Lihue” Music Video (1977)

I should’ve seen it coming, but this surprised me: the original 1977 music video for “Lihue” by Nohelani Cypriano.

Thanks to Hawaiian music collector Yoshi—whose initial upload of Brandon Bray & Brown Spice performing “Polynesian Girl” brought Ron Jacob’s KKUA Home Grown TV series to life on the web—Nohelani and Dennis Graue’s “Lihue” music video from 35 years ago finally finds its place in Internet history.

“We think this young lady is gonna be an emerging star of the future. Look at her now as she performs ‘Lihue’”. —Ron Jacobs

Screenshots of Nohelani Cypriano's "Lihue" 1977 music video.

An emerging star…

In 1980, Nohe won Female Vocalist of the Year at the Na Hoku Hanohano awards, Hawaii’s most celebrated music awards ceremony.

In 1992, she won it again.

And to this day, Nohe continues to perform “Lihue”, along with other classics like “Moon of Monakoora”.

(Listen to “Lihue” by Nohelani Cypriano in high quality audio.)

This song will forever be one of Hawaii’s greatest rare groove tracks, resonating with future generations of music lovers.

Nohelani Cypriano "Lihue" 1977 music video

(P.S. There’s another version of “Lihue” from 1995, have you heard it yet?)

The Aliis Live: “Summer Sun”

Summer is just around the corner for most of you, the sun gradually warming the earth and breaking those spring clouds and rains away.

In Hawaii, it’s almost always summer. Which means anytime is the the perfect time to celebrate sunny weather. Right now sounds good.

The Aliis Live: "Summer Sun" (Photos by me_lv / Instagram)

Enjoy the sunshine with this track by The Aliis: a medley of three tunes, “Keep the Customer Satisfied”, “Didn’t We”, and “Summer Sun”.

What’s your favorite Hawaiian track to celebrate the summertime?

The Aliis Live: A Finale to Make Me Smile

The Aliis Live, a double LP made desirable among music collectors after DJ Muro included the super-charged “Finale” as the final track to his Hawaiian Breaks mixtape.

But there’s something missing from the album, something I feel is very important—liner notes worth reading.

The Original Liner Notes

The album’s original liner notes, probably written by the band’s manager, Irv Pinensky, don’t convey the exciting music you hear on this record (which I found at the Friends of the Library of Hawaii Music Sale).

No, in my opinion the liner notes give you almost nothing worthwhile to consider while listening to The Aliis Live. Check it out:

“The Aliis—a group for all ages—music from the 50s to our present day sounds are performed with equal feeling and musicianship. The album, recorded “live” at the main showroom of the Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki, showcases the versatility of The Aliis. Their combination of superior musicianship and great vocal ability have made The Aliis the most entertaining show group in the country today.”

What you do learn about The Aliis is: their music appeals to everyone, they can play tunes from almost any era with expertise, and their skills match the amount feeling they put into performing.

The Aliis “Make Me Smile”

While the liner notes say enough for the disinterested, I think The Aliis Live deserves more.

After all, just look at the musicians and the instruments they play!

The Aliis

Joe Mundo: piano, organ, brass
Al Akana: drums
Carlos Barboza: organ, brass
Rudy Aquino: vibes, marimba, brass
Benny Chong: guitar, bass
Bobby King: bass

Listen closely to “Finale” and you’ll find out that Benny Chong is a multi-instrumentalist. But read the liner notes and you’ll realize that almost every member of The Aliis plays more than one instrument.

So that’s where all that brass comes from!

The Aliis “Finale”

New and improved liner notes

I propose that The Aliis Live needs new liner notes.

Here’s my take, let me know what you think (feel free to add your own liner notes, too):

Explosive, unexpected, fresh—that’s The Aliis, a group whose musical talents know no limits. From early 50s pop to today’s jazz-funk grooves, these guys can dig it. 

If you missed their performances at the Outrigger Hotel in Waikiki, don’t worry because this live album captures their unique enthusiasm to entertain audiences with powerful versions of classic songs. 

The Aliis rule the entertainment world with presence and skill unmatched. With just one listen, you’ll find inspiration in the powerful music of The Aliis. 

The Aliis—meaning “royalty” or “kings” in Hawaiian—reign over Honolulu’s nightlife. After years as Don Ho’s backing band, The Aliis prove their sound can survive outside the shadow of a showroom superstar.

Besides, musicians who easily switch between heavy horns to blazing guitar and organ solos—and continue to amaze listeners night after night, year after year—were born to be kings. 

Here’s to new ideas

Have you ever wanted to rewrite lackluster liner notes of an outstanding album? 

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The Home Grown Series, Volume II (1977)

“A tradition is something that can’t be forced on a community—
it is built on solid acceptance and mass support.”

In a single sentence, entertainment writer Wayne Harada touched upon the success of the Home Grown series, produced by disc jockey Ron Jacobs for KKUA Records in Hawaii during the late 1970s.

“Home Grown has become an instant tradition in the Islands …
and a springboard to fame for a dozen singers, musicians, and composers.”

The first compilation of Hawaii’s Home Grown series (posts on each volume coming soon) featured artists like Cooper’s Still of Kailua, David Kawika Crowley of Peralta, Country Living, and Bart Bascone.

But I’m writing about the second volume in the series before anything else. Why?

Because Nohelani Cypriano’s “Lihue” is on this LP, and that’s about all you need to know (there’s more to learn about, though).

And the winner is, Lihue!

When Nohe and Dennis Graue submitted their song to the Home Grown contest, they won.

“Lihue” was an instant success and one of the biggest singles of the year. Nohe’s debut album (sometimes called Around Again) included hits like “Living Without You”, “Moon Of Manakoora”, and “Lihue”.

For decades, “Lihue” has captivated listeners’ imaginations, proving itself as one of Hawaii’s greatest tunes to hit the dance floors, airwaves, wax grooves, and the drum machines of sample-loving Finnish hip-hop groups. (Note: In 1995, Nohe re-recorded the song with Dennis Graue, giving it a more ‘modern’ feel, if you will. I dig it, do you?)

But like I said, there’s more to learn about the Home Grown II album.

The Home Grown series presents a unique view of Hawaii in 1977:

The country was turning not-so-country anymore, and family stores were being torn down to make way for shopping complexes, suburbs, and parking lots. Chip Hatlelid & Shave Ice sang how the “Fujimura Store” broke down because the island was changing so fast.

Brandon Bray‘s Polynesian disco music got a glimpse of sought-after recognition—the band had difficulty getting airplay before Home Grown II. “Polynesian Girl” by Brandon Bray and Brown Spice, a song about the beauty of Hawaii, featured the largest group on the album with an ensemble of twelve musicians. Hawaiian disco music had it’s own place in the local music scene during the 70s, and Brandon’s blooming career found success with Home Grown’s help.

Ron Tish, an Iowa musician who relocated to Hawaii, shares his contemporary island music in the form of “Bum-Bye”. Many mainlanders who come to Hawaii embrace the islands’ “hang loose” attitude. Ron took a “no-worry, no-hurry” approach and wrote this take on the laid-back Hawaiian lifestyle.

Ray Gooliak, whose album was reissued on Cool Sound’s Cool Hawaii label by Toshi Nakada, gives us perhaps his most well-known song, “Maui On My Mind”. The song showcases Ray playing bass, guitar, percussion and, of course, singing.

Rock Custer sings his love of Hawaii after being away from home for too long. “Wave Dreams” paints the classic imagery of the islands: playful trade winds and ocean waves rolling by, worrying about nothing as a circus of colors stretch across the sky at sunset.

Na Hoapili retells the story of Hawaii with “Oh Akua!”, of a time before the Europeans arrived and disrupted the lives of native Hawaiians, a time when King Kamehameha the Great united all of the islands. As the song progresses, you can hear how Hawaii has changed to a modern-day society where Hawaiian culture must be taught to keiki, the children of Hawaii.

Why Home Grown Matters

“Content-wise, there are love songs and think songs—mirroring the complexion of Hawaii, the beautiful and the bad. One artist who was so bowled over by the beauty of Hawaii (he lived here, went away, and came back) had to get his sentiments into song. Another, alarmed about the continuing demolition of the little things in life, tapped out a dandy ecological ditty. Still another expresses his view about the Hawaiiana movement.

The point is, every song has a story.” – Wayne Harada 

With Home Grown II, as with all Home Grown compilations released in Hawaii, the mix of songs gives listeners a variety of views into our islands, from Maui to Kauai to the Big Island and Oahu.

Each person experiences the land in a unique way. It just takes an effort like the Home Grown series to manifest individual perspectives into something marvelous and tangible.

Stay tuned for more posts in the Home Grown series, showcasing the Hawaiian compilations by DJ Ron Jacobs and KKUA.

Free Mixtape: 1x10x100 (Harry’s Music Store)

One store, ten dollars, one hundred records.

That’s what this free mixtape is all about. It’s called 1x10x100, and you can download it here.

No, you won’t find any Hawaiian music on this release, because 1x10x100 sings to a different tune—it’s an ode to Harry’s Music Store and the soulful vinyl records that populated the shop’s record bins.

1x10x100: Free LPs at Harry's Music Store

In January 2012, Harry’s humble music shop held a massive clearance sale. Vinyl LPs and 45s were practically free.

Over the course of one weekend, I spent a total of $10 and scored nearly 100 records: soul, funk, disco, pop, jazz, fusion. I walked away enlightened by my experience, and I want you to hear what I found.

1x10x100: 45s at Harry's Music Store

1x10x100 is a glimpse of the scores of soul music available in Hawaii music stores during the late 1970s and 1980s—and today. The mixtape gives record collectors who are digging in Hawaii a 60-minute slice of what they might find.

1x10x100 is a showcase not of Hawaiian music, but funky, groove-laden cuts from mainland groups that no doubt influenced a string of artists here in Honolulu (and thus generating local music like this).

Plus, 1x10x100 is another excuse for me to share great music with you.

Download 1x10x100 now.

Click the image above to download 1x10x100: Harry's Music Store Mixtape

Here’s a sample of the mixtape (there’s 17 tracks total):

Tell me what you think!

Comment below, send a note on Facebook, or make a small donation.

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