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1937 single by Bing Crosby with Lani McIntyre and His Hawaiians
"Sweet Leilani " is a song featured in the 1937 film,
Waikiki Wedding . It won the
Academy Award for Best Original Song ,
[2] and
Bing Crosby 's record became one of the biggest hits of
1937 .
[3]
[4]
Harry Owens wrote the song on October 20, 1934 for his daughter Leilani, who was born the previous day. Leilani is a popular
Hawaiian name, meaning "heavenly garland of flowers" (not "heavenly flower"). It also has a figurative meaning: Small Hawaiian children were carried on their parents' shoulders like a
lei (garland), so the name took on the meaning "heavenly child."[
citation needed ]
Prior to Waikiki Wedding , the song had been recorded by
Sol Hoʻopiʻi under the title "Leilani" as the B-side of "Hawaiian Honeymoon" (
Brunswick Records 55085).
[5]
[6]
Harry Owens and his Royal Hawaiians performed "Sweet Leilani" in the
1938 film
Cocoanut Grove starring
Fred MacMurray .
[7]
Other versions
"Sweet Leilani" became a
standard of
popular and
Hawaiian music,
easy listening , and to some extent
jazz ; and has occasionally been performed by
country and
rock artists. The following list is not intended to be exhaustive:
Albums
Harry Owens , Hawaii (1945)
[8]
[9]
[10]
Andre Kostelanetz , Motion Picture Favorites (1948)
Rosemary Clooney with
Harry James , Hollywood's Best (1952)
[11]
Bing Crosby recorded the song again in 1954 for his album
Bing: A Musical Autobiography .
Eddie Fisher , Eddie Fisher Sings Academy Award Winning Songs (1955)
[12]
Frank Chacksfield , South Sea Island Magic (1957)
[13]
The King Sisters , Aloha (1957)
[14]
[15]
Marty Robbins ,
Song of the Islands (1957)
[16]
Arthur Lyman , Hawaiian Sunset: The Sounds of Arthur Lyman (1958)
[17]
André Kostelanetz , The Lure of Paradise (1959)
[18]
[19]
Les Paul and
Mary Ford , Lovers' Luau (1959)
[20]
[21]
Billy Vaughn , Blue Hawaii (1959)
[22]
[23]
Andy Williams ,
To You Sweetheart, Aloha (1959)
[24]
George Greeley , The Most Beautiful Music of Hawaii (1960)
Warner Bros. WS-1366 (LP)
101 Strings , In a Hawaiian Paradise (1961)
[25]
[26]
Nelson Riddle , Love Tide (1961)
[27]
[28]
Percy Faith , American Serenade (1963)
[29]
[30]
Burl Ives , On the Beach at Waikiki (1965)
[31]
Roberto Delgado , Blue Hawaii (1965)
[32]
Henry Mancini , The Academy Award Songs (1966)
[33]
[34]
Ray Conniff , Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album (1967)
[35]
The Waikikis , Pearly Shells from Hawaii (1968)
[36]
Don Ho , Hawaii's Greatest Hits (1970)
[37]
[38]
Roland Cazimero , Waikiki's Greatest Hits, Now! (1990)
[39]
Chris Isaak ,
Baja Sessions (1996)
[40]
Dennis Pavao , Sweet Leilani (1996)
[41]
Ray Anthony , Dream Dancing in Hawaii (1997)
[42]
Daniel Ho , Hawaiian Classics (1998)
[43]
Sonny Rollins ,
This Is What I Do (2000)
[44]
Teresa Bright , Tropic Rhapsody (2008)
[45]
Selected compilations
See also
References
^
Decca 1000–1500 Numerical Listing 1175
^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 134.
ISBN
1-904994-10-5 .
^
Songs from the Year 1937
^
Allmusic "Sweet Leilani" Bing Crosby with music sample
^
Brunswick 55000 series – The Online 78 rpm Discographical Project 55085
^
Hulapages: The Covers: 1930–39
Archived 2002-10-23 at the
Wayback Machine 1936, "Leilani."
^
Internet Movie Database: Cocoanut Grove
^
Capitol Album Discography, Part 1: The 78-rpm Albums: 1 to 149 A-4
^
Capitol Album Discography, Part 2: The 10" Albums: 150 to 299 H-166
^
Allmusic "Sweet Leilani" Harry Owens with music sample
^
Allmusic Ring Around Rosie/Hollywood's Best Rosemary Clooney Review with music sample
^
Allmusic Eddie Fisher Sings Academy Award Winning Songs/Sings Irving Berlin/Broadway Classics Review with music sample
^
Allmusic South Sea Island Magic/In the Mystic East Frank Chacksfield Review with music sample
^
http://www.bsnpubs.com/capitol/previews/600-2999.pdf Capitol Records Discography, Continued T 808, p. 14.
^
Allmusic Aloha The King Sisters with music sample
^
Allmusic "Sweet Leilani" Marty Robbins with music sample
^
Allmusic Hawaiian Sunset: The Sounds of Arthur Lyman with music sample
^
Discogs André Kostelanetz – Lure of Paradise
^
Allmusic The Lure of France/The Lure of Paradise André Kostelanetz with music sample
^
Discogs Les Paul & Mary Ford – Lovers' Luau
^
Allmusic Lover's Luau Les Paul & Mary Ford Review with music sample
^
Discogs Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra – Blue Hawaii
^
Allmusic Sail Along Silv'ry Moon/Blue Hawaii Billy Vaughn Review with music sample
^
Allmusic To You Sweetheart, Aloha Andy Williams Review with music sample
^
Discogs 101 Strings – In a Hawaiian Paradise
^
Allmusic Romantic Songs of the Sea 101 Strings Orchestra Review with music sample
^
Discogs Nelson Riddle – Love Tide
^
Allmusic Sea of Dreams/Love Tide Nelson Riddle with music sample
^
Percy Faith – Original Albums , American Serenade
^
Allmusic "Sweet Leilani" Percy Faith with music sample
^
Allmusic A Little Bitty Tear: The Nashville Years 1961–1965 Burl Ives Review with music sample Disc 5, Track 19.
^
Allmusic Blue Hawaii Roberto Delgado Review
^
Allmusic The Academy Award Songs Henry Mancini Review with music sample
^
RCA Victor Discography
Archived 2008-07-05 at the
Wayback Machine LSP-6013
^
Allmusic Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album with chart and music sample
^
Albums by The Waikikis: Pearly Shells from Hawaii – Rate Your Music
^
Discogs Don Ho – Hawaii's Greatest Hits
^
Allmusic Hawaii's Greatest Hits Don Ho with music sample
^
Allmusic Waikiki's Greatest Hits, Now! Roland Cazimero with music sample
^
Allmusic Baja Sessions Chris Isaak Review with chart and music sample
^
Allmusic Sweet Leilani Dennis Pavao
^
Allmusic Dream Dancing in Hawaii Ray Anthony with music sample
^
Allmusic Hawaiian Classics Daniel Ho with music sample
^
Allmusic This Is What I Do Sonny Rollins Review with music sample
^
Allmusic Tropic Rhapsody Teresa Bright with music sample
^
Allmusic Country Music's Yodelling Cowboy Crooner, Vol. 2 Elton Britt with music sample
^
Allmusic Bachelor in Paradise: The Best of Martin Denny Review with charts
^
Allmusic Singing in the Rain Cliff Edwards with music sample
^
Allmusic The Essential Benny Goodman Review with music sample
^
Allmusic Four Platters and One Lovely Dish The Platters with music sample Disc 7, Track 24.
^
Allmusic 1936–1939 Don Redman Review with music sample
External links
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