Words & Music:
Sid Tepper
Roy C. Bennett
Kauai, island of love
Lovely princess of the islands
Kauai, island of love
Listen, can't you hear her calling
Aloha welcome my love
Her palmtrees gently do the hula
While her slaves, the waves
Rush in to kiss her shores
Heaven is another name for
Kauai, island of love
Recordingdate: 1961/03/22, first released on: Blue Hawaii (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Island of Love:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(ukelele)
(ukelele)
(steel guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(piano)
(celesta)
(harmonica)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(sax)
Availability
Find available albums with Island of Love.
Another well above average ballad from the soundtrack "Blue Hawaii". Not as good as "Can't Help Falling In Love", "Ku-U-I-Po", "Blue Hawaii" or Hawaiian Wedding Song" but still very good. This is one of those songs on a cold winter's day that just makes you feel warm just listening to it.
One of the great tracks from Elvis' best selling soundtrack album. #1 in the Uk album charts for weeks. This is a good recording mixed with other great tracks. Wish the suscess of 1960-62 could have gone on & on..
This is such a beautiful song and I love the entire "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack album and the entire "Blue Hawaii" movie too.
Blue Hawaii is one of my least favorite Elvis movies. I'd have been much happier, with the soundtrack at least, if they had cut this song and Moonlight Swim (and Ito Eats) and kept Steppin Out Of Line. This song seems very inauthentic and generic. It does not feel like real music to me, it feels like a jingle for a commercial to increase tourism in Hawaii. This soundtrack had too many songs.
Lovely is the word that comes to mind and all the instruments make it sound pretty authentic, even though it's penned by the Golden Duo (=a joke).
Sure there were many similiar ballads on Blue Hawaii but I like them all. He had betrayed his Rock roots and lost some fans but gained an extra battalion and extended his musical life. This offering receives 4 stars from me although I rate quite a few others from the album ahead of this track.
Island of Love was a great recording back in 1961. The Blue Hawaii album & film was top rate too, just what the fans wanted. The Lp was of course a Uk #1 and the single Can't help falling in love /Rock a hula-baby a double sided #1. However, Elvis should stopped the musical films at this stage in his career, done a world tour and moved onto the next stage of his recording. Being the one to show others something new in pop, and I don't mean returning to Rock 'n roll.
A great song from a great album. Blue Hawaii was exactly what Elvis career needed at that time. The massive success speaks for itself.
"Island of Love" sticks in your mind, but all in all, just part of the downfall of Elvis Presley and his movie career aka Boy chases girl, boy gets girl, background part of a travelogue; he should have quit while he was ahead. Garbage soundtrack albums to follow with the same movie recycled time after time. Too bad.
In the early 60s, the Colonel was still a marketing genius. The GI Blues and Blue Hawaii soundtracks far old-sold Elvis is Back. Likewise, those fluffy movies generated more revenue than the more serious films Flaming Star and Wild in the Country. It was simply supply and demand. Island of Love is a pleasant song, but it is not as memorable as Ito Eats and Rock-a-Hula Baby.
My favorite song on Blue Hawaii after "Can't Help Falling in Love," and for my money, one of the best '60s Elvis movie ballads. Five stars.