Sweet Leilani Explained

"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."

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 .
• 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

• Elton Britt, Country Music's Yodelling Cowboy Crooner, Vol. 2 (2007)^[46]
• Martin Denny, Bachelor in Paradise: The Best of Martin Denny (1996)^[47]
• Cliff Edwards ("Ukulele Ike"), Singing in the Rain (1995)^[48]
• Benny Goodman, The Essential Benny Goodman (2007)^[49]
• The Platters, Four Platters and One Lovely Dish (1994)^[50]
• Don Redman, 1936–1939 (1991)^[51]

See also

• List of best-selling sheet music

External links

• About the song

Notes and References

1. http://www.78discography.com/Dec1000.htm Decca 1000–1500 Numerical Listing
2. Book: Roberts , David . 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited. London. 1-904994-10-5. 134.
3. http://tsort.info/music/yr1937.htm Songs from the Year 1937
4. http://www.allmusic.com/song/sweet-leilani-t1363186 Allmusic "Sweet Leilani" Bing Crosby with music sample
5. http://www.78discography.com/BRN55000.htm Brunswick 55000 series – The Online 78 rpm Discographical Project
6. http://www.hulapages.com/covers_4.htm Hulapages: The Covers: 1930–39
7. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030000/ Internet Movie Database: Cocoanut Grove
8. http://www.bsnpubs.com/capitol/78-10/01capitol1-149.html Capitol Album Discography, Part 1: The 78-rpm Albums: 1 to 149
9. http://www.bsnpubs.com/capitol/78-10/02capitol150-299.html Capitol Album Discography, Part 2: The 10" Albums: 150 to 299
10. http://www.allmusic.com/song/sweet-leilani-t2514056 Allmusic "Sweet Leilani" Harry Owens with music sample
11. http://www.allmusic.com/album/ring-around-rosie-hollywoods-best-r488676 Allmusic Ring Around Rosie/Hollywood's Best Rosemary Clooney Review with music sample
12. http://www.allmusic.com/album/sings-academy-award-winning-songs-sings-irving-berlin-broadway-classics-r586914 Allmusic Eddie Fisher Sings Academy Award Winning Songs/Sings Irving Berlin/Broadway Classics Review with music sample
13. http://www.allmusic.com/album/south-sea-island-magic-in-the-mystic-east-r685926 Allmusic South Sea Island Magic/In the Mystic East Frank Chacksfield Review with music sample
14. http://www.bsnpubs.com/capitol/previews/600-2999.pdf http://www.bsnpubs.com/capitol/previews/600-2999.pdf Capitol Records Discography, Continued
15. http://www.allmusic.com/album/aloha-r984235 Allmusic Aloha The King Sisters with music sample
16. http://www.allmusic.com/song/sweet-leilani-t14337151 Allmusic "Sweet Leilani" Marty Robbins with music sample
17. http://www.allmusic.com/album/hawaiian-sunset-the-sounds-of-arthur-lyman-r240922 Allmusic Hawaiian Sunset: The Sounds of Arthur Lyman with music sample
18. http://www.discogs.com/Andr%C3%A9-Kostelanetz-Lure-Of-Paradise/master/324805 Discogs André Kostelanetz – Lure of Paradise
19. http://www.allmusic.com/album/the-lure-of-france-the-lure-of-paradise-r732272 Allmusic The Lure of France/The Lure of Paradise André Kostelanetz with music sample
20. http://www.discogs.com/Les-Paul-And-Mary-Ford-Lovers-Luau/master/188176 Discogs Les Paul & Mary Ford – Lovers' Luau
21. http://www.allmusic.com/album/lovers-luau-compilation-r387640 Allmusic Lover's Luau Les Paul & Mary Ford Review with music sample
22. http://www.discogs.com/Billy-Vaughn-And-His-Orchestra-Blue-Hawaii/release/1714050 Discogs Billy Vaughn And His Orchestra – Blue Hawaii
23. http://www.allmusic.com/album/sail-along-silvry-moon-blue-hawaii-r835444 Allmusic Sail Along Silv'ry Moon/Blue Hawaii Billy Vaughn Review with music sample
24. http://www.allmusic.com/album/to-you-sweetheart-aloha-bonus-tracks-r545999 Allmusic To You Sweetheart, Aloha Andy Williams Review with music sample
25. http://www.discogs.com/101-Strings-In-A-Hawaiian-Paradise/release/1647976 Discogs 101 Strings – In a Hawaiian Paradise
26. http://www.allmusic.com/album/romantic-songs-of-the-sea-r75366 Allmusic Romantic Songs of the Sea 101 Strings Orchestra Review with music sample
27. http://www.discogs.com/Nelson-Riddle-Love-Tide/release/1691782 Discogs Nelson Riddle – Love Tide
28. http://www.allmusic.com/album/sea-of-dreams-love-tide-r689182 Allmusic Sea of Dreams/Love Tide Nelson Riddle with music sample
29. http://www.pelstream.co.uk/pfalbum.htm Percy Faith – Original Albums
30. http://www.allmusic.com/song/sweet-leilani-t5884383 Allmusic "Sweet Leilani" Percy Faith with music sample
31. http://www.allmusic.com/album/little-bitty-tear-the-nashville-years-1961-1965-r245924 Allmusic A Little Bitty Tear: The Nashville Years 1961–1965 Burl Ives Review with music sample
32. http://www.allmusic.com/album/blue-hawaii-r1344225 Allmusic Blue Hawaii Roberto Delgado Review
33. http://www.allmusic.com/album/academy-award-songs-r67349 Allmusic The Academy Award Songs Henry Mancini Review with music sample
34. http://forbiddeneye.com/labels/rcavictor.html RCA Victor Discography
35. http://www.allmusic.com/album/ray-conniffs-hawaiian-album-r66424 Allmusic Ray Conniff's Hawaiian Album with chart and music sample
36. http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the_waikikis/pearly_shells_from_hawaii/ Albums by The Waikikis: Pearly Shells from Hawaii – Rate Your Music
37. http://www.discogs.com/Don-Ho-Hawaiis-Greatest-Hits/release/1533573 Discogs Don Ho – Hawaii's Greatest Hits
38. http://www.allmusic.com/album/don-ho-hawaiis-greatest-hits-r635822 Allmusic Hawaii's Greatest Hits Don Ho with music sample
39. http://www.allmusic.com/album/waikikis-greatest-hits-now-r121275 Allmusic Waikiki's Greatest Hits, Now! Roland Cazimero with music sample
40. http://www.allmusic.com/album/baja-sessions-r241642 Allmusic Baja Sessions Chris Isaak Review with chart and music sample
41. http://www.allmusic.com/album/sweet-leilani-r298762 Allmusic Sweet Leilani Dennis Pavao
42. http://www.allmusic.com/album/dream-dancing-in-hawaii-r307488 Allmusic Dream Dancing in Hawaii Ray Anthony with music sample
43. http://www.allmusic.com/album/hawaiian-classics-r1310524 Allmusic Hawaiian Classics Daniel Ho with music sample
44. http://www.allmusic.com/album/this-is-what-i-do-r505570 Allmusic This Is What I Do Sonny Rollins Review with music sample
45. http://www.allmusic.com/album/tropic-rhapsody-r1461821 Allmusic Tropic Rhapsody Teresa Bright with music sample
46. http://www.allmusic.com/album/country-musics-yodelling-cowboy-crooner-vol-2-r1083957 Allmusic Country Music's Yodelling Cowboy Crooner, Vol. 2 Elton Britt with music sample
47. http://www.allmusic.com/album/bachelor-in-paradise-the-best-of-martin-denny-r234701 Allmusic Bachelor in Paradise: The Best of Martin Denny Review with charts
48. http://www.allmusic.com/album/singing-in-the-rain-audiophile-r286657 Allmusic Singing in the Rain Cliff Edwards with music sample
49. http://www.allmusic.com/album/essential-benny-goodman-bluebird-legacy-r1067700 Allmusic The Essential Benny Goodman Review with music sample
50. http://www.allmusic.com/album/four-platters-and-one-lovely-dish-r218279 Allmusic Four Platters and One Lovely Dish The Platters with music sample
51. http://www.allmusic.com/album/1936-1939-r163379 Allmusic 1936–1939 Don Redman Review with music sample