1949 song
"
Bali Ha'i
", also spelled "
Bali Hai
", is a
show tune
from the 1949
Rodgers and Hammerstein
musical
South Pacific
. The name refers to a mystical island, visible on the horizon but not reachable, and was originally inspired by the sight of
Ambae
island from neighboring
Espiritu Santo
in
Vanuatu
, where author
James Michener
was stationed in
World War II
.
In
South Pacific
[
edit
]
In the musical, Bali Ha'i is a volcanic island within sight of the island on which most of the action takes place. The troops think of Bali Ha'i as an exotic paradise, but it is off-limits?except to officers. Bali Ha'i's matriarch,
Bloody Mary
, conducts much business with the troops, and she meets Lt. Joseph Cable soon after he arrives. She sings to him her mysterious song "Bali Ha'i", with its haunting orchestral accompaniment, because she wants to entice him to visit her island. She doesn't tell him that she wants him to meet, and fall in love with, her young daughter Liat.
Resemblance to score for
Bride of Frankenstein
[
edit
]
Several commentators have noted that the opening melody of "Bali Ha'i" bears a resemblance to the "bride motif" in
Franz Waxman
's musical score for the 1935 film
Bride of Frankenstein
.
[1]
[2]
[3]
[4]
The two melodies share an identical three-note pattern.
[3]
Cover versions
[
edit
]
Several versions of the show tune made the best sellers charts in
1949
.
Perry Como
's version was the most successful at #5. Other versions appearing on the charts were by
Paul Weston and his Orchestra
(#10),
Bing Crosby
(recorded March 10, 1949)
[5]
(#12),
Peggy Lee
(#13), and
Frank Sinatra
(#18).
[6]
Later,
Harry James
released a version on his 1955 album,
Jazz Session
(
Columbia
CL 669);
Andy Williams
released a version on his 1958 album,
Andy Williams Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein
; and
Sergio Franchi
included this song on his 1965 RCA Victor tribute to
The Songs of Richard Rodgers
.
[7]
Connections to actual islands
[
edit
]
"Bali Ha'i" was based on the real island of
Ambae
(formerly
Aoba Island
). Ambae is located in
Vanuatu
(known as
New Hebrides
at the time the song was written).
[
citation needed
]
Ambae is visible on the horizon from
Espiritu Santo
island, where
James A. Michener
was stationed in
World War II
. Michener referred to the island in his book,
Tales of the South Pacific
, which is the basis for the musical
South Pacific
. The author used the tranquil, hazy image of the smoothly sloping island on the horizon to represent a not-so-distant but always unattainable place of innocence and happiness. Hence the longing nature of the song.
[
citation needed
]
In his memoir,
The World Is My Home
(1992), Michener writes of his time in the
Treasury Islands
: "On a rude signboard attached to a tree, someone had affixed a cardboard giving the settlement's name, and it was so completely different from ordinary names, so musical to my ear that I borrowed a pencil and in a soggy notebook jotted the name against the day when I might want to use it for some purpose I could not then envisage: Bali-ha'i."
In the
1958 film adaptation
, Bali Ha'i is portrayed by the real-life island of
Tioman
in
Malaysia
. However, the scene
[
clarification needed
]
was filmed on the north shore of
Kaua?i
;
Mount Makana
was used as Bali Hai and is known as Bali Hai.
[8]
Tunnel's Beach is often referred to as "Nurses' Beach", and the scene where Bloody Mary sings "Bali Ha'i" is set on
Hanalei Bay
.
[
citation needed
]
Influence on popular culture
[
edit
]
Mr. Bali Hai
is the name of a mixed drink that originated at the Bali Hai restaurant on
Shelter Island
in San Diego, California.
[
citation needed
]
The song is used in an episode of
3rd Rock From the Sun
in which Tommy has a dream about his choir teacher singing the song seductively to him while Sally, Dick, and Harry call to him from a boat a very long way out at sea.
"
Bali Ha'i
" is the sixth episode of the
second season
of the American television drama series
Better Call Saul
, a spinoff prequel to
Breaking Bad
. In the episode, main character
Jimmy McGill
sings the song over the phone to
Kim Wexler
.
Bali Hai
is the brand name for a beer produced by Bali Hai Brewery in Indonesia.
[9]
Italian Swiss Colony
produced the "
pop wine
" Bali Hai in the 20th century.
[10]
[11]
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Pratt, Douglas (2004).
Doug Pratt's DVD: Movies, Television, Music, Art, Adult, and More!, Volume 1
. Sag Harbor, NY: Harbor Electronic Publishing. p. 195.
ISBN
978-1932916003
. Retrieved
9 September
2016
.
- ^
Senn, Bryan (1996).
Golden Horrors: An Illustrated Critical Filmography of Terror Cinema, 1931?1939
. Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 282.
ISBN
978-0786427246
. Retrieved
9 September
2016
.
- ^
a
b
MacDonald, Laurence (2013).
The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History
. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, Inc. p. 40.
ISBN
978-0810883987
. Retrieved
9 September
2016
.
- ^
Bond, Jeff (2000).
"Bride of Frankenstein"
.
Film Score Monthly
.
5
(9?10): 27
. Retrieved
9 September
2016
.
- ^
"A Bing Crosby Discography"
.
BING magazine
. International Club Crosby
. Retrieved
September 13,
2017
.
- ^
Whitburn, Joel
(1986).
Pop Memories 1890?1954
. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc. p.
474
.
ISBN
0898200830
.
- ^
Sergio Frenchi's
The Songs of Richard Rodgers
at discogs.com
- ^
Jeanne Cooper (March 27, 2009).
"
'Bali Hai' still calling visitors to Hawaii"
.
San Francisco Chronicle
. Retrieved
September 23,
2010
.
- ^
"Bali Hai"
.
balihaibeer.com
. Bali Hai Brewery Indonesia
. Retrieved
October 19,
2018
.
- ^
Chris Sherman (December 31, 1987).
"A Toast To Auld Lang Wine"
.
Orlando Sentinel
. Retrieved
October 17,
2018
.
- ^
Gerald D. Boyd (October 11, 2005).
"Wine Lore"
.
Winereviewonline.com
. Retrieved
October 17,
2018
.
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