Paradise, Hawaiian Style (album)

Paradise, Hawaiian Style
Studio album Soundtrack by Elvis Presley
Released	June 10, 1966
Recorded	July–August 1965
Genre	Soundtrack, pop, Hawaiian
Length	22:20
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	David Weichman, Thorne Nogar
Elvis Presley chronology
Frankie and Johnny (1966) Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966) Spinout (1966)

Paradise, Hawaiian Style is the twenty-sixth album by Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3643, in June 1966. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on July 26 and 27, and August 2, 1965. It peaked at number 15 on the Top LP's chart.^[1]

Content

Presley found himself in 1965 recording soundtrack albums for films that were almost a year away from release — gone were the days when the turnaround time from the final session for Elvis Is Back! to its arrival in the shops was less than one week.^[2] While working on this album, his most recent film in the theaters was Tickle Me, and Presley had completed three more movies since then. With titles like "A Dog's Life" and "Queenie Wahine's Papaya" he openly ridiculed the material, wasting time before finally approaching the microphone to do the job.^[3] He begrudgingly accepted songs given him that he would have rejected outright years earlier. He always finished the work, but in essence Presley had become a hired hand in his own career.^[3]

No singles were issued from songs on the album. Ten songs were recorded at the sessions for the soundtrack, but only nine were used in the film. The omitted song, "Sand Castles," was included on the album to bring the running order to ten tracks. Sales for the album were under 250,000, a new low for Presley's LP catalogue.^[4] The good news was the single issued in June 1966 two days before the album, the 1945 Victor Young standard "Love Letters" backed with Clyde McPhatter's 1958 rhythm and blues hit "Come What May". It made a respectable number 19 on the Billboard Hot 100, and at least reflected Presley's actual tastes away from obligations to the soundtrack recordings.^[5] It was also his first contemporary record release in three years since "(You're the) Devil in Disguise" in June 1963, arriving in stores less than two weeks after it was recorded.^[6]

In 2004 "Paradise, Hawaiian Style was reissued on the Follow That Dream label in a special edition that contained the original album tracks along with numerous alternate takes.^[7]

Personnel

Elvis Presley – vocals The Jordanaires – backing vocals The Mello Men – backing vocals (on "Drums Of The Islands") Bernal Lewis – steel guitar

Scotty Moore, Barney Kessel – electric guitar Charlie McCoy – acoustic guitar Howard Roberts, Allan Hendrickson – electric guitar ("Sand Castles") Larry Muhoberac – piano

Ray Siegel – double bass Keith Mitchell – bass guitar ("Sand Castles") D.J. Fontana, Hal Blaine, Milt Holland – drums Victor Feldman – drums ("Sand Castles")

Track listing

Original release

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Paradise, Hawaiian Style"	Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye	July 27, 1965	2:39
2.	"Queenie Wahine's Papaya"	Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye	July 27, 1965	1:35
3.	"Scratch My Back (Then I'll Scratch Yours)"	Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye	July 26, 1965	2:16
4.	"Drums Of The Islands"	Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett	July 26, 1965	2:34
5.	"Datin'"	Fred Wise and Randy Starr	July 26, 1965	1:23

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"A Dog's Life"	Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne	July 27, 1965	1:59
2.	"House of Sand"	Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye	July 27, 1965	2:04
3.	"Stop Where You Are"	Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye	July 27, 1965	2:06
4.	"This Is My Heaven"	Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye	July 27, 1965	2:36
5.	"Sand Castles" (bonus track)	David Hess and Herb Goldberg	August 2, 1965	2:58

2004 Follow That Dream CD reissue

Original tracks No. Title Length 1. "Paradise, Hawaiian Style"   2:39 2. "Queenie Wahine's Papaya"   1:34 3. "Scratch My Back"   2:15 4. "Drums Of The Islands"   2:33 5. "Datin'"   1:22 6. "A Dog's Life"   1:58 7. "House of Sand"   2:03 8. "Stop Where You Are"   2:04 9. "This Is My Heaven"   2:34 10. "Sand Castles" (bonus track) 2:58 Previously released outtakes No. Title Length 11. "This Is My Heaven" (take 4) 3:01 12. "A Dog's Life" (takes 4, 5, 6) 5:45 13. "Datin'" (takes 6, 7, 8, 11, 12) 3:23 14. "This Is My Heaven" (take 7) 2:48

Previously unreleased outtakes No. Title Length 15. "Drums Of The Islands" (takes 4, 5) 3:37 16. "Queenie Wahine's Papaya" (take 5) 1:57 17. "Stop Where You Are" (take 1) 2:40 18. "House Of Sand" (take 3 plus intro) 4:44 19. "Paradise, Hawaiian Style" (takes 4, 1) 4:04 20. "Scratch My Back" (take 1) 2:29 21. "A Dog's Life" (take 8) 2:06 22. "Sand Castles" (KOV take 1) 3:06 23. "Datin'" (takes 1, 2, 3, 4) 3:20 24. "This Is My Heaven" (takes 1, 2, 3) 3:56

References

1. "Pop Albums". Elvis Presley: Official Site of the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
2. Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; p. 127.
3. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 201.
4. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 222.
5. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 217.
6. Jorgensen, op. cit., pp. 415, 417.
7. Sources:
   • "Follow That Dream releases". Elvispresleyshop. Elvis Australia. 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
   • "Paradise, Hawaiian Style". Shopelvis. ABG EPE IP LLC. 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015.