Mark and Diane Yasuhara have wonderful voices, and Christmas Aloha is as professional a production as you're going to get. Despite the title, there's nothing campy about the proceedings, though things occasionally get a bit too praise-music-y for me (I've never been keen on that genre). No biggie, since the quality of musicianship is so high--in fact, Christmas Aloha can almost be called art praise music. If there is such a phrase (I sort of doubt it).
Art carols and concert holiday selections in the mix--Gesu Bambino, Bring a Torch..., and O Holy Night--to go along with the more pop material, such as Mele Kalikimaka (written in 1949, and recorded by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters in 1950), Winter Wonderland, and Silver Bells. And doesn't the bridge on Mele sound like it was borrowed from Happy Trails, or is it just me? (Actually, Trails came slightly after Mele.)
Charming holiday family photos on the back jacket--posed, but expertly so:
By some weird twist of fate, this is not a Diane gift to the blog, though by all logic it should be. Because not only is Diane crazy about Hawaii, she has sent me some gospel titles by this duo--it's because of Diane that I knew who they were. So, I suppose Diane gets partial credit. It's just some quirk of chance that I found this all on my own. The perfect music for 90-degree Noel. (Actually, on line, it says that low 80s are more probable during the season in the Land of Aloha. Heck, I'd take those.)
DOWNLOAD: Christmas Aloha--The Hawaiians With the Otis Skillings Orch. and Chorus, 1975.
Mele Kalikimaka (Anderson)
Gesu Bambino (Yon)
Gloria (Stearman)
Bells Medley: I Heard the Bells..., Carol of the Bells, Winter Wonderland, Silver/Jingle Bells, I Heard the Bells (Finale)
Medley of the Manger: Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella; What Child Is This?; Go Tell It on the Mountain
Some Children See Him (Burt)
This Little Child (Fisher)
O Holy Night (Adams)
Silent Night (Gruber)
Christmas Aloha--Mark and Diane, the Hawaiians With the Otis Skillings O. and Cho. (Tempo R-7126; 1975)
Lee
8 comments:
Lee,
This is somewhat related, but random at the same time. Back when I was a kid in the early-mid '80s, when we first got cable, we had a station from HI called Tempo Television. Could it and the label, be related? Oh and speaking of when I was a kid, I learned Mele in the third grade, from a Braillest (however ya spell it, a Braille teacher/transcriber), who became a close family friend. Oh and I do agree, the bridge to it and Trails, are extremly similar. May get this, just to check it out, dunno yet though. Anyhow, love and prayin' for ya!
Romans 11:33-36 KJB
Josh
Podcast: http://www.jeremiah616.sermon.net
Phone Ministry: (563) 999-3967
Blog: http://www.brojoshowens.wordpress.com
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Hi, Josh. Interesting that there was a station in HI called Tempo Television. The record label, however, was headquartered in Mission, Kansas. But that doesn't mean it didn't branch out to other places with other ventures...
Mele is totally new to me, though I did notice it had an old-fashioned sound for 1975!
Really, Lee? I find that strange, you've never heard Melli before now, but then again, I did say I learned it in the third grade. Yeah, Tempo Television (if memory serves me correctly) had a strange assortment of programming, anything from Westerns (I believe that's the first place I saw ol' Gene) to HI Rainbows Baseball games, which was more in their original market LOL! Oh and that teacher I mentioned earlier, was the one who got me interested in Hawiaian music, probably because of that song, come to think of it LOL! Got it and will check it out, love and prayin' for ya!
Romans 11:33-36 KJB
Josh
Podcast: http://www.jeremiah616.sermon.net
Phone Ministry: (563) 999-3967
Blog: http://www.brojoshowens.wordpress.com
Google Group: http://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/preacher-friends
It's not even December yet and I'm already behind on your shares... :(
Hey Lee,
An update. I was at friends today. We were cleaning up for the Christmas decorations to be set out. We also listened to this album. When the Bells Medley with Jingle Bells played, I started to tap away. They joined in the fun. We are crazy fools. Where are the Rockettes when you need them? This was perfect for the Rhythms of the Rockettes. Overall, we all enjoyed this album from you.
Bryan,
That's terrific! This LP definitely does not bore the listener...
Ernie,
Sorry--I'll slow down a bit. In fact, between scanning the sleeve and deciding on the right stylus (wide vs. conventional) for my latest LP, I'm a half day "behind." Not that I'm keeping tabs...
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