Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Hawaiian Pups

New York, NY's Hawaiian Pups never intended to get signed to a major label. While producing music of their own to use to find additional producing and engineering work, they were signed to Portrait Records and released an EP "Split Second Precision" (Portrait 1983) and a 7" single "Spook Opera". The track "Baby Judy" got a lot of attention at college radio but failed to make the commercial station's playlists due to it's Devo meets Dr. Demento sound. They recorded some additional demos, got caught in the typical major label shuffle and the chaos that ensued, and that was it. According to a Hawaiian Pups website they are in the process of releasing a retrospective CD of the E.P., single and unreleased demos. At the site you can also read a fairly recent interview and download the "Spook Opera" track which was a Dr. Demento favorite.

The Hawaiian Pups were:

John Klett (who also played with the Individuals) is currently a sound engineer.
John Terelle is currently making music and sound for cable TV.
and Tara Shanahan

Go to the download page to get The Hawaiian Pups - "Baby Judy"

14 Comments:

Blogger Chardman said...

It's cool hearing about the Hawaiian Pups again.
When I was a lad, my local listener sponsored radio station (KBOO) had a program that played 'Baby Judy' every week for several months. I vaguely remember them flipping the disc for side two, but it was pretty much just 'judy for nearly a year.
Then I remember seeing the EP in our local Disc Jockey store and agonizing over buying it. I bought something by DEVO instead.
Thanks for finding and sharing this!

11:23 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Some college stations were playing Baby Judy so much that people were complaining. I used to hear us on the most on WXCI and WSIU... and a couple times on WLIR when it was new and no commercials.

At the 1983 New Music Seminar there was a panel on radio consultants and how they were the valve you had to get through to move from college to commercial radio... interesting panel... we never broke through... ...time goes by.

The pups are in the process of getting some unreleased material out... how long it takes is anyones guess but we are building up some steam... yes - we are so old we are steam powered... thanks for the mention and good timing

8:49 PM  
Blogger glassfrequency said...

I was one of the eighties college djs that probably played the pups too much.

sorry about that.

thanks for the download.

1:19 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am glad I discovered Hawaiian Pups, while on a mission to find worthy New Wave music! I will be looking forward to possible releases or remastered works as read. :-)

11:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i need to hear the pups, been looking for years & years to hear it again. i lost my recording of it on cassete years back. i have told everybody about it & cant even give them a sample.

10:30 PM  
Blogger Wave said...

The Hawaiian Pups are the best. They are just all puppy love! I love them!! ~MISS L.

5:16 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

5:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I went to college with JT and he remains a friend. Nothing strange or interesting he does surprizes me. I think I sang a scratch track for him once...but my memory may be faulty on that.

Ace Spindozza

1:23 PM  
Anonymous Andymac said...

There's a lot of talk how the Hawaiian Pups only were played on college radio and never broke through to the commercial airwaves. That's not totally true though...I grew up in Toronto and The Hawaiian Pups were being played on CFNY 102.1FM. It was during CFNY's glory days when they dared to be different.."The Spirit Of Radio". :Baby Judy" was heard as well as The Normal's "Warm Leatherette" and Trans-X "Living On Video". Ahh, those were the days!!!

8:57 PM  
Blogger zara said...

When I was in high school, I had a cousin who spun for a commercial radio station (KMEL St. Louis). Much of my music collection was records that his station would NOT play, and so he gave to me. Split Second Precision was one of those, and one of my favorites. I still own the LP.

12:34 AM  
Blogger oldwave said...

it's 1 a.m.-sitting here listening to the pups e.p.-drinking beer and trying to find the pups on c.d.-i guess i,m lucky to have the album-80.s new wave at its finest!

3:16 AM  
Anonymous laffelpont said...

Concur with andymac that the Pups were more than just a college radio thing. Baby Judy was in heavy rotation on 91X, "The Cutting Edge Of Rock" in San Diego. That was back when they were the cutting edge of rock. Instrad of the 80s mausoleum they are now.

10:05 PM  
Anonymous Scooter Livingston said...

I played the shit out of Baby Judy at WBIM/Bridgewater State College.

Those were the days

5:13 PM  
Blogger stone soup theatre said...

Did you guys ever tour or play live? I'm surprised you are NYC band. I would've said So Cal- you were big out west. Anyway good to hear from you

12:51 AM  

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