"Hawaii Tattoo" is an instrumental by

The Waikikis The Waikikis were a Belgian studio band, mostly known for their single " Hawaii Tattoo", released in the U.S. in 1964, on Kapp Records. "Hawaii Tattoo" was recorded in 1961 in Belgium and spent two months in the Belgian chart. It was a huge hit ...

, released in the US in 1964, on

Kapp Records Kapp Records was an independent record label started in 1954 by David Kapp, brother of Jack Kapp (who set up American Decca Records in 1934). David Kapp founded his own label after stints with Decca and RCA Victor. Kapp licensed its records to L ...

. "Hawaii Tattoo" was recorded in Belgium in 1961 and spent two months in the Belgian charts. It was also a huge hit in Germany, spending 37 weeks in the Top Ten and also reached the Top Fifty in the US, Canada(#2

CHUM Chum may refer to: Broadcasting * CHUM Limited, a defunct Canadian media company * CHUM Radio, now Bell Media Radio, a Canadian radio broadcasting company * CHUM (AM), a Toronto radio station * CHUM-FM, a Toronto radio station * CHUM Chart, a C ...

/#23

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

), and the UK. As a result of its chart hit status, "Hawaii Tattoo" joined the ranks of such songs as "

Sweet Leilani "Sweet Leilani" is a song featured in the 1937 film, ''Waikiki Wedding''. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, and Bing Crosby's record became one of the biggest hits of 1937. Harry Owens wrote the song on October 20, 1934 for his daugh ...

", "

Hawaiian Wedding Song "Hawaiian Wedding Song" originally entitled; ''"Ke Kali Nei Aua"'' (Waiting There for Thee) was adapted from a 1926 love song written by Charles E. King and originally recorded by Helen Desha Beamer in its original (Hawaiian language) version but r ...

", "

Tiny Bubbles "Tiny Bubbles" is a song written by Leon Pober and performed by Don Ho. It comes from the album of the same name. The single peaked at #57 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and #14 on the Easy Listening charts in March 1967. By 1968, "Tiny Bubbles" w ...

", and others as sort of a "Hawaiian" standard song and was recorded by many artists such as

Martin Denny Martin Denny (April 10, 1911 – March 2, 2005) was an American pianist and composer best known as the "father of exotica." In a long career that saw him performing up to 3 weeks prior to his death, he toured the world popularizing his brand of l ...

, The Kilima Hawaiians, Webley Edwards Hawaii Calls Orchestra, and nearly every act recording a "Hawaiian" LP in the 1960s. However, it seems to be better known outside of Hawaii, where it is seldom heard.

History

The piece originated by initiative of record producer Horst Fuchs, who had contact to a Belgian group of studio musicians, calling themselves "The Waikikis" and for whom Fuchs looked for compositions with a certain "Hawaiian flair". He contacted the composers Hans Blum and

Martin Böttcher Martin Böttcher (17 June 1927 – 20 April 2019) was a German composer, arranger and conductor. The beginning Böttcher (on foreign records and articles often written "Bottcher" or "Boettcher", the latter being the correct transliteration of th ...

for some music pieces. Martin Böttcher did not respond at first, but after some personal words he delivered a composition within half an hour. Being known in Germany for a completely different music style Böttcher decided to take his

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

"Michael Thomas" for this composition. In 1961 the first four tracks for a record by the Waikikis were produced, among them "Hawaii Tattoo", that soon gained international fame. In Germany some 600.000 copies were sold and internationally about 2.5 million, Horst Fuchs remembered. In December 1961 "Hawaii Tattoo" entered the top 50 of the German music charts, being listed for 37 weeks with a top rank on place 4. Three years later the song also was listed in the American

Billboard charts The ''Billboard'' charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in the United States and elsewhere. The results are published in '' Billboard'' magazine. ''Billboard'' biz, the online extension of the ''Billboard'' charts, p ...

. The arrangement of the published track was probably by the leader, arranger and piano player of "The Waikikis", Willy Albimoor. Martin Böttcher himself recorded a version under the title ''Hawaii Tattoo Dixie'' with a formation he called ''Mike Thomas and his Wall Street Babies''. In 1962 he included the famous version by the Waikikis in his soundtrack of the

Heinz Rühmann Heinrich Wilhelm "Heinz" Rühmann (; 7 March 1902 – 3 October 1994) was a German film actor who appeared in over 100 films between 1926 and 1993. He is one of the most famous and popular German actors of the 20th century, and is considered a Ge ...

movie ''

Max the Pickpocket ''Max the Pickpocket'' (german: Max, der Taschendieb) is a 1962 West German comedy crime film directed by Imo Moszkowicz and starring Heinz Rühmann, Elfie Pertramer and Hans Clarin.Bock & Bergfelder p.55 It was made at the Bavaria Studios in Mun ...

'', where it could be heard coming from a jukebox.

References

* Hawaii Tattoo in: Deutsche Chart Singles 1956 - 1980, Taurus Press, {{authority control 1962 songs 1960s instrumentals Song articles with missing songwriters