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Topic: Dick and Bing |
Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 3 Jun 2008 12:05 pm |
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Been listening to a bunch of Dick McIntire on steel with Der Binginoidsternator that has me wondering what years they collaborated.
The 10 or so songs that I've long had on a CD collection from the late '30s is vastly eclipsed by this cassette full of great tunes and lucious steel playing, and Crosby's singing certainly does the songs justice.
I find it interesting that most of them are played at a tempo that would make a death dirge sound like a Roman chariot race, fortunately that's how I like my Hawaiian music, sometimes.
Who were the other backing players?
Did they do anything together after say, 1940? |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 3 Jun 2008 2:06 pm
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Bing Crosby recorded with Dick McIntire and His Harmony Hawaiians between 1936 and 1942, according to this Bing Crosby discography.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Scott Thomas
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Posted 3 Jun 2008 4:28 pm
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Ron, those recordings are some of my all time favorite too. I have a CD version called "Bing Crosby, My favorite Hawaiian Songs" and also found an album containing five 78s with the same material, but interestingly, very slight vaiations in the fills and vocals. Alternate takes of the same material being released, I guess.
The players backing Bing are as mentioned, the Harmony Hawaiians and also on some tracks The Lani McIntire band with Al Nichols on steel.
I agree the playing and singing on these is terrific. Growing up, I never imagined I would be listening to Bing Crosby one day. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 3 Jun 2008 4:28 pm Thanx, Brad!
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Scott, that's the CD I have as well, and we share the same surprise at appreciating Mr. Bing, in a different light.
Thanx for pointing out the addition of Lani and Al on other cuts.
Seems like there are at least a few tunes that aren't on the list Brad provided. |
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Scott Thomas
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Posted 3 Jun 2008 5:09 pm
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I checked out the list Brad provided, and I only count four recordings made after 1940--all in 1942. But I'm sure you got that by now.
One of the 78s from the album I mentioned has a couple of songs not on the CD collection. They are both from 1939 "To You Sweetheart Aloha" with Dick McIntire and "My Isle of Golden Dreams" credited to the Paradise Island Trio with Sam Koki on steel.
Bing apparently recorded three other sides with the Paradise Island Trio in 1940. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 3 Jun 2008 5:43 pm They sure picked some winner tunes, eh?
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Sam Koki was a great steeler. I remember a very old clip of him playing Paradise Isle that exists, I believe, only in Bishop Museum's archives, that has him sitting on the ground, shirtless, with a fry-pan and wearing the old 20 style hair, heavily permed and piled off to one side like Tau Moe's and others in classic posed pix of the day, but he starts off the song with a long wild gliss and never looks back.
Great footage. |
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Scott Thomas
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Posted 3 Jun 2008 6:51 pm
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I picked up a video of Waikiki Wedding some years back because of the musical scenes. The rest of the movie is really light fare. Very corny in that good "old movie" sort of way. There is a scene where Bing sings "Sweet Leilani" backed by a group of musicians as native Hawaiians. I'm sure there are some faces known to many who were Hawaiian music stars who'd gone to work in Hollywood at the time. Bing sings Blue Hawaii in the movie too. I'm sure you have seen it, if you could sit through it, that is.
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 5 Jun 2008 7:57 am
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"The Lani McIntire band with Al Nichols on steel".
I think you meant to say BOBBY NICHOLS played steel with Lani McIntire ? (Not Al Nichols).  |
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Gerald Ross
From:
Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2008 10:53 am
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| Keoki, wasn't Al McIntire the missing Stooge? |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 6 Jun 2008 7:41 am
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"Al McIntire the missing Stooge?"
To my knowledge, (I stand to be corrected), there were 3 McIntire brothers...
DICK McINTIRE who played the steel
LANI McINTIRE who was a rhythm guitarist. LANI did very little, if any steel (recording) playing. Lani used BOBBY NICHOLS on steel on most of his recordings, although he also used brother Dick occasionally.
AL McINTIRE played the string bass. He later went on to jazz groups of that era.
If the above is incorrect, please make the corrections.  |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 6 Jun 2008 10:39 am Oh, THAT Al McIntire...
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Jerry Byrd always lamented never having met his long time steel idol, Dick McIntire, having however met the brothers at various times.
They must be having a ball these day's.
Suck 'em up gentlemen! |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 6 Jun 2008 10:23 pm
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Jerry would often say, "If there hadn't been a Dick McIntire, there wouldn't be a 'jerry byrd'"
Perhaps. However, I think Jerry received great inspiration from many sources...Iona, Ho'opi'i, et al. |
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Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
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Posted 7 Jun 2008 9:01 am No doubt, GKL...
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...but it was his stack of McIntire 78s that he took with him when leaving home to make his way in the world.
He did pretty good for himself. |
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Edward Meisse
From:
Santa Rosa, California, USA
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Posted 7 Jun 2008 3:06 pm
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I'm fond of saying, Mr. Byrd paid his dues. And he did it during a time the cost was quite high.
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Amor vincit omnia |
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