Heading West on a Salty Breeze

Today we continue on our trans Pacific expedition after our previous trek thru Hawaii.
Not seen since the valiant efforts of Thor Heyerdahl, we follow in the path of ancient seafarers all the way to the Isles of The Long White Cloud, taking in the local flavours as we jump from island to island paradise.
To start with we look at Polynesia in a general tourist-type manner, then move onto a more detailed survey of prominent ocean volcanic peaks...

Adventures in Paradise Vol 4 - Various Artists - Universal Record Club - date unknown

Adventures in Paradise Vol 2 - Various Artists - Universal Record Club - date unknown

The Beat of Polynesia - Peter Posa and the Islanders - Axis - date unknown

Polynesian Percussion - George  Cates - Dot Records - date unknown

Polynesian Percussion Studio Set-up

World of the South Pacific - Field recordings - World Record Club - post 1972

Sweet Sounds of the South Pacific - St. Josephs' Maori Girls Choir of New Zealand

Viking Records - date unknown

Inside spread

Cinerama South Seas Adventure - Alex North - AF Records - date unknown

Sounds of the South Seas - Eddie Bush - Salem Records - date unknown

South Sea Island Magic - Various Artists - Reader's Digest - date unknown

Musical Cruise... Hawaii To Hongkong - The Royal Polynesian Island Orchestra

Family Records - date unknown

Down where the Trade winds blow - Various Artists - Summit - date unknown

Groupe Folklorique Fetia - Various Artists - Playa Sound - 1981

First off we look at the glory of Tahiti

Tihati's South Seas Spectacular - Various Artists 

Private recording/Don Over Records - date unknown

Bienvenue a Tahiti - Musiques at Chants Folkloriques de Tahiti

TTA/Glory - date unknown

Mariterangi - Tahiti Orchestra & Entertainers/Eddie Lund - Tahiti Records - date unknown

Maitai - Various Artists - Playa Sound - 1979

Little Brown Gal - Toti's Tahitians - Viking - date unknown

Meet me in Tahiti! - Eddie Lund and His Tahitians - Viking - date unknown

Wild, Wild, Tahiti - The Papeete Players - Viking - date unknown

Then continuing onto Samoa..

Samoan Song And Rhythm - Western Samoa Teachers Training College

Hibiscus Records - date unknown

Let Me Hear You Whisper - The Samoan Surf Riders - Viking - date unknown

Then a quick jump to The Solomon Islands..

Betikama Bamboo - The Betikama Adventist High School - W&G - date unknown

Fiji is next on the cruise..

Bula - Various Artists - Tapa Records - date unknown

Finally we arrive at New Zealand, and indulge me as we take a quick (very) historical tour up to what passes as modern music which we may never forget..

Maori Songs of Enchantment - St. Joseph's Maori Girl's College Choir

Viking - date unknown

Howard Morrison Spectacular - RCA - 1982

Shaun at Wairakei - Shaun Johnson - Private recording - date unknown

This concludes our Polynesian passage.. please mind the step when alighting the boat..

Who's a pretty Fraul, then?

Since I was getting nostalgic in the last ERB posting for things near the turn of the century (20th that is), I remembered these opshop acquisitions below that bring out the Lederhosen in me. Young gallant Bavarians flirting with local maidens, with dogs and cats underfoot.

They appear to be lacquered prints (with the edging painted on in the vertical one - much like some tourist postcards I've seen from much later on) with much ageing causing cracking and discolouration.

Rather fond of the back of them and the simple folky manufacture.

They aren't in the greatest shape, but that's their charm..

Hits going backwards

Er.. my counter now says 994 (after just rolling back to 100 after hitting 1000).. not sure what is happening - better start looking for another counter that at least goes beyond 3 figure..

From ERB to Me..

According to the hit counter on the right The Record Rack clicked over 1000 views (while on my Post Stats it says 993.. whatever) and rolled back to 100 at 7.40pm this Sunday evening, just as Kaspar and I had finished watching the doco on TVS about Richard Blackie - now deceased toy collector  and certainly an 'interesting person'. Here's to a fantastic collector who's hopefully doing Moondances with his idol in The Great Cereal Bowl in The Sky...

As a special treat to thank those who have viewed this blog since the start of this year, I will now show one very momentous piece of opshop find that I stumbled upon probably 10 years ago in Randwick (I can't recall it's name at the moment but was named after a famous charitable bloke)...

Being a ERB reader since early teens I almost fell thru the cluttered saucepan shelf after picking up this battered hardbound canvas covered throwaway..

Upon opening it revealed a bound collection of The Illustrated Blue Book Magazine from March 1929 to March 1930 featuring  '"TANAR" A New Novel by the Author of "TARZAN"'.

Curiously only the feature ERB story had been bound along with each month's covers, to be read as an entire novel. Tanar only runs to the October 1929 issue and is followed by 'The New "TARZAN" Story' - Tarzan at the Earth's Core, continuing the Pellucidor theme.

The last page declares that the next issue "begins a wholly different but no less fascinating novel which again reveals the splendid creative imagination of the author of Tarzan" - The Fighting Man of Mars. With John Carter being my favourite ERB creation I am in hope that one day I will find that next volume and that it will not cost me more than the $2 paid for this one (not likely)..

August issue was not included as it appears not to start the Tarzan story until Sept issue..

er.. I seemed not to have photographed October issue cover but it was in there (I'll post it later), and put out of order after Nov..

It's hard to guess the providence on this item and the only additional writing in it is a pencil $40 price on the inside cover and a T/N $20.00. There are no descriptive titling on the outside or spine which makes me think that this was an object of delight for an early collector/fan of ERB. I'm sure they would have been pleased it fell into the hands of another..

What's in that box?

Walking to work can always be dangerous/advantagous for collectors. Traversing the back ways of Erskineville before hitting Darlington can bring profit or dismay when it's throwout day and new technology makes whole worlds of filmic endeavours destined for the garbage truck (or at least the garbageman's mantlepiece). What a fine blog it would make if someone took on the challenge to photograph and document the Mantles of Refuse!

Having of course kept my VHS player while others debated the worth of BlueRay vs DVD, I am ready for such lucky finds contained within an alley vid dump. I am hoping that Mr Rufuse was happy with the big collection of manga, soccer finals and heteroporn that I left behind...

Left to right: Chasing Amy, Naked Lunch, Star Wars Trilogy and The Maxx.
I also throw in A Man Called Horse, picked up for $2 at the Cat Protectors on Enmore Rd last week...

Hawaiian Postscript

As a tale end here's a massive six disc Reader's Digest collection (it's Pleasure Programmed), for a balmy night next to the record machine..

Hawaiian Paradise - Various Artists - Readers Digest - date unknown

Aloha Hawaii Pt 7 - Going Native

It can be hard cavorting across lonely stretches of pristine sand, even under moonlight.. One must stop and reflect on where this seven part paradisian adventure has led us to.. Where all great exotic travels must lead to.. Naked under distant vistas.. I'm sure we've all been there... enjoy..

Lure of Paradise - Andre Kostelanetz - Coronet - date unknown

Hugo Winterhalter Goes.... Hawaiian - RCA - 1962

Hawaiian Paradise Vol 1 - The Islanders & The Waikiki 12

Boulevard - 1971

Hammond In Hawaii - Wout Steenhais, Leon Young & The Kontikis

Columbia - date unknown

Hawaii - Johnny Pineapple and his Islanders - Audio Fidelity - 1959

Sea Breeze - Various Artists - Viking Records - date unknown

On the Beach at Waikiki - Big Ben Hawaiian Band - Columbia - 1969

..whew... getting all hot and bothered in my cargo shorts.. might have to submit to that native rhythm and run alfresco along the cove of Kalua with the Hawaiian War Chant echoing thru the Coconut forests. I'm sure if I concentrate on The Pagan Love Song then Sweet Leilani will make her way from The Moon of Manakoora and with her Loverly Hula Hands make Aloha Oe all night long...

For the moment, here ends this Pacific interlude - but don't fret for too long as I will soon continue the Antipedeon voyage, crossing into Polynesian shores..