Veteran recording wizard Jim Linkner, who’s earned his share of Na Hoku Hanohano Awards over the decades, went to see "Jurassic World" at the Regal Dole Cannery theaters, where he spotted the poster for "Love & Mercy," the new biopic on the conflicted life and times of Brian Wilson, the genius behind the Beach Boys and an icon of California surfin’ safari tunes.
Linkner worked on recording and engineering tracks for that title song at his old Dolphin Studios in the late ’80s. Wilson performs the ditty during the film’s end credits.
"Brian didn’t know exactly what he wanted and he was deaf in his right ear, so it’s amazing everything came together," said Linkner. "Love & Mercy" was the first track on Wilson’s self-titled debut solo album but the tune also was released as a single disc on July 1, 1988. Despite positive reviews, it failed to chart.
Wilson was amiable, but persuasive, wanting this and that in his "sound" over 10 tracks. Before he arrived at Dolphin, localite Kapono Beamer heard Wilson would be present and wanted to be there, so he wound up as the "gofer" who had to fetch "a lot of Perrier," said Linkner. Even after the studio time was over, Wilson sought out Linkner at a Sheraton Waikiki event (the Beach Boy always stayed there) and pleaded for "10 minutes more to add accordion in the last 10 bars." The wish ultimately was granted. …
ANGIE’S LIST: Angie "Leilani" Jones was in town recently for the 40th anniversary of her Punahou School graduation.Her longtime pal here, Alice Tucker, patched me into a phone chat. "The whole family’s here," Jones said of her parents and sister Kim (whose next Punahou reunion will be her 35th). The Jones clan was ensconced in the Portlock/Hawaii Kai rental once owned by Dolly Parton, with swarms of friends and ohana darting in and out of the home.
Jones is Hawaii’s first Tony-winning actress on Broadway, earning a featured actress in a musical trophy for her 1985 role in "Grind." Coincidentally, she was here and saw her name in our story on Ruthie Ann Miles, who won her first Tony in the same category for her portrayal of Lady Thiang in "The King and I" June 7.
For Punahou’s 175th anniversary next year, Jones has been invited to return to perform with her Tony nominee buddy, Willy Falk, who originated the role of Chris in "Miss Saigon."
Jones — who now lives in Pasadena, Calif. — also has a New York holiday on her to-do list. And she vows to put "King" on her must-see plans to exchange aloha and Tony stories with Miles. Sounds like an iPhone (Kodak’s no longer in vogue) moment. …
NABORS AND FRIENDS: Golly, Jim Nabors sure has a lot of fans and friends. His birthday bash, coupled with his and partner Stan Cadwallader‘s 40th anniversary together, attracted a certified roster of boldface names at their Diamond Head home. Folks like Gov. David Ige, singer Jimmy Borges, Tony nominee Loretta Ables Sayre, charity entrepreneur Carole Kai (still hobbling on crutches from a bicycling injury last summer in Germany) and ex-Hawaii Theatre exec Burton White, who produced a decade of Nabors’ Christmas shows. …
Of course, Nabors’ longtime ally, Carol Burnett, the comedienne-actress-singer, was a huge crowd fave, with a long parade of locals lining up, waiting to say aloha, get an autograph or simply experience her aura. Perhaps unbeknownst to her, Burnett was on a "Hawaii Five-0" repeat episode that night in which she played Steve McGarrett’s aunt getting married in Hawaii (yeah, the one with Frankie Valli as her groom). …
ITEMIZATIONS: The Society of Seven, the version led by Tony Ruivivar and Bert Sagum, will concertize at the Suncoast Casino showroom in Summerlin, Las Vegas, on July 25 and 26 before heading for their Maui and Honolulu shows. …
Entertainers Keith and Carmen Haugen, who maintained a website for years to market their Hawaiian music, have abandoned their Hawaiiansong.com site. For years, they sold their discs via the site but with most of their recordings out of print, it was time to shut down. "It’s time," said Keith. "We may put some products on iTunes but I don’t think we’ll manufacture any more." Over the decades, the site offered more than 5 million free downloads. …
And that’s "Show Biz."…
Wayne Harada is a veteran entertainment columnist; reach him at 266-0926 or wayneharada@gmail.com; read his “Show and Tell Hawaii” blog at www.staradvertiser.com.
