Honolulu City Lights

[Mark-T]

Just returned from vacation in Kaui'i and was doing a bit of research on Hawaiian music. I was captured by the gentle and relaxing nature of so much of it! (The drinks and ocean sounds didn't hurt either!)

Ran across this: "Keola and Kapono Beamer ("The Beamer Brothers") defined the shape and direction of "Contemporary Hawaiian Music" and, to this day, have one of the biggest selling records in the history of the State of Hawai'i, "Honolulu City Lights."

Perhaps it would have been a bigger hit if released in Karen's lifetime. Or as the backside to a "Hawaii only" single of their most recent release.

 

[jaredjohnfisher]

I might be in the minority, but this is one of my least favorite Carpenters songs. I find the lyrics to be a bit awkward or amateurish and the melody and or arrangement leaves me wanting more.

 

[Mark-T]

I agree.

 

[Bobberman]

I happen to love this song even though I'm not from Hawaii it reminds me of the area where I grew up and whenever I visit down there the lyric in the song Honolulu city Lights stand out true for me " It's Not Easy To Leave Again.

 

[Another Son]

I am very fond of 'Honolulu City Lights'. I love the arrangement, and especially Karen's performance. It's one of my favourite Carpenters songs.

 

[GaryAlan]

Oh, so interesting to read of the varied tastes and opinions of Carpenters' recordings !
Me....I love this song:
Recalling that day, was it 1988 ? when the radio station played this tune,
stopped me in my tracks. I immediately phoned the station to learn more of it,
they could provide no information.
No, I think of it as no more than an album cut,
but, I sure think it is a beautiful reading by Karen.
Did I mention, I love....absolutely love, the harp !

 

[Toolman]

Just a personal opinion, but of all the posthumous releases, this may be my favorite. It fits well into Karen's range and is something different from cliche-heavy love songs.

 

[Harry]

Recalling that day, was it 1988 ? when the radio station played this tune,
stopped me in my tracks. I immediately phoned the station to learn more of it,
they could provide no information.

My history with the song is almost the same. I heard it on a radio tuned to the elevator-music channel from Allentown, PA. The radio was in a display in a car-dealer showroom and I was drawn to it when I heard Karen's voice singing an unfamiliar song. They never back-announced the song so I didn't know its title and it would have been too much of an effort to listen to that station to try to catch it again.

If memory serves, this would have been in 1987 as my wife was buying her 1987 Maxima. It would be much later until I heard it again on LOVELINES. It's interesting to realize that it had actually been first released on the Japanese LP album-set called ANTHOLOGY in 1985 (listed in our discography by its CD date of 1989).

 

[Another Son]

I ordered the single for 'Honolulu City Lights', along with several posters and a LOT of photographs, when I finally joined Carpenters' fan club, around 1987 or 1988. I noted my parents' address as the delivery address, as I was planning to move towns and wasn't sure where I would be living. My parents lived around six hours' drive from where I was based at the time.

When I came home for my holidays, my Mum had the Carpenters package waiting for me. When I played 'Honolulu City Lights', it was love at first hear, (as Herb Alpert always says when talking about the first time he heard Karen's voice). My enjoyment of the song has never diminished, since those cold winter holiday weeks when I first played it thirty years ago.

 

[K.C. Jr]

I love Honolulu City Lights! Always have from first listen. In fact, it was the only song based on title alone that really intrigued me on Lovelines.

 

[tomswift2002]

I first heard the song in the summer of 1999. I had just bought the “Lovelines” CD from Legend Records in Ottawa, my third CD studio album, following Karen’s solo and the MFSL CD.

To this day I still wonder why it’s never appeared on more compilations like “Interpretations”. This is one track that could easily be a “signature song”.

 

[Mark-T]

The opening keyboard "tinkle" makes the song seem trite to my ears. The arrangement feels too sweet and too much like what has been done in the past. Even though Karen sounds good, you can almost hear how tired they both are. The lyrics are less of a problem than the arrangement in my estimation. I would have loved to hear an arrangement in a more traditional Hawaiian vein. Would have been stunning in its originality compared to what they did in the past.

 

[GaryAlan]

^^Very interesting, indeed !
I never heard " tired" in this song;
only, I suppose after reading from Richard Carpenter
that they heard the song " while on vacation " (August 1978) and
" were eventually going to release it." (Anthology Liner Notes).
Richard Carpenter arranged and orchestrated the tune (Sept/Oct 1978),
I simply assumed he was game for it, at that time. (See: Fan Club Newsletters #61/62 Sept/Nov).
Richard had also intended for he and Karen to " record some tracks in Nashville ." (Newsletter).



Now, I do agree that more originality, with a more traditional Hawaiian arrangement, could have
been great....

 

[A&M Retro]

I first heard 'Honolulu City Lights' on the Japanese 'Anthology' LP set in late 1985. I purchased mine (along with 'Live In Japan') from a Japanese lady who worked at A&M. I think she charged me something like $80 for 'Anthology' and $40 for 'Live In Japan'.
I had called up the label to inquire about both albums, and she sold them to me over the phone, and I sent her a check in her name. I received them in the mail and they turned out to be promotional copies (regular labels and not sealed). I tried to reach out to her again months later, and was informed that she'd been terminated for selling records illegally at A&M!

Regarding the song itself, I love it. I don't think it was hit single material, though. It was so awesome to hear a 'new' track, as well as the 'Live' Bacharach Medley and all those remixes.

 

[tomswift2002]

Now, I do agree that more originality, with a more traditional Hawaiian arrangement, could have
been great....

Here's the original work lead, which sounds more Hawaiian. On the single mix, Richard moved the steel guitar to the back and also arranged the drums differently.

 

[newvillefan]

On the single mix, Richard moved the steel guitar to the back and also arranged the drums differently

Are you saying there are two official mixes of the song, a single mix and the Lovelines album mix?

 

[Jeff]

Whatever mix I'd like to hear Karen more up front.

 

[CraigGA]

I like the unsweetened mix better for instrumentation but Karen’s vocals better on the sweetened version, but they both are good. I like simplicity better than embellishment, as the early songs trademark feeling.