around the world. People hear that opening strumming and they instantly know it’s Israel. It’s the all-time biggest carrier of Hawaiian music across the globe. It’s also the golden goose for the music publisher in New York, EMI Music [founded in 1931 as Electric and Musical Industries Ltd]. At one time it was the most popular song in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. And we met the lady that takes care of the music for that song in New York, and she told us that Israel’s version of the song was, by far, the most requested piece of music for licensing in movies and commercials that EMI has ever had. She said that in one more generation, no one will remember Judy Garland. Everyone will think that Israel did it first.
WC: “Hawaii ’78” is probably his most popular song today in Hawaiʻi. It’s still capable of bringing on fits of chicken skin as well as tight throats and teary eyes with its powerful lyrics, which include the state motto, and Israel’s commanding delivery. What did people think when they first heard that song?
JM: They were stunned. When we were recording up at Palehua one night—it was probably 1 a.m. and he was about to go to sleep in his bungalow outside the house—but I said, “Listen, there’s one more thing I need you to listen to.”
Now, one of the techniques I used to use with Israel was I would record after-session conversations between us. I would sit him down and ask him a question and then shut up and just listen to him talk while I recorded it. I would ask him personal things about his father and mother or about Skippy. And he would look at me kind of funny and say, “What do you mean? You knew Skippy better than you know me.” And I would say, “Yeah, but I want to hear it from you.” So I have probably 60 or 70 hours of him just talking after our sessions for Facing Future. Well, I took all of those stories, cut out specific pieces from them and fit them in the space where the verses of “Hawaii ’78” would normally go.
WC: And that’s where the intro comes from?
JM: That’s where the intro comes from. But he hadn’t heard it yet. I did that all on my own. So late that night I turned it on for him. And he needed to hear it then because we had to move quickly to get the album finished on time.
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