As promised just a few months ago, here comes what could possibly be one of the last posts in the long series that I dedicated to Dick Jensen since October 2011. Well, I must admit that I am contemplating the idea of gathering together all his singles, so there may still be room for one more big post dedicated to him here on Stereo Candies sometime soon.
Oh, and I have not yet completely resigned myself to live without a copy of Jensen's "True Spirit of Aloha", a religious album (...vinyl? ...cassette? Who knows....) that was released in 1985, after he became a born again evangelical Christian minister. This release is mentioned at least on a couple of Hawaiianwebsites and could easily be seen as the Holy Grail for all Jensen's die-hard fans, namely Me, Myself and I.
If you happen to have any information about such release and, who knows, even a copy for sale then I would love to hear from you, really!
A rare early/mid '80s picture of Dick Jensen, sorry for the awful quality!
Jensen was a live musical performer of the Rhythm and Blues, Soul, and Gospel genres. A native Hawaiian athletic song stylist and a prime mover of nightclub shows inspired by Little Richard, whose "white hot soul" electrified audiences with his belting voice and imposing physical performances. Jensen earned the sobriquet "The Giant" because of his tall stature, but he had a talent to match that nickname. His signature on-stage style incorporated strenuous dance moves similar to those of Jackie Wilson; he was noted for his glide - a proto-Moonwalk - well before Michael Jackson made it fashionable; just have a look at this clip on YouTube.
Jensen's music career began in 1959 and during the next fifteen years he moved back and forth between the Continental U.S. and Hawaii several times. He soon established himself as a singer in the Islands and in 1965 he got a contract with Loma Records.
During the late '60s / early '70 he often performed at several hotels and casinos and guested on many TV shows. His first album, entitled "White Hot Soul" (...available here...) was released in late 1969.
His potential as a national mainstream recording artist resulted in a contract with Philadelphia International, one of the top Soul music labels of the early 1970s. His "Dick Jensen" album was released in early 1973, but unfortunately sales were low and Jensen's tenure with the legendary label was very short...
Jensen returned to Honolulu around 1974 or 1975 and quickly re-estabilished himself as a local showroom star with engagements at the Hula Hut and at the Empire Room on the Oceania Floating Restaurant; the latter was jammed night after night for eight years.
"Giant of Hawaii", Jensen's third album (...available here...), was produced and arranged by Don Costa for his Don Costa Productions Inc. The record was released by Jensen himself in mid/late 1976 on a personal label created on purpose, the evocative Record Club of Honolulu.
In 1978 Jensen had a small part in a TV movie entitled "The Islander". I desperately tried to find a copy of this movie or at least more information about it, but all I could come up with is this short synopsis.
During 1979 Jensen worked on a new album with Bartolome 'Bart' Bascone, a veteran Island musician, conductor, composer and arranger best known for his novelty song "Who Is the Lolo (Who Stole My Pakalolo)", which Don Ho recorded and made a radio hit in 1977. "The Writer" (...available here...) was probably released the same year on Giant Records, another one-off label created by Jensen himself.
During the early '80s Jensen appeared on The Mike Douglas Show when it was broadcast from Hawaii, and guested on a few episodes of Magnum P.I.
Around the same time, a new single appeared out of the blue on, ehm, Bluewater Records, and - as you already guessed - "Honolulu Girls / On the Beach" is the subject of this post
Here's the track list for this 7" single:
01. Honolulu Girls (3:18)
02. On the Beach (3:04)
Both tracks were remastered from the original vinyl in April 2018 and are available in FLAC lossless format, along with scans of the original item.
Please have a look at the comments for the download link.
"Honolulu Girls / On the Beach" was released on Bluewater Records with catalogue number BW 1040 sometime in the early '80s. Unfortunately only very few information about this Hawaiian label run by legendary Tom Moffatt is available on the Internet.
My copy comes in a simple white paper sleeve and I guess this is how it was originally released. Date of publication is not written anywhere on the center labels, neither there are hints about it in the run-out grooves... Anyway, according to Discogs, other Bluewater singles with a lower catalogue number were released in 1980 and 1981, so I guess that a 1982-84 release date is correct.
Both tracks on the record were produced by Frank Day. No other credit is available, but I suppose that they were written by Jensen himself, or at least the lyrics seems to suit his style and suggest that he has to be credited for them.
The songs share a very similar musical structure and include extended saxophone solos. Unfortunately, like many other music recorded in the '80s, they seem quite dated now and they don't share the same freshness of other material recorded by Jensen during the previous decade.
Anyway, once again they showcase common themes of the life on the Islands and are a testament to the author's positive personality and attitude.
The following clips offer a complete preview of the remastered single, enjoy "Honolulu Girls" and "On the Beach"!
More information about Dick Jensen is available here:
I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.
I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.
Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.
All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.
If you have other useful information about this post, or if you spot any dead links, please get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!
Oh me, oh me
I hate the morning after the night before
I know I can't take it anymore
I know I've said it once or twice before
I hate the morning after the night before
These bloodshot eyes now realize
those Mai Tais were the devil in disguise
If I could only find a way to stop this pile-driving pain
I promise that I'd never, ever, do it again
Do it again, do it again
Do it again, do it again
Go ahead, do it again
Oh me, oh me
I hate the morning after the night before
I know I can't take it anymore
I know I've said it once or twice before
I hate the morning after the night before
I feel the crutch of Planter's Punch
Martinis are no substitute for lunch
If I could only find a way to get this pain to leave my brain
I promise that I'd never, ever, do it again
Do it again, do it again
Do it again
Do it again, do it again
C'mon, do it again
Oh me, oh me
I should have just stayed in bed...
[from the lyrics of "I Hate the Morning (After the Night Before)"]
Here we are at last, very close to the end of the loooong series of posts I dedicated to Dick Jensen since October 2011. A lot of visitors of this blog have been requesting "The Writer" so many times, but two facts prevented me from offering it until now.
First of all I had to find a decent copy of the album and that hasn't been an easy task, believe me. This record is usually quite expensive on the second-hand market and most of the copies come with an autograph / dedication on the front or back cover, and the cover itself often suffer from ring wear...
At last, some three years ago I was lucky enough to purchase a sealed and untouched beautiful copy, but another factor delayed the publication of this post: my love/obsession for Chronology. If you're a recurring visitor of this blog I'm sure that you noticed that it is something I really care about and I always try my best to post according to that.
So, my apologies to all who have been requesting this album for so long: if you've been patient until now, I am sure that you will be satisfied with my digitization and remastering of such a precious gem.
Next in line in the following months will be the "Honolulu Girls / On the Beach" 7" single, which was released in the early '80s. I've always thought that it was the last Dick Jensen music release but I was wrong: only a few months ago I discovered with my greatest surprise that in 1985 he also released "True Spirit of Aloha", a religious album which is mentioned on a couple of Hawaiianwebsites.
Unfortunately I never had a chance to see a copy available for sale and I don't even know how the cover looks like... Since I am not a religious person I must admit that I am not particularly interested into it, but the parasitic completist that lives inside of me will never be satisfied until he's able to buy a copy. If you read these lines and can help him, I'll be glad to forward him your message... (8-)
Ok, enough said, here come the usual biographical notes. If you enjoy this post (...and the album...) don't forget to let me know about it in the comment section, thank you!
Jensen was a live musical performer of the Rhythm and Blues, Soul, and Gospel genres. A native Hawaiian athletic song stylist and a prime mover of nightclub shows inspired by Little Richard, whose "white hot soul" electrified audiences with his belting voice and imposing physical performances. Jensen earned the sobriquet "The Giant" because of his tall stature, but he had a talent to match that nickname. His signature on-stage style incorporated strenuous dance moves similar to those of Jackie Wilson; he was noted for his glide - a proto-Moonwalk - well before Michael Jackson made it fashionable; just have a look at this clip on YouTube.
Jensen's music career began in 1959 and during the next fifteen years he moved back and forth between the Continental U.S. and Hawaii several times. He soon established himself as a singer in the Islands and in 1965 he got a contract with Loma Records.
During the late '60s / early '70 he often performed at several hotels and casinos and guested on many TV shows. His first album, entitled "White Hot Soul" (...available here...) was released in late 1969.
His potential as a national mainstream recording artist resulted in a contract with Philadelphia International, one of the top Soul music labels of the early 1970s. His "Dick Jensen" album was released in early 1973, but unfortunately sales were low and Jensen's tenure with the legendary label was very short...
Dick Jensen as he appears on the back cover of "The Writer"
Jensen returned to Honolulu around 1974 or 1975 and quickly re-estabilished himself as a local showroom star with engagements at the Hula Hut and at the Empire Room on the Oceania Floating Restaurant; the latter was jammed night after night for eight years.
Jensen's signature number, a fanciful comic story about the Lone Ranger and Tonto in which he single-handedly created all the voices and sound effects, was always a highlight, and every bit as impressive as his singing, dancing and overall showmanship... You can catch a glimpse of this performance - and much more - in the tribute video available on YouTube.
So, what do you do if you're a first class performer, you've written new songs but you find yourself without a recording contract? For some reason Jensen thought the best option was to self-release his own fresh material on a private label created on purpose, the evocative Record Club of Honolulu.
Produced and arranged by Don Costa for his Don Costa Productions Inc., "Giant of Hawaii" (...available here...) was released sometimes in mid/late 1976. Around the same time, a single containing two cuts from the album, namely a mono version of "Cloudy Mornin'" on Side A and a stereo version of "Love Shack" on the flipside, also appeared. The single, whish was probably aimed at radio promotion and rarely shows up for sale nowadays, is available here.
In 1978 Jensen had a small part in a TV movie entitled "The Islander". I desperately tried to find a copy of this movie or at least more information about it, but all I could come up with is this short synopsis.
During 1979 Jensen worked on a new album with Bartolome 'Bart' Bascone, a veteran Island musician, conductor, composer and arranger best known for his novelty song "Who Is the Lolo (Who Stole My Pakalolo)", which Don Ho recorded and made a radio hit in 1977. On a side note, Bascone also released twoalbums of his own compositions which are quite worth investigating... But now let's move on to "The Writer".
"The Writer" contains the following tracks:
01. I Hate the Morning (After the Night Before) (3:24)
02. You Keep Turning Me On (3:06)
03. Windward Lady (3:32)
04. Wanna Get in Your Pants (6:12)
05. Our Last Aloha (5:19)
06. Better Slow Down (3:28)
07. Lady Love (3:28)
08. Kong Chiki Kong (3:50)
All tracks were remastered from the original vinyl in October 2017 and are available in FLAC lossless format, along with complete artwork reconstruction and printable PDF files.
Please have a look at the comments for the download link.
"The Writer" was probably released sometimes in late 1979 on Giant Records, which I strongly suspect was nothing else but another one-off label created by Dick Jensen, just like the previous Record Club of Honolulu. I lean toward the late 1979 release date because on the spine is written "(C) 1979 Giant Records", even if the catalogue number assigned to this album is GRS 1980. My opinion is that the album was printed at the end of 1979 but it was given that catalogue number to make it look more fresh when it was first marketed during the next months.
The record comes in a sober black and white sleeve. Both on the front and back, Jensen is portrayed with an acoustic guitar, wearing comfortable light-coloured clothes and sandals. The image on the front cover gives a sense of calmness and looks like it was printed on a canvas; more probably it is not a photograph, but a sketch based on a photograph or something like that. In the picture on the back cover we notice that Jensen is wearing a medallion. It looks like a lion, but since he was born under the Aries sign it could also be a ram. Whatever it is, I guess it was much important to him since it can be seen in many other pictures that date back to the late '60s, a lucky charm maybe...
The cover is in deep contrast with the one featured three years earlier on the previous LP. Even the choice of the album title looks more meditative. The message that I perceive is that, due to the fact that at the time Jensen was widely acknowledged both as a singer and a performer, he also wanted to be recognised as an author. Of course this is my personal interpretation and I could be completely wrong. As a matter of fact, the album featured almost solely songs that he had written (seven out of eight) and this was happening for the first time in a long career.
Anyway, including a contagious Disco track and a few other lively Soul and Funk numbers, the album is not completely laid-back as the cover would suggest... Just like for the previous "Giant of Hawaii", most of the copies of "The Writer" that are usually put up for sale on eBay or similar websites are signed with a big marker by Jensen himself and often come with dedications. This undoubtedly means that most copies of the album were sold directly to people at his live shows as a souvenir of the performance: Jensen probably took the time to have a word with the audience and sign his records after the show...
Dick Jensen 1969/1979: the medallion is still the same...
Side 1 opens with "I Hate the Morning (After the Night Before)", whose lyrics you can read at the top of the post. It is a simple number but it is probably significant for what concerns Jensen's habits at the time. Almost two decades in the show-business were starting to take their toll and The Giant was caught in between the need to lead a quieter existence and the temptations of nightlife.
"You Keep Turning Me On" is one of the most fascinating tracks on the album, and a work of class for sure. The gentle percussion underlayer keep the rhythm moving, while the string machine creates a compelling atmosphere. The phased female backing vocal are just the icing on the cake and there's not a single note too much in this perfect piece, great!
We keep sailing along with "Windward Lady", another piece that wouldn't have made a poor showing on an album that Jensen could have released on Philadelphia International if they didn't decide to drop him. As I wrote elsewhere, I can only imagine what he could have done if only the label had kept on supporting him. Although Jensen's voice was not deep and smooth as Lou Rawls', his late '70s releases come to mind. Here's the lyrics to this beautiful song which I'm pretty sure Jensen dedicated to his wife at that time:
Windward lady, she's a special lady
and she never lets me down
Windward lady, she's a special lady
with both feet on the ground
We leave two lives so differently
me and my music, her and the family
She keeps them strong, I sing my songs
that lady does no wrong
Windward lady, she's a special lady
and she never lets me down
Windward lady, she's a special lady
with both feet on the ground
Some days we share with family and friends
breaking bread together again
After all it is said and done
she's still number one
Windward lady, she's a special lady
and the world should know
she's the one, she's the only one
and I love her, and I love her so
I love her so, I love her so
I love her so, I love her so
She's a windward lady, she's a special lady she's a windward lady, she's a special lady
"Wanna Get in Your Pants", the last track on Side 1 seems to have been recorded - or at least mixed - in a completely different manner than the rest of the album. The original mix was almost mono compared to the other tracks and I had to invest a lot of energies and time to come up with a version that is more coherent with them. Maybe a 12" single has been taken in consideration at a certain point, who knows... Anyway, I guess that the title says it all, this is a commercial Disco affair with repetitive and explicit lyrics that also offers long instrumental parts and breaks.
Side 2 starts with "Our Last Aloha", which is the only song included on the album that was not penned by Jensen himself. The music and lyrics for this number were written by Bart Bascone, who also co-produced "The Writer". The song was originally included on Bascone's debut LP entitled "Makapuu", which nowadays has become such a rarity. Luckily enough, South Korean label Big Pink Musichas re-issued the album on CD in 2013 and copies can still be found for a decent price. For his version, Jensen has slightly changed some lines and has also added a short rappin' à laIsaac Hayes... Here's the lyrics of this song:
Aloha means 'I love you'
Aloha also means 'Goodbye'
Baby, I lost it a long time ago
that love I had for you
but I found the courage to tell you how I feel
and say what is really real
Maybe I should have left you all by yourself
to settle your mind without me
Too many times I just followed you around
swallowed all the pride I had
Baby, this is our last aloha
this is our last goodbye
this is our last aloha
the feeling has finally died
I treasured everything about you
'cause loving you, loving you, is all I ever knew
But baby, you just kept pushing me away
pushing me, until all I have to say is goodbye
This is our last aloha
this is our last goodbye this is our last aloha
the feeling has finally died
Aloha goodbye, goodbye the feeling has finally died
Oh, this is our last aloha
this is our last goodbye
this is our last aloha
that feeling has finally died
This is our last aloha
this is our last goodbye
this is our last aloha
The album proceeds with "Better Slow Down", a song which is arranged and played in an almost Funky manner, with slapped bass and Clavinet in the background, sort of... I am not sure if I got the lyrics' meaning right - Jensen's voice is not that clear in this piece - but it may be about not running too fast in a new relationship or the need of a breath of air during a sexual intercourse which might end too soon or... who knows!
Once again, with "Lady Love" I can't help but think about the albums that Lou Rawls cut with Philadelphia International during the same period that Jensen self-released "Giant of Hawaii" and "The Writer". There's no justice in this world... Interestingly enough, a song with the same title was recorded by Rawls himself a couple of years earlier, uhm... Could it be that Jensen was somehow inspired by Rawls' original? Who knows... and who cares, because this is another example of perfection and for sure one of my favourites from the album. One of the best songs that The Giant has ever recorded and produced during his career, full stop.
The album closes with "Kong Chiki Kong", a piece which - according to the original liner notes - was inspired by Sammy Davis, Jr. who was befriended by Jensen back in the days of his tenure in Vegas during the late '60s / early '70s. The song is an uptempo number which feature the only electric guitar solo on the album.
To end this post, here's the original credits and personnel list as they're printed on the back cover of "The Writer":
Music and words by Dick Jensen, except "Our Last Aloha" by Bart Bascone.
Musicians include: Kata Maduli - bass John Rapoza - guitar Glenn Goto - keyboards Mike Kennedy - drums Vernon Kalama - percussions
(Backing vocals and horn section are uncredited...)
Produced by Dick Jensen.
Co-produced by Bart Bascone.
Thanks to Sammy Davis, Jr. for inspiring "Kong Chiki Kong" and to Don Costa for the thought.
Thanks to my lovely wife, Judy, for giving me my space to do this album.
The following clips offer a complete preview of the remastered album, enjoy!
More information about Dick Jensen is available here:
I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.
I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.
Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.
All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.
If you have any other useful information about this post, or if you spot any dead links, please get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!
It was twenty years ago down in Tupelo, I was raised on chopping wood
Mama died, left the family five, papa did the best he could
he'd take then his old guitar, and we'd all gather round
he'd start a song and we would sing along to that good time Country sound
'Cause papa was a music man, papa was a music man
He picked the big guitar, he played the Country bars
He was an homegrown one-man band
Papa was a music man, papa was a music man
A touch of Rock'n'Roll, a little Country Soul, papa was a music man
He'd send me to the kitchen for the frying pan, the washboard and the spoons
I'd start a rhythm on a old tin can, then papa would begin his tune
Everyone would harmonize as he sang such happy songs
and he keeped the beat with his hard tapping feet while we all sang along
'Cause papa was a music man, papa was a music man
He picked the big guitar, he played the Country bars
He was an homegrown one-man band
Papa was a music man, papa was a music man
A touch of Rock'n'Roll, a little Country Soul, papa was a music man
Hear that old tin can kicking out a crazy beat In that basement room, clap your hands and tap your feet
I remember the year papa passed away, he took me by the hand
He said - Son of mine, don't you think it's time that you lead the family band?
He taught me how to play guitar, I practiced every day
And when he died, you know we sang all night, papa would have liked it that way
'Cause papa was a music man, papa was a music man
He picked the big guitar, he played the Country bars
He was an homegrown one-man band
Papa was a music man, papa was a music man
A touch of Rock'n'Roll, a little Country Soul, papa was a music man
[from the lyrics of "Papa Was a Music Man"]
If you already visited this blog in the past few years, I'm sure that you noticed the huge amount of material I posted about Dick Jensen. With the current post my work is almost finished... Well, I still need to take care about "The Writer" album and the "Honolulu Girls / On the Beach" single: hopefully I'll be able to feature them here soon.
Jensen was a live musical performer of the Rhythm and Blues, Soul, and Gospel genres. A native Hawaiian athletic song stylist and a prime mover of nightclub shows inspired by Little Richard, whose "white hot soul" electrified audiences with his belting voice and imposing physical performances. Jensen earned the sobriquet "The Giant" because of his tall stature, but he had a talent to match that nickname. His signature on-stage style incorporated strenuous dance moves similar to those of Jackie Wilson; he was noted for his glide - a proto-Moonwalk - well before Michael Jackson made it fashionable.
As I was trying to document the end of Jensen's tenure with legendary Philadelphia International Records, after the release of his self-titled LP in 1973, I had to confront myself with my most bitter enemy: lack of information.
When exactly - and why - the label dropped him? I understand that the "Dick Jensen" album probably wasn't very successful, and maybe the problem laid within the fact that Jensen wasn't the usual Soul singer; he ranged from Pop and Easy Listening right through to Jazz and Gospel...
But this should be considered positive, at least in my opinion: I can only dream about what he could have done when Disco broke through a couple of years later, if only the label had kept on supporting him... Althought Jensen's voice was not deep and smooth as Lou Rawls', his late '70s releases come to mind.
At last, the liner notes written by Stephen SPAZ Schnee for the 2013 "Dick Jensen" CD re-release on Big Break Records came through for me, confirming that "Upon release, critics and Soul fans didn't know what to make of the album. Jensen's talent was undeniable, but the album was not what they expected from the house that Gamble & Huff had built and the project itself got lost in the confusion." Well, damn critics and Soul fans, that is still a great album forty years after his publication, how didn't you know what to make of it in 1973?!?
Dick Jensen performing at The Oceania Empire Room, December 1975 (from my collection)
Jensen returned to Honolulu around 1974 or 1975 and quickly re-estabilished himself as a local showroom star with engagements at the Hula Hut and at the Empire Room on the Oceania Floating Restaurant; the latter was jammed night after night for eight years.
Jensen's signature number, a fanciful comic story about the Lone Ranger and Tonto in which he single-handedly created all the voices and sound effects, was always a highlight, and every bit as impressive as his singing, dancing and overall showmanship... You can catch a glimpse of this performance - and much more - in the tribute video available on YouTube.
So, what can you do if you're a first class performer, you've written new songs but you find yourself without a recording contract? For some reason Jensen thought the best option was to self-release his own fresh material on a private label created on purpose, the evocative Record Club of Honolulu...
"Giant of Hawaii" contains the following tracks:
01. Papa Was a Music Man (2:57)
02. Paniola Country (3:19)
03. Love Shack (3:01)
04. Only Dreams (3:13)
05. Personality (4:22)
06. Cloudy Morning (3:50)
07. Hands (3:00)
08. One More Drink (3:01)
09. Girl With My Child (2:55)
10. I Have You (2:59)
11. Fragile (2:14)
All tracks were remastered from the original vinyl in February 2017 and are available in FLAC lossless format, along with complete artwork reconstruction and printable PDF files.
Please have a look at the comments for the download link.
Bearing catalogue number RCH-1001, "Giant of Hawaii" was released sometimes in the mid '70s. I don't know the exact releases date, but a few clues make me think that it was pressed in mid/late 1976. The record comes in a colourful sleeve where Jensen is dressed in a jumpsuit and has long curly hair, probably the result of a perm since he usually has almost straight or wavy hair in most of his photos.
On the front cover, he is surrounded by three beautiful Hawaiian girls: as you can easily notice confronting the other two photos included in this post, these girls are the dancers who were part of his live show, and they also appear in this other photo which was taken years earlier. It is also worth noting that, in the photos included in this post, Jensen's hair looks exactly the same as on the album cover; such photos were taken in December 1975.
Most of the copies of "Giant of Hawaii" available today on the second-hand market are usually signed with a blue marker on the front or back cover by Jensen himself; often they come with an inscription too. This undoubtedly means that most - if not all - copies of the album were sold directly to people at his live shows as a souvenir of the performance: Jensen probably took the time to have a word with the audience and sign his records after the show.
Around the same time when "Giant of Hawaii" was released, a single containing two cuts from the album, namely a mono version of "Cloudy Mornin'" on Side A and a stereo version of "Love Shack" on the flipside, also appeared. The single was probably aimed at radio promotion and rarely shows up for sale nowadays.
Produced and arranged by Don Costa for his Don Costa Productions Inc., this album is the very first Dick Jensen release I purchased, and I instantly became a fan of him on first listening. The original copy in my possession was shabby and so I purchased a better copy shortly after, but it literally took me years to find an unautographed copy whose cosmetic and aural conditions were decent enough to be scanned/digitized and used for this post.
Dick Jensen performing at The Oceania Empire Room, December 1975 ( from my collection)
Side 1 starts with "Papa Was a Music Man", and I can't imagine a stronger opener for this album. Unfortunately the artwork doesn't include any credits for the musicians and I wonder if they were the usual band with whom Jensen used to perform live or studio musicians coming from the Don Costa entourage. Anyway, I believe that the second option is more plausible... Originally entitled "Poppa Was a Music Man" and recorded by The Trend in 1973 for Capitol Records, the song was written by one Aloysius Bloomfield Clyde - an alias for Wayne Hagstrom - and David Louis Fisher (...of The Highwaymen fame); both of them are usually associated with Don Costa Productions Inc.
Misspelled as "Paniola Country" both on the cover and the center label, comes Jensen's version of a piece entiled "Paniolo Country". Paniolo is the Hawaiian word for Cowboy, and it looks like Hawaii Island has an unexpected heritage, a rich 'cowboy culture' which is better described here. This song was written by Marcus Kamehameha Schutte, Jr., an Hawaiian songwriter, and as far as I know was first recorded by Melveen Leed for her album "Melveen Leed's Hawaiian Country" in 1975 and has become her signature song since then. During the years the song has been covered by otherHawaiianartists, and in 1993 it was also included on an album by Randy Travis.
"Love Shack" has nothing to do with the B-52's song of the same name... This piece was penned by Jensen himself and it seems to arouse derision among otherreviewers. I understand that the main reason for this is the jumpsuit that Jensen is wearing on the cover of the album, but let's give credit where credit is due: wouldn't the world be a worse place without little songs like this? Along with "Papa Was a Music Man", this is one of my favourite cuts on the album: it's just adorable in my opinion!
The beautifully arranged "Only Dreams" was written by Bartolome 'Bart' Bascone, a veteran Island musician, conductor, composer and arranger best known for his novelty song "Who Is the Lolo (Who Stole My Pakalolo)", which Don Ho recorded and made a radio hit in 1977. In his earlier days during the '70s Bascone was enlisted as musical conductor for Jensen's live performances and he also co-produced his last and most sought-after album, "The Writer". Bascone also released twoalbums of his own compositions which are quite worth investigating.
First side ends with "Personality", which is probably my least favourite track on the album. It's not that I don't like the song itself, but it sounds dated compared to the rest of the LP and looks a little bit out of place... Anyway, this number was written by Harold Logan and Lloyd Price, and in 1959 it was released as a single by Price himself, quickly becoming his most popular crossover hit. The single sold millions of copies and Price earned the nickname 'Mr. Personality'.
Side 2 opens with "Cloudy Morning", whose arrangement features strings, horns and chorus, and also include a touch of vibraphone and percussions. A mellow soloing guitar is nicely placed behind Jensen voice during the three verses, and all the crescendos are just in the right place. This is a classy track that deserved a place in the charts rather than just a place in my heart, what do you think? The song was written in 1971 by one Jack Slaughter (words) and Gaetano 'Guy' Costa (music). Strangely enough, the mono version of this song featured on the "Cloudy Mornin' / Love Shack" single also credits one T. Wybaczynsky as an author, but the album credits omit him...
Following the previous slower track comes "Hands", a lively song written by Jensen himself. I would be quite curious to know whether the pieces on "Giant of Hawaii" were also usually performed live or if they were relegated on the album in favour of other more well-known numbers like famous covers and current trendy hits. Anyway, I like to imagine Jensen performing his seemingly effortless glides while his backing band lingers in an extended version of this song...
"One More Drink" was written by Frankie Avalon and pianist Victor Glazer. This number was originally included on Avalon's comeback album "Venus", which included a Disco remake of his 1959 signature song. Since that album was released no earlier that 1976, I strongly doubt that "Giant of Hawaii" came into existence in 1975 as some sources state... By the way, Jensen befriended Avalon during their tenure in Las Vegas during the late '60s, and during the '70s Avalon often filled-in for Jensen on the Oceania Floating Restaurant - please have a look herefor more details about the world's most fantastic floating restaurant. The quiet beginning of this song suffer from the mediocre pressing quality of the original vinyl and there was not much I could do to fix it.
The LP proceeds with three more songs, all penned by Jensen. "Girl With My Child" is the only track on the album that doesn't feature drums and/or percussion, and its simple quiet nature is achieved with an arrangement that offers acoustic guitar as the main instrument, sustained by a discreet bass line and orchestral backing. Unfortunately, just like for the previous track, the most silent passages in this song suffer from bad vinyl quality.
With "I Have You" the album returns to more sparkling Soul territories as Jensen makes a list of misfortunes that can easily be moved to the background with the help of the warmth and support of his beloved woman. This is one of the finest moments on the album and it wouldn't have been out of place if included on theLP that Jensen released on Philadelphia International a few years earlier. Great!
"Giant of Hawaii" ends with "Fragile", another uptempo number reinforced with percussions and a brilliant horns arrangement. This is another song which would enrapture Jensen's fans when performed live, or at least that's the effect I'm sure it would have on me.
The following clips offer an abundant preview of the remastered album, enjoy "Papa Was a Music Man", "Paniola Country", "Love Shack", "Only Dreams", "Cloudy Morning", "Hands", "I Have You" and "Fragile"!
As a bonus, here's the lyrics of "Paniolo Country" and an ad for a 1976 residency of Jensen at the Sahara in Las Vegas.
Paniolo country, stars at night, no city lights
Paniolo country, my home on the range
Places I have been, cities I have seen
With concrete canyons rising from the ground
Miles and miles of asphalt trail stretch across the land
Stampeding metal ponies leaving smoke along the way
I'm going back to Paniolo Country
Stars at night, no city lights
Paniolo country, my home on the range
Paniolo country, rain drops fall, the grass grows tall
Paniolo country, my home on the range
I made up my mind, won't waste any time
I'm going back to where the clouds ride high
Take my word, it's pretty, not like the great big city
The winds still bring cool clear mountian air
I'm going back to Paniolo Country
Stars at night, no city lights
Paniolo country, my home on the range
Paniolo country, rain drops fall, the grass grows tall
Paniolo country, my home on the range
Places I have been, cities I have seen
With concrete canyons rising from the ground
Miles and miles of asphalt trail stretch across the land
Stampeding metal ponies leaving smoke along the way
I'm going back to Paniolo Country
Stars at night, no city lights
Paniolo country, my home on the range
Paniolo country, rain drops fall, the grass grows tall
Paniolo country, my home on the range
Ad for Dick Jensen and the Smothers Brothers appearing at the Sahara Congo Showroom, Las Vegas, April 22 - May 5, 1976
More information about Dick Jensen is available here:
I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.
I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.
Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.
All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.
If you have any other useful information about this post, or if you spot any dead links, please get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!
Well, if you already visited this blog in the past few years, I'm sure that you noticed the huge amount of material I posted about the sadly missed Hawaiian entertainer Dick Jensen. If you stopped by frequently, you probably have also noticed that I tried to reconstruct a correct timeline of his activities and discographic releases. Chronology is something that I really care about and I always try my best to post information on these pages according to that.
As I was trying to document the end of Jensen's tenure with legendary Philadelphia International Records, after the release of his self-titled album in 1973, I had to confront myself with my most bitter enemy: lack of information.
When exactly - and why - the label dropped him? I understand that "Dick Jensen" probably wasn't very successful, and maybe the problem laid within the fact that Jensen wasn't the usual Soul singer; he ranged from Pop and Easy Listening right through to Jazz and Gospel...
But this should be considered positive, at least in my opinion: I can only dream about what he could have made when Disco break through a couple of years later, if only the label had kept on supporting him... Althought Jensen's voice was not deep and smooth as Lou Rawls', his late '70s releases come to mind.
At last, the liner notes written by Stephen SPAZ Schnee for the 2013 "Dick Jensen" CD re-release on Big Break Records came through for me, confirming that "Upon release, critics and Soul fans didn't know what to make of the album. Jensen's talent was undeniable, but the album was not what they expected from the house that Gamble & Huff had built and the project itself got lost in the confusion." Well, damn critics and Soul fans, that is a great album even forty years after his publication, how didn't you know what to make of it in 1973?!?
Dick Jensen performing at The Oceania Empire Room, December 1975
Jensen returned to Honolulu around 1974 or 1975 and quickly re-estabilished himself as a local showroom star with engagements at the Hula Hut and at the Empire Room on the Oceania Floating Restaurant; the latter was jammed night after night for eight years.
Jensen's signature number, a fanciful comic story about the Lone Ranger and Tonto in which he single-handedly created all the voices and sound effects, was always a highlight, and every bit as impressive as his singing, dancing and overall showmanship... You can catch a glimpse of this performance - and much more - in the tribute video available on YouTube.
OK, since the lack of information I mentioned above, I can only speculate from now on: what do you do if you're a first class performer, you've written new songs but you find yourself without a recording contract? For some reason Jensen thought the best option was to self-release his own fresh material on a private label created on purpose, the evocative Record Club of Honolulu.
Here's the track list for this 7" single:
01. Cloudy Mornin' (Mono version) (3:41)
02. Love Shack (3:00)
Both tracks were remastered in July 2015 and are available in FLAC lossless format or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 files; both formats include scans of the complete original artwork.
Please have a look at the comments for the download links.
The "Cloudy Mornin' (Mono Version) / Love Shack" single was released sometimes in the mid '70s. I don't know the exact releases date, but I'm inclined to think that it was pressed in mid/late 1976 at the same time when the album "Giant of Hawaii" was released.
My copy of this record comes in a plain white cardboard sleeve; compared to the vinyl, the sleeve doesn't seem to be 40 years old, so I guess that at some point in time it was replaced for some reason.
No catalogue number appears on the center label, the handwritten etchings in the run-out grooves are "DICK JENSEN 'CLOUDY MORNING' MONO SIDE-1A K-9575" and "DICK JENSEN 'LOVE SHACK' SIDE-2B STEREO K-9576". On both sides there is an additional "KENDUN A" stamped etching; this means that the record was mastered at Kendun Recorders in Burbank, California.
Since the version of "Cloudy Mornin'" on Side A is mono, I guess that the single was aimed at radio promotion. Although both tracks are available (in stereo) on the album "Giant of Hawaii", I believe that this is one of the rarest Dick Jensen items in my possession: I never had the chance to see another copy up for sale since I purchased mine years ago.
For this release, Dick Jensen teamed up again with Don Costa, who already worked with him back in 1969 for the "White Hot Soul" album. According to the credit that appear on the back cover of "Giant of Hawaii", he took care about production and arrangements for his own Don Costa Productions.
As already mentioned, the version of the lovely "Cloudy Mornin'" featured on Side A is mono; the stereo version released on the album has a slighthly different title, which is the same as the one etched in the run-out grooves here: "Cloudy Morning". Furthermore, writing credits on this release are split between G. Costa, J. Slaughter and T. Wybaczynsky, while the credits on the album omits Wybaczynsky...
Anyway, these details didn't help me to find more information about the song, whose style doesn't differ much from the slower numbers that were featured a few years earlier on the "Dick Jensen" album.
The arrangement features strings, horns and chorus, and also include a touch of vibraphone and percussions; a mellow soloing guitar is nicely placed behind Jensen voice during the three verses, and all the crescendos are just in the right place. This is a classy track that deserved a place in the charts rather than just a place in my heart, what do you think?
On Side B we find "Love Shack", which - of course - has nothing to do with the B-52's song of the same name... The song is credited to Jensen himself and it seems to arouse derision among otherreviewers.
I understand that the main reason for this is the jumpsuit that Jensen is wearing on the cover of the album, but let's give credit where credit is due: wouldn't the world be worse without little songs like this? This is one of the first Jensen songs I ever listened and it's just adorable, in my opinion.
The following clips offer a complete preview of the remastered single, enjoy "Cloudy Mornin' (Mono version) and "Love Shack"!
More information about Dick Jensen is available here:
I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.
I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.
Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.
All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.
I will post more Dick Jensen stuff in the next months, if you have
any other useful information about him and his releases or if you spot
any dead links, just get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!
I still love you, just like I did before
But before you smile and walk through the door, darling
I don't want to cry, no, I don't want to cry
No more, no, darling, no more, no more, do you hear me?
You come and go, just like the morning sun
But woman, I'm serious, and you're just having fun, darling
I don't want to cry, no, no, I don't want to cry
No more, no, darling, no more, no more, no more, no more
I said you're welcome to my lips
I said you're welcome, welcome to my arms
Yes, you're welcome to this old heart of mine
You're welcome to everything I have to offer you
So come on now, take it, take it, take it, take any part
Mama, I know I was wrong, can't you see I need you woman
So come on home, yeah, before you do, I'm gonna tell you
I don't want to cry, no, I don't want to cry
No more, no, darling, no more
Ain't gonna cry no more, ain't gonna cry no more
No, do you hear me?
I don't wan't to cry, no, I don't want to cry
I cry no more, I ain't crying no more, no, no
Girl I cry no more, no, no, no, no more
Don't wanna cry no more, don't wanna cry no more...
[from the lyrics of "I Don't Want To Cry"]
Dick Jensen was one of the first artists to sign with the now-legendary Philadelphia International Records label in 1971. Nowadays it seems that he had little in common with the other artists which made the label famous later on, but at the time - once you heard the power and soul in his vocal delivery - it all made perfect sense. And with the label main men Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff behind the scenes, it seemed as if Dick Jensen had finally found the perfect home for his energetic style of Soul.
Like many of the label's acts, Jensen received musical assistance from PIR's house band, the illustrious MFSB. The band on the recording sessions for his self-titled album featured Ronnie Baker (bass), Larry Washington (congas, bongos), Earl Young (drums), Lenny Pakula (organ), Leon Huff (piano), Vincent Montana (vibraphone) and guitarists Bobby Eli, Norman Harris, Roland Chambers and TJ Tindall. Backing vocals were provided by Barbara Ingram, Carla Benson and Evette Benton.
Along with arrangements by Bobby Martin, Vince Montana and Norman Harris, and production by Bunny Sigler, Thom Bell and Gamble & Huff themselves (who also handled a majority of the songwriting) "Dick Jensen", released in February 1973, was as smooth and slick as anything else the label had released but was far more Pop-oriented.
Unfortunately, upon release, critics and Soul fans didn't know what to make of it. Jensen's talent was undeniable, but the album was not what they expected from the house that Gamble & Huff had built and the project itself was lost in the confusion... More information about the album are available here and here.
A signed Dick Jensen promotional picture, circa mid-70
Here's the track list for this 7" single:
01. I Don't Want To Cry (2:49)
02. Tamika (Come Back Later) (2:57)
Both tracks were remastered in June 2015 and are available in FLAC lossless format or high-quality 320 Kbps MP3 files; both formats include scans of the complete original artwork.
Please have a look at the comments for the download links.
Following the release of the "Dick Jensen" album, "I Don't Want To Cry / Tamika (Come Back Later)" was published in the U.K. sometimes in 1973 by Epic Records; the record comes in a company sleeve with catalogue number S EPC 1521.
"I Don't Want To Cry" was originally a hit for Chuck Jackson in 1961; the song was written by Jackson himself with Soul legend Luther Dixon. Jensen's version remains faithful to the original (which was arranged by Carole King) with the addition of the magical touch of the P.I.R. team. It swoops and soars thanks to Jensen's passionate delivery. You can listen to the original version of this song by clicking here.
Written by Gamble & Huff, "Tamika (Come Back Later)" features Jensen in Levi Stubbs mode, bellowing out the words as if his life depended on it. The song was arranged by bassist Ronnie Baker and is closer to a Motown Pop song than a Philly Soul record, hence probably its inclusion in this single for the British market. Here's the lyrics:
Tamika come back later
Tamika come back later
I've got another love in my corner
Who told you to come around here
without giving me some kind of warning?
Giving me some kind of warning
And who told you to knock on my door
when it's so early in the morning? It's so early in the morning
You should have known much better than that
You should have known it was over and back
Tamika come back later
Tamika come back later
I've got another love in my corner
You left me for the love of another
You filled my heart with so much sorrow
Filled it with so much sorrow
Now you tell me that you're really, really sorry but it's too late so come back tomorrow
Girl, you'd better come back tomorrow
You should have called before you came back
'cause it's a sin to see you cry
Tamika come back later
Tamika come back later
I've got another love in my corner...
Yes I do
Most of the text on this page was sourced from the "Dick Jensen" reissue liner notes written by Stephen SPAZ Schnee. The CD was released by Big Break Records in 2013 and is currently the only available Jensen album, I strongly encourage you to buy a copy of this great long forgotten masterpiece!
More information about Dick Jensen is available here:
I'm currently compiling a Dick Jensen biography, the first part of this work-in-progress covers the period 1942-1972 and is available here.
I'm also trying to compile a Dick Jensen exhaustive discography, my work-in-progress is available here.
Last but not least, I'm also trying to build a collection of Dick Jensen pictures and memorabilia, my work-in-progress is available here.
All my posts dedicated to Dick Jensen on this blog are available here.
I will post more Dick Jensen stuff in the next months, if you have
any other useful information about him and his releases or if you spot
any dead links, just get in touch with me at stereocandies [at] hotmail [dot] com or leave a comment in the box below, thank you!
