Greg Hawkes adds a touch of aloha to Beatles favorites with "The Beatles Uke"

Photo: Solid Air Records

In his latest CD, Greg Hawkes adds a touch of aloha to our favorite Beatles hits. “The Beatles Uke” (released in 2008 on Solid Air Records) features 15 instrumental Beatle covers played in multi-track style on Hawaii’s beloved instrument – the ukulele.

When a friend first told me about “The Beatles Uke,” my initial reaction was “Why the Beatles?” and “Why the ukulele?” True, the late George Harrison enjoyed Hawaii in general and loved the uke in particular. But a CD of Beatle’s tunes played by an orchestra of ukes seemed more like a beer-soaked hallucination after a late night on the Waikiki club scene.

After listening to a few tracks, however, I was hooked both on the concept and the brilliant execution by famed The Cars keyboardist Greg Hawkes.

Greg Hawkes is best known as keyboardist & co-founder of The Cars. In the 1980’s, Hawkes and the band topped the charts with hits that include “Let’s Go,” “Just What I Needed,” “Shake It Up,” and “Heartbeat City.” In 2001, Hawkes was given an ukulele as a gift and he has been hooked on the instrument ever since. On his website, he explains, “It made playing music fun again.”

“The Beatles Uke” is filled with both fun and innovation. Many Waikiki performers cover Beatles tunes with vocals and ukulele strumming. Hawkes, however, has taken what he calls a “UKEsymphonic” approach to the project. Using multi-track recording techniques, he re-invents the individual parts from the original recordings and essentially creates a virtual ukulele orchestra.

The overall effect is simply dazzling. For example, the album’s version of Eleanor Rigby – with driving rhythms and soaring lines – truly captures the signature string arrangement developed by George Martin.

“The Beatles Uke” is available for purchase through iTunes and directly through Solid Air Records. For more information visit Greg Hawkes on the web at www.greghawkesmusic.com.