This CD includes many
rare recordings that have not been available for years. It's a collection
that features artists and their hits that helped introduce rock and roll to
the Territory Of Hawaii. A true collector's item!
Da Kind and S' Why Hard
were both big hits for the Royal Drifters and fans loved their rendition of
Little Linda and their tender treatment of the familiar standard To Each His
Own.
Roosevelt High School student Darlene Yoshimoto loved the compositions of
Neil Sedaka. Included are two of his early songs...Frankie and Stupid Cupid.
After she graduated,
Darlene changed her name to Masako and starred in the Tapa Room with Hilo
Hattie at the Hawaiian Village Hotel.
Probably the rarest 45
rpm hit in this collection is I Do and Pretty Little Hula Girl by The
Jokers. Their lead singer was Teddy Chinen. Teddy later became a nightclub
favorite, performing as Teddy Tanaka.
Undoubtedly the purest
voice during that era was that of Radford High's Alec Ramos whose
professional name was Ronnie Diamond. He became a favorite at the Show of
Stars at the old Civic Auditorium singing songs like Why (Did You Leave Me.)
Whose Gonna Hold Your Hand by Dan Dalton is a poignant song about a guy who
is about to graduate from high school and head for college, leaving his
younger sweetheart behind. Great 50's stuff!
Hawaii's sensational
singing star, Dick Jensen, performed as Lance Curtis, while a student at
Farrington High School, his Lovers Paradise is a beautiful ballad, Bye Bye
Baby is a catchy tune, while Leahi is the first Hawaiian song ever recorded
with a rock beat.
And the biggest worldwide
hit of the rock era, recorded in Hawaii, is Susie Darlin' by Robin Luke.
The 14 songs included in
Hawaii's Rock & Roll The 50's make this CD a real collectors item that is
already considered a favorite in the Compilation category of the Hoku
Hanohano Awards.
