Category: Uncategorized

Mel Cabang

Mel Cabang – Your Love

(For You Lady, 1978)

Mel Cabang was born at the Honokaa plantation on the Big Island of Hawaii, the son of a Filipino sugar worker and his Portuguese wife. After spending his childhood playing the guitar and feeding chickens, he left Hawaii for Pasadena City College in California. He worked his way through school by playing music gigs and managing a taco stand.  

His first professional music gig was at the Newport Beach Club. “Jose Feliciano used to come in, and that was before he became a star.” Mel even recalls the night Jose’s seeing-eye dog bit him on the arm. Recent state legislation allowing pets in night clubs meant that the California club circuit was rampant with seeing-eye dogs. To this day Mel can’t understand why the dog bit him, but he shrugs his shoulders. “Us musicians have to put up with a lot.”

Mel Cabang – I Can’t Understand

Mel decided to try his luck in Vegas, where he landed a regular gig in the Crown Room of the Hilton. Between sets, he would catch Red Foxx’s show. Mel studied Red carefully and began working humor into his routine. “I used to call the audience ‘a bunch of gorillas’ and they just loved it.”

But after a while Mel tired of singing the same old tunes night after night. “How many times can a human being sing Union Of The Snake without donning a safari suit?” So he moved back to Hawaii and decided to go solo. He built up quite a large following in Hawaii as the house performer at the Outrigger Hotel, the Gold Coin Restaurant, and the Hickory Steak House. His debut album Lady, which he produced, arranged and conducted, was the culmination of many years of hard work. Richard Wong, the owner of Gold Coin restaurant said it best: “Everybody has problems…money problems, personal problems… Mel helps folks forget all their troubles. He helps them forget they’re even humans.”  

“You’re all a bunch of gorillas!”

Henri Salvador – Pauvre Jesus Christ

Henri Salvador – Pauvre Jesus-Christ (1971)

We celebrate the birth of Jesus with a story from the recently uncovered (and still controversial) New Testament book, The Gospel According to Henri, which was made into the film L’Explosion in 1971. It is a tale of contracts, guitars, and marijuana cigars — a warning to Jesus to never return to earth unless he’s prepared to make spaghetti westerns and soap commercials with Jacques Dutronc. Hey, don’t throw him in the briar patch.

Celia Lipton – Jingle Bells

Celia Lipton – Jingle Bells (Merry Christmas With Love, 1987)

Celia Lipton and Christmas songs? Now that’s ideal casting. Never content to be known simply as the wife of the man who invented the paper milk carton, the former actress and now legendary socialite was the driving force behind the Palm Beach Charity Scene in the 1980’s. In 1987, she teamed up with the Independent Record Corporation to release this Christmas album as part of her annual Socialites Against Scurvy campaign. Celia’s unique brand of warmth gives everyone that “I’m glad I’m livin'” feeling that is so much a part of the joyous holiday. It’s no wonder the project was one of her greatest triumphs, as sales from the album went a long way towards eradicating scurvy in southern Florida. 

Ronnie Dunne Quartet

Ronnie Dunne Quartet – I Hope You’re Satisfied

(Introducing the Versatile Ronnie Dunne Quartet, 1967)

In the autumn of 1965, Ronnie Dunne made desperate phone calls to several of his fellow jazz instrumentalists from England, begging them to fly down to Spain in order to help him fulfill a performance contract he had no recollection of signing. He called Buckie, Dave, and John not only because they owed him money, but also for their excellent musicianship — they had all played with the best jazz musicians in England. Yet upon their arrival in the Canary Islands, Ronnie’s shady management team demanded that they all SING as well as play! Besides the fact that there was nothing in the contract requiring them to vocalize a single syllable for the next 50 years, “none of us had even entertained the idea of singing before” said Ron. Naturally the group was tempted to book the next flight home, but after only a year of practice, their four harmonizing voices and numerous instruments made them stars in the Canaries and Majorca. Then they travelled all over Scandinavia, appearing on countless TV and radio broadcasts, stage shows and cabarets. They even made cameos in 3 films, if you can believe that. Their debut album was a mix of covers, swedish folk songs, and original compositions. The originals (including the song above) are the best of the bunch. 

The Canarios

Canarios – Trying So Hard (1968)

The Canarios were a primitive tribe inhabiting the Canary Island Concert Hall when they were first discovered by the conquering Spaniards at the beginning of the 15th century. As they slowly integrated into Spanish society they managed to score several hit singles on the Spanish charts, and they even opened a few shows for The Beach Boys! (too bad it was during the “Kokomo” years). Eduardo “Teddy” Bautista, the tribe leader, was rather fond of wearing teddies but he disbanded the group in the late 60s to enter the military. When his stint was over he happily abandoned his army uniform and returned to his teddies, only to find his bandmates experimenting with synthesizers and talking about symphonic rock, of all things. One can easily guess what happened next… but for now let’s focus on their glorious garage days. 

Peter King

Peter King – Mr. and Mrs. Untrue (A Soulfull Peter King, 1977)

We conclude our annual We Three Kings series with this soothing, soulful ballad from Peter King, a multi-instrumentalist from Nigeria’s Western State. In closing, there is general agreement among modern scholars that if Peter, Rosa, and Ben E. King had been alive during Jesus’ time, they would have kicked some serious biblical butt.