"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]
| "Sweet Leilani" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Bing Crosby with Lani McIntyre and His Hawaiians | |
| B-side | "Blue Hawaii" |
| Released | 1937 |
| Recorded | February 22, 1937[1] |
| Genre | Hawaiian / Popular |
| Length | 3:14 |
| Label | Decca Records 1175 |
| Songwriter(s) | Harry Owens |
| With Lani McIntyre and His Hawaiians | |
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."[citation needed]
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 Bing: A Musical Autobiography.
- 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]