Liz Damon's Orient Express
Encyclopedia
Liz Damon's Orient Express was a 1970s band
from Hawaii
, featuring lead singer Liz Damon, two female backup singers
and a rotating backup band. The name apparently derived from the original backup band being entirely Asian
. Their only song
to make the Billboard Hot 100
Top 40 was "1900 Yesterday", which made it to #33 on the U.S.
and #16 on the Canadian
charts
in early 1971. Most impressively, it peaked at #4 on Billboard's Easy Listening survey.
Edda Damon and Sydette Sakauye. In the early 1970s, Sakauye left and was replaced by Meri McPherson. While the Damon sisters and McPherson appeared to be constants, their backup band appeared to undergo numerous personnel changes.
Meri McPherson married Native Hawaiian activist and Kamehameha Schools
classmate Kela M. Whifa after leaving the group in 1984. He was the inspiration for the Sons of Hawaii
hit song "Kela Mea Whifa" written about a Mau'i Sugar Milll. McPherson also sang back-up for a few years with the Cowsills.
The Meawhifa's currently live in Hilo, Hawaii and are planning a comeback reunion tour.
at the Garden Bar at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
for 18 months and recorded its first album
, At the Garden Bar, Hilton Hawaiian Village in 1970. Originally released on Makaha Records, it was then picked up by White Whale Records
, who released it as an eponymous album and also released "1900 Yesterday" as a single
.
Liz Damon's Orient Express released Burt Bacharach's
"Loneliness Remembers (What Happiness Forgets)" for the Anthem label in late 1971, and it became their second and last US chart single, and the only charted version of that song, which was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick
.
The group released three more albums during the 1970s consisting mostly of covers
. In 1979, the group released a comedy album. During the late 1970s, the band moved to Las Vegas
, Nevada
where they performed until their breakup in the mid 1980s.
Only Liz Damon's Orient Express is available in print today, although "1900 Yesterday" appears on some compilations
of 1970s mellow music.
Band (music)
In music, a musical ensemble or band is a group of musicians that works together to perform music. The following articles concern types of musical bands:* All-female band* Big band* Boy band* Christian band* Church band* Concert band* Cover band...
from Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
, featuring lead singer Liz Damon, two female backup singers
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
and a rotating backup band. The name apparently derived from the original backup band being entirely Asian
Asian people
Asian people or Asiatic people is a term with multiple meanings that refers to people who descend from a portion of Asia's population.- Central Asia :...
. Their only song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
to make the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
Top 40 was "1900 Yesterday", which made it to #33 on the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and #16 on the Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in early 1971. Most impressively, it peaked at #4 on Billboard's Easy Listening survey.
Band members
Damon's backup singers on the 1970 album At the Garden Bar, Hilton Hawaiian Village were her sisterSibling
Siblings are people who share at least one parent. A male sibling is called a brother; and a female sibling is called a sister. In most societies throughout the world, siblings usually grow up together and spend a good deal of their childhood socializing with one another...
Edda Damon and Sydette Sakauye. In the early 1970s, Sakauye left and was replaced by Meri McPherson. While the Damon sisters and McPherson appeared to be constants, their backup band appeared to undergo numerous personnel changes.
Meri McPherson married Native Hawaiian activist and Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools
Kamehameha Schools , formerly called Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate , is a private co-educational college-preparatory institution that specializes in Native Hawaiian language and cultural education. It is located in Hawaii and operates three campuses: Kapālama , Pukalani , and Keaau...
classmate Kela M. Whifa after leaving the group in 1984. He was the inspiration for the Sons of Hawaii
Sons of Hawaii
The Sons of Hawaii was a Hawaiian musical group that popular to mainstream audiences from the 1960s through the 1990s.-History:In 1960 they opened at the Sandbox in Honolulu and were soon the highest paid Hawaiian group in the Islands...
hit song "Kela Mea Whifa" written about a Mau'i Sugar Milll. McPherson also sang back-up for a few years with the Cowsills.
The Meawhifa's currently live in Hilo, Hawaii and are planning a comeback reunion tour.
Performances and recording
The band was the house bandHouse band
For the British band that existed from 1984-2001, see The House BandA house band is a group of musicians, often centrally organized by a band leader, who regularly play an establishment. It is widely used to refer both to the bands who work on entertainment programs on television or radio, and to...
at the Garden Bar at the Hilton Hawaiian Village
Hilton Hawaiian Village
The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa, formerly the Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel, has been a popular hotel in the Waikiki area of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States since 1957. It is the largest hotel of the Hilton chain, with 3,386 rooms and with 7 towers...
for 18 months and recorded its first album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, At the Garden Bar, Hilton Hawaiian Village in 1970. Originally released on Makaha Records, it was then picked up by White Whale Records
White Whale Records
White Whale Records was an American record label, founded in 1965 by Ted Feigin and Lee Lassiff in Los Angeles, California, and probably best known as the record label of The Turtles....
, who released it as an eponymous album and also released "1900 Yesterday" as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
.
Liz Damon's Orient Express released Burt Bacharach's
Burt Bacharach
Burt F. Bacharach is an American pianist, composer and music producer. He is known for his popular hit songs and compositions from the mid-1950s through the 1980s, with lyrics written by Hal David. Many of their hits were produced specifically for, and performed by, Dionne Warwick...
"Loneliness Remembers (What Happiness Forgets)" for the Anthem label in late 1971, and it became their second and last US chart single, and the only charted version of that song, which was originally recorded by Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick
Dionne Warwick is an American singer, actress and TV show host, who became a United Nations Global Ambassador for the Food and Agriculture Organization, and a United States Ambassador of Health....
.
The group released three more albums during the 1970s consisting mostly of covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
. In 1979, the group released a comedy album. During the late 1970s, the band moved to Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
, Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
where they performed until their breakup in the mid 1980s.
Only Liz Damon's Orient Express is available in print today, although "1900 Yesterday" appears on some compilations
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of 1970s mellow music.
Albums
- Liz Damon's Orient Express (1970) (also At the Garden Bar, Hilton Hawaiian Village)
- Try a Little Tenderness (1970)
- Me Japanese Boy (I Love You), Delilah Records (1973)
- Heaven in My Heart (1978)
- Warning: This Album Could be Hazardous to Your Ego! (1979)