Sol Hoopii’s Novelty Trio perform Iniki-Malie b/w Mauna Loa

3/23/28, Columbia 1363-D (145900 and 145905)

Here are 4 custom 6 inch souvenir records I recently found that were made at Rockaways’ Playland, an amusement park that no longer exists. The 4 records look the same, and only one of them had anything written on it, “Sept 6 1949 Addie & Anna singing to Geo and Will” The song on that one is easily identifiable as “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby”. The others are harder to identify. Although a google search led to a 1967  newspaper clipping attributing “Heart of a fool” to “Terrence Pelletier”

“Heart Of A Fool  In the heart of a fool that is broken  And tossed like a ship at sea, There’s a story old That’s never been told Of the wreck you made of me. Like a baby will break all its playthings, You broke love’s golden rule. Though you’ve been untrue, There’s a prayer still for you Down in the heart of a fool.  TERRENCE PELLETIER Greenfield”

… Obviously the song was around before 1967 if this lady at Rockaways Playland knew the melody in 1949 (assuming all 4 records were made around the same time)

I found this record at the Housing Works Bookstore in SOHO. The recording is on a 10 inch metal disc with some sort of a plastic surface. The surface was flaking off so the recording is only partial. But it is really good quality. I am guessing it is a commissioned copy of a recording from the Carnegie Hall’s library. From what I’ve heard, in the 40’s and earlier record labels etc sometimes made one-off lathe cut copies of out of print recordings. If it is a one-of-a-kind recording of some sort, you are welcome internet. The number 3 at the top makes me think it was part of a set of the whole performance.. But I only found the one damaged record.

Later in life, Hawaiian steel guitarist Sol Hoopii became a born-again Christian and spent many years traveling and using music to help him evangelize.  During that time he made several records. Here are a few from my collection. These aren’t as “hot” as his earlier work, but there are a couple upbeat b-sides.

This last side “To You, My Lord, Aloha” was an adaptation of the song “To You, Sweetheart, Aloha”. I found this record on ebay and amazingly it was autographed on the paper sleeve. In trying to verify it’s authenticity, I realized the other signature on the record label itself was a of a man named Ray Odegard who toured with him apparently accompanying him on piano. I found a newspaper clipping in an online archive that dates their tour together to withing a couple months of the date on Sol’s signature. The inscription reads “Aloha Neu Loa (very much love) to Sister Jensen Sol Hoopii 3/17/50 John 15.13“.  Sol died 3 years later on November 16, 1953.

here’s a video clip of him from near this time:

Sol Hoopii and His Novelty Trio perform Eleu Mikiki b/w Ka Ulula

Here’s another Sol Hoopii record I haven’t seen on any compilations:

6/18/1930, 78rpm  record, Columbia #40020-D, (149845), (149846)

Eleu, Mikimiki (King)

Ka Ulua

2 tracks on one side of a floppy cardboard record. Hit of the Week Records were produced between 1930 and 1932. Here’s one I found. There was a considerable crack at the beginning of this record and I had to do some sound editing to fix it..

Lullaby of the Leaves

Betty Boop

I found these records at a thrift store in Philly. $1 each. I knew the Firehouse Five Plus 2 as being made up of Disney Animators including Ward Kimball and Frank Thomas. Bob Scobey’s Frisco Band shared a member (Saxophonist George Probert) with the Firehouse Five. These 3 records, all on the same record label, must have been donated at the same time. Lucky me.

(each mp3 is one side of a record)

Firehouse Five Plus 2  Goes South (L-23) (1954)
Side A – Alabama Jubilee, Basin Street Blues, Tuck Me To Sleep In My Old Kentucky Home
Side B – I’m Gonna Charleston Back to Charleston, At A Georgia Camp Meeting, Original Dixieland One Step

Bob Scobey’s Frisco Band (Goodtime Jazz No. 1) (LP-9) (1953)
Side A – That’s a Plenty, Bele Street Blues, Wolverine Blues, Coney island Washboard
Side B – Pretty Baby, St Louis Blues, Some of these Days, Dippermouth Blues

Bob Scobey’s Frisco Band (Volume 2) (1953)
Side A – South, Sailin’ Down Chesapeake Bay, Melancholy, Chicago
Side B – Peoria, Do You Know What It Means to Miss New Orleans, All the Wrongs you’ve Done to Me, Blues My Naughty Sweetie Gives To Me