The Waikiki Islanders

[Alan Cook]

Bargain of the day 50p from the charity shop down the road. Shades of Hawaii featuring our very own Basil Henriques, great for doing the saturday morning work out to!

[Donny Johnston]

I used to have that album, brilliant, think I was 4 at the time but I'm sure Bas can tell us when it was released.

[Basil Henriques]

There's a long story.. about that :- Ah well.. The "Big Ben Syndrome" strikes again..

In the early 1960's, Both Gordon Huntley's and BJ Cole's work was way ahead of mine, as was Rod King's, the only difference was that I had the cheek to write to EMI and tell them that the Waikiki Beach Boys Hawaiian Steel albums currently available were CRAP.

This is the story that I've never related before, but I think it's time it was told.
As I said, I wrote to the chief of the A&R dept at EMI and said I could do better than what they currently were purveying. They listened to what I said and purely because of my sales pitch they came along to the Castaways in Birmingham, (A longish trip for a London based producer to make just on spec.)After Wally Ridley and Syd Gillingham had spent all the evening/night listening to my group, they told me at the end of the night that "I'd Got the Job" and said make arrangements to come down to Manchester Square and sign a contract.

I subsequently did and they signed me initially for 10 years at three albums per year.
The witness to the contract was Syd Gillingham EMI's chief press officer, and after the signing Syd asked me would I give him lessons on Hawaiian Guitar, I said "do you play" Syd replied "yes, I'm the steel player and band leader of the Waikiki Beach Boys", the very band I'd told EMI that I thought were crap..

There's a thread currently on the USA SGF about "Best Produced" albums, and whilst I wouldn't count mine amongst the best of steel playing, without a doubt the team WERE top drawer.

EMI Studio Two Stereo, their premier label,

Geoff Emerick and Martin Benge engineers who engineered amongst others, The Beatles Sgt Pepper.

My albums were produced by Walter J. Ridley

producer for :-
Vera Lynn,
Cliff Richard
Swinging Blue Jeans
Peter Sellers
Benny Hill
Jose Carreras
Max Bygraves
Donald Peers
Ronnie Hilton
Eartha Kitt
Joe Loss
Alma Cogan
Johnny Duncan
Johnny Kidd & The Pirates...


The musicians Wally used on my albums included :
Ike Isaacs, Barry Morgan (Blue Mink)
Vic Flick (John Barry Seven)
and because Wally was head of A&R and EMI's top arranger, musicians he selected from these bands and orchestras:-
Click Here

The chief Press officer at EMI was later to become a pupil of mine, Syd Gillingham (Waikiki Beach Boys) and he handled the world distribution for me via all of EMI's world wide offices.

As I said, a top flight team, pity my playing wasn't a bit better. The arrangements were new to me on the day of recording and the albums were always completed in two to three sessions.
EMI picked the material they wanted me to record,
It was all from "Dots" and the arranger only outlined the melody and harmonies for the steel..Sight reading is NOT conducive to good intonation or timing at times..
I didn't like it, but it was the product EMI wanted and as such they were happy.

Looking back now 40+ years later, I should have insisted on recording tunes I was familiar with and also had more of a say in the arrangements, but all in all I think I was VERY lucky, and that's my point...Luck, more than 50% of the equation.

[Alan Cook]

How many albums did you do? What are they called. Great bit of UK steel history. Tell us more.

Alan