# Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's medley: "Somewhere over the Rainbow" and "What a Wonderful World" - why now? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 1, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379 "2012-02-01T02:28:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/1 "2012-02-01T02:28:02Z")
I’ve been hearing Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s medley of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World” getting a lot of airplay over the past six months, and assumed it was a new piece. However, I recently bought a copy of the CD it appeared on, “Facing Future” and found that it was released in 1993, and that Iz died in 1997. So why is it getting so much airtime recently? was it associated with some recent movie or something? ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/2 "2012-02-01T02:40:17Z")
It had it’s first wave of popularity in the early '90’s after the movies “Finding Forrester” and “Meet Joe Black”. Not sure about a new wave of popularity now but, I sure wish someone had written the words down for Iz… his mangled version kind of ruins it for me. Too bad. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/3 "2012-02-01T02:51:25Z")
It was played during Dr Green’s death scene in ER during 2002. It’s been popular for a long time and goes in cycles for airplay because it’s constantly in use. ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/4 "2012-02-01T02:54:07Z")
I could swear I have heard it used in a new film in the last 2 years, perhaps over the credits. ---
**Author:** ![lisiate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f05b48/32.png) [@lisiate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisiate)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/5 "2012-02-01T02:57:28Z")
Judging by the [wikipedia page](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somewhere_Over_the_Rainbow)would be its third or fourth wave of popularity. Previous waves seem to be early 90s, mid 2000s; late 2010-early 2011 in Europe. Not sure what’s sparking the current wave, maybe a commercial? ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/6 "2012-02-01T02:57:59Z")
It’s also in ‘‘Fifty First Dates’’. Ukulele is getting quite popular again and I think we’ll see more pieces using it. Matter of fact, I recently joined a uke club! ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/7 "2012-02-01T03:02:44Z")
His version of Over the Rainbow was performed several times last summer in my area. I’ll have to ask the performers if there was a reason, other than a recent discovery (I had never heard it before, so maybe someone else was behind the times, too). [Here’s the version sung locally,](http://www.youtube.com/user/Shermanbay?feature=mhee#p/search/0/BTQc5C99SR8) by Lynn Gudmundsen, David Hatch, and Ben Larsen, assisted by Hans Christian and Grace Bernhard. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/8 "2012-02-01T03:10:21Z")
> [@K364](#): > > It had it’s first wave of popularity in the early '90’s after the movies “Finding Forrester” and “Meet Joe Black”. > > Not sure about a new wave of popularity now but, I sure wish someone had written the words down for Iz… his mangled version kind of ruins it for me. Too bad. It was a first take. [Here is Mix magazine’s article on the recording session](http://mixonline.com/recording/tracking/bruddah_iz_somewhere_over_rainbow/). It was recorded at 3:30 in the morning by an engineer who just wanted to go home, but was talked into staying an extra fifteen minutes. Then the tape sat on the shelf for five years. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/9 "2012-02-01T03:13:47Z")
There are two versions of _Over the Rainbow_ that are usually considered the standard versions these days - Eva Cassidy’s and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s. (Yes, more so than Judy Garland’s version.) I would say that Eva Cassidy’s is actually the more influential version, although admittedly I’m a little prejudiced about this. Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s version may be more popular, in terms of coming up higher in Google hits and hits on YouTube, but in terms of inspiring new singers, Eva Cassidy’s seems to be more influential. ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/10 "2012-02-01T03:19:52Z")
[Here’s my favorite,](http://www.youtube.com/user/Shermanbay?feature=mhee#p/search/1/ecGKOaUFn0Y) Jeanne Kuhns & George Sawyn. Jeanne has pipes and George’s got picks. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/11 "2012-02-01T04:08:50Z")
> [@gaffa](#): > > It was a first take. [Here is Mix magazine’s article on the recording session](http://mixonline.com/recording/tracking/bruddah_iz_somewhere_over_rainbow/). It was recorded at 3:30 in the morning by an engineer who just wanted to go home, but was talked into staying an extra fifteen minutes. Then the tape sat on the shelf for five years. Thanks for that **gaffa**! Very interesting site. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/12 "2012-02-01T04:13:43Z")
It’s been used in the Ad Council’s public service ads for over a decade. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/13 "2012-02-01T04:18:17Z")
I don’t have anything to say except that unless I am very careful and selective, no matter the seeds I pick, my pandora station starts playing his version every 5 or 6 songs. It was cute and sweet for about 2 minutes and now I wish he’d never recorded it. I am glad I do not listen to very much broadcast radio. If it’s as popular as you say, I would probably have committed a murder by now. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/14 "2012-02-01T04:32:27Z")
I think the popularity is thanks to _Glee_ - here’s the _[song](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdyoEolemEw&feature=related)_ they did in Season One. ETA: that’s just Over the Rainbow but the influence is obvious ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/15 "2012-02-01T06:35:25Z")
> [@K364](#): > > Thanks for that **gaffa**! Very interesting site. You’re welcome. It’s a trade magazine for sound engineers, both PA and recording, and the Classic Tracks column is one of my favorites. I haven’t earned my living as a sound engineer in years, but I still like to keep up. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/16 "2012-02-01T15:38:15Z")
I hadn’t heard it on the air in years and years, and then just heard it yesterday, as it happens. You can hear a little of it in this sweet [eToys.com](http://eToys.com) ad from 2000, too: [- YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRy_DBRL36w) ---
**Author:** ![well\_he\_s\_back](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3ab097/32.png) [@well\_he\_s\_back](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/well_he_s_back)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/17 "2012-02-01T18:53:51Z")
why now - cause it’s timeless? Oh - and David Archuleta basically stole Eva Cassidy’s version of “Over the Rainbow” on American Idol and never got called on it ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/18 "2012-02-01T19:18:46Z")
Why now? If I had to guess, I’d guess that there’s a heightened demand for Hawaiian music now that The Descendants is up for Best Picture. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/19 "2012-02-01T19:56:12Z")
> [@K364](#): > > …I sure wish someone had written the words down for Iz… his mangled version kind of ruins it for me. Too bad. Iz did later record the right lyrics, but it just doesn’t have the same charm. Oh, and listen to the entire _Facing Future_ album; lots of great somes besides “Rainbow.” “[Pili Me Ka’u Manu](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALFoTW4DY64)” is a favorite of mine. ---
**Author:** ![11811](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/9d8465/32.png) [@11811](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/11811)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379/20 "2012-02-01T21:21:24Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I’ve been hearing Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s medley of “Somewhere over the Rainbow” and “What a Wonderful World” getting a lot of airplay over the past six months, and assumed it was a new piece. > > However, I recently bought a copy of the CD it appeared on, “Facing Future” and found that it was released in 1993, and that Iz died in 1997. > > So why is it getting so much airtime recently? was it associated with some recent movie or something? Did it get played on an episode if the new Hawaii Five-0 also? That would be between 2010 and 2012. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/israel-kamakawiwooles-medley-somewhere-over-the-rainbow-and-what-a-wonderful-world-why-now/611379.md?page=2)