Soundtrack to my life: Danny Faifai
Each week we invite music lovers to share the songs that have soundtracked their lives. This week, we speak to Danny Faifai of the Koi Boys, who feature in a new docuseries on Ma¯ ori Television, screening Thursdays at 9pm.
1Elvis JAILHOUSE ROCK Presley (1957)
As a child in the early 70s, I remember watching Jailhouse Rock and being mesmerised by Elvis’ voice and his moves.
This song definitely sparked me. I remember thinking, “I want to do that for a living.” I fell in love with singing from there.
I grew up in Moera, and my father was in a band. He’s Samoan and my mother is Ma¯ ori, and they were always playing rock ’n’ roll and country records around home but this song sticks out.
I still remember the grief that people were feeling when Elvis passed away — even my parents were crying.
2The LET YOUR LOVE FLOW Bellamy Brothers (1976)
My parents would also play stuff like The Bellamy Brothers and Glen Campbell and I was heavily influenced by them as well.
I remember the opening guitar riff and then the harmonies and great melodies. I just loved it.
Years later, the first song that I wrote when the Koi Boys released Meant To Be, the lead track was heavily influenced by Let Your Love Flow.
I wish I’d kept those records. Kids these days are hooked on their phones or iPads, well these were like my iPad, our little record player.
3Michael WHAT A FOOL BELIEVES McDonald (1979)
My sense of music sort of exploded after this song — I remember thinking, “This is incredible.”
When my ears started to develop, I was hearing the melody, the bass lines and the different key changes within the song, then the harmonies.
With the melody and his singing, I thought Michael McDonald was black, and when I saw him, I thought, ‘What?’ But it was just, “Oh, okay, all good.”
I listened to Michael Jackson’s Off The Wall and all of those other albums of the time but this song stuck with me.
4Patti ON MY OWN La Belle & Michael McDonald (1986)
I was in Form 4 at Hutt
Valley High School and
I’d just been dumped by a girl.
That night, I went to my cousin’s office and it was just the two of us there.
I was looking out the window over Wellington city, the view was incredible. Then On My Own came on the radio — so I had a bit of a tangi.
But I remember thinking the same thing as with Michael McDonald, the voices and singing were just amazing.
Rachel was her name — she was the first girlfriend who made me cry. That was the last time I spoke to her.
5 MY PREROGATIVE Bobby Brown (1988)
I was at a mate’s place for a First XV party when I first heard this. I was a bit drunk so I took five minutes out and I sat down in front of a TV when the song’s video came on.
I remember thinking, “Who the freak is this guy?”
I loved what he was wearing, the microphone — they had the headsets on and the flat-top haircuts. And because the music was loud at the time, I thought, “Wow, this is wicked.”
The following song was MC Hammer’s Turn This Mutha Out and, in my brain, I was like, “That’s me, I can do that” and those feelings came back again of, “Oh, I want to do this.”
6 MACK THE KNIFE Bobby Darin (1959)
After I left school and was working, we’d go down to Courtenay’s Wine Bar and do karaoke.
I learned this song by listening to the karaoke, because it gives you like a lead guide, of where the lead is supposed to sing. So I listened to that a couple of times and then put the words in.
The song went down really well and ended up making me about $5000 in karaoke competitions. It’s still my go-to.
7Prince PURPLE RAIN (1984)
My cousin took me to the theatre when I was 12 to see the movie Purple Rain and I was just mesmerised. I sat there with my mouth open and my cousin said, “Bro, you could have caught flies.” I was just blown away.
Prince could do everything — play guitar, he was an incredible entertainer, had a great voice, and was an amazing songwriter. Hearing Purple Rain was just another reinforcement of, “That’s what I want to do with the rest of my life.”