A conversation with Linda Green and Fred Kobashikawa, members of Linda Green & The Tempos, a rock band from Honolulu formed in the mid-1960s when they were teenagers. The band entered a contest called Blast Off, hosted by the local radio station KPOI, and the won 1st place. The prize included the chance to record a single for Reprise Records — and they did, cutting an original tune written by Fred, called “Bossa Nova Love”.
Their most popular song was “My Little Japanese Boy”, released on the Teen Records label. It became a hit throughout Hawaii. Both songs can be found on YouTube, gathering comments from people reminiscing about their high school days and, of course, reminiscing about the band.
I first got in touch with Linda in 2016 when my friend Oliver told me about a “sock hop” that was happening, and Linda Green was listed as the special guest of the evening. I didn’t get a chance to attend that sock hop, but I reached out to the party’s organizer, Doug Oshiro, and he was gracious enough to forward my email Linda. Turns out she had been living in Los Angeles since the 1980s, and only recently moved back to Oahu in about 2013.
Thanks for listening, and for joining us on this trip down memory lane.