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Topic: Lani Kai - Who wrote this song? |
Jeremy DeHart
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 30 Apr 2019 5:56 am |
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Does anyone know who wrote the song Lani Kai? Looks like there was a famous actor who was actually in Adventures in Paradise of the same name. He also wrote and recorded many songs, but it does not appear that the song is in his repertoire. I heard it through the Polynesians album and I was wondering if it was a reference to him? The Polynesians version is also referenced as "Hawaiian Serenade" here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=up-eyCbulTc
Also there is a Elmer Bernstein version here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXpvfAf6W30 |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 30 Apr 2019 9:16 am
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I can't give you much info...looks like it was released on Hawaiian Paradise in 1962 (later versions of "Hawaiian Paradise" by the Polynesians had a different cover and tracklist). I just wanted to comment how lovely the interplay between the players is...the steel is almost taking a comfortable backseat and the whole group gels really well. The fretted guitar even takes a solo break! 
_________________
Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Jeremy DeHart
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 1 May 2019 6:06 am
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Thanks for that info Mitch, that got me started on this rabbit hole. I think I'm way more confused about this than any song ever, because in regards to this list right here, this composer wrote a good portion of the songs the Polynesians performed (outside most of the traditional hawaiian songs).
https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/writer/Kasen%20Donald%20Michael/performer/polynesians
He also has writing credits for the Mauna Loa Minstrels here:
https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/writer/Kasen%20Donald%20Michael/performer/loa
It appears to be a Donald Michael Kasen, and oddly enough he has ties to a shadowy "Wrecking Crew" style recording from a Surf Band that everyone loves to play at Halloween called "Frankie Stein and the Ghouls".
https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/search/writer/Kasen%20Donald%20Michael/performer/frankie
However there's just so much listing him as writer I'm wondering if he has purchased these rights? Or potentially was the CEO or owner of a publishing house? It doesn't make sense as it also lists some Benny Goodman stuff as well etc. And of course I'm just getting zero results trying to track down any history of him or this in any way. Sam Koki makes more sense to me in regards to the Elmer Bernstein recording, however the Polynesians album came out early 60's and the orchestral Bernstein version came out late 60's!
I'm getting nowhere! Thanks for your help though! Very cool to see Hawaiian music in relationship to Surf music yet again. |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 1 May 2019 5:12 pm
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I saw a site listing Donald Michael Kasen, as well, but I think that must be something else than a writer...ie, look at this link:
https://www.tracklib.com/song/lani-kai/
He is listed on all tracks below...including, ha ha, the Queen's own Aloha 'Oe! There's a Donald Michael Kasen in Florida who was born in 1946 who could be the same person...but just given the age, less likely to be a songwriter in the early 60s. Very much not likely to have cowritten anything with Lili'uokalani that's for sure! 
But I did come back to this song. Like I said, love the group's interplay...the steel guitar is not overly complex but perfectly emotive. Must be nice to have a great vibraphonist to fill in all the gaps like that!
_________________
Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 1 May 2019 6:47 pm
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I suspect the 1946 date is the right date and the right guy.
Here's our hero:
His bio:
https://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=MrCompose
I wonder if it was Don who had the doofus idea to over-dub the crashing waves sound now heard on some of the recent iterations of The Polynesians recordings, not heard on the original LPs as I recall. Probably sounded like a genius marketing move after the 5th martini. Most likely was his idea as he assumed control of the outfit in 1989, before the group's recordings were digitalized and became widespread.
Donald Kasen is apparently the son of one Daniel Kasen, founder of Synthetic Plastics Company in the 1920s---originally a button manufacturer. After the war, SPC became involved in pressing records and issuing them on cheapo budget labels like Diplomat, Guest Star, Promenade, and many others.
Strictly low-rent LPs, but the material was at times exceptional and available nowhere else. Rock and roll, rockabilly, Hawaiian, R and B, etc. Some of it previously unissued masters or alternate takes. I think SPC was more of a pressing plant operation, rather than a studio, although they were at least semi-legit, issuing hundreds of albums. I'm not sure if they did any studio recording or if it was all just buying stuff recorded by someone else.
SPC issued that "Tiny and His Hawaiian Bubbles" LP. Rip-roaring steel by somebody (Sam Makia?). Could even be The Polynesians under another name?
Synthetic Plastics Company is now operating under the name "Inspired Studios" and headed by Donald Kasen. So says the Internet.
http://www.inspired-studios.com/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_Plastics_Company
“The Polynesians†records were mostly issued on Crown and they may have all been pressed by SPC.
As far as I know, The Polynesians never had any singles, just those LPs, with Harry Baty, Bernie Ka’ai, Freddie Tavares, Sam Koki and others in and out of the group at times. Spent their time mostly on the mainland.
My guess is that Don Kasen acquired the rights to some or all of the Crown catalog and thus appears in the current credits on “The Polynesians†recordings littering the Internet.
I don’t think you’ll see his name anywhere on the original 1960s vinyl LPs by The Polynesians. Mine are in storage and I can’t look. His association with that group is presumably only in recent decades as a result of a catalog buy-out, not as a composer. |
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Mitch Drumm
From:
Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake
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Posted 2 May 2019 1:12 am
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As for the song "Lani Kai"---is the version by The Polynesians known to NOT be the song written by Sam Koki?
I think Koki was on steel on some of their records. As were Bernie Ka'ai (Lewis), Bob Nichols, and at least one of the Tavares brothers. The LPs were such a hodge-podge that any given album may well have had several different steel players.
To my ears, the instrumentation, arrangements and steel style on that song most resemble the other songs by the group that allegedly featured Bernie Ka'ai. |
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Mike Anderson
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Jeremy DeHart
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 2 May 2019 4:22 am
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So here is the original Copyright for Sam Koki. Looks like it's from 1940 so it's very possible this is the Dick McIntyre version since the first recording of the Polynesians version I can find is the Polynesians version.
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Jeremy DeHart
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 2 May 2019 4:56 am
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A little more evidence that the Dick Mc Intire version is the Sam Koki composition. The other writer attributed to Sam's version is Roland A. Ball, can't find much on him but here he is with Dick right next to Sam Koki on a 78.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Favorite_Hawaiian_Songs,_Vol._One |
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Mike Anderson
From:
British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 3 May 2019 4:52 am
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| I expect you're right Jeremy. Be nice if an audio recording of Sam Koki playing it turned up some day. |
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