DID YOU KNOW THAT THESE MUSICIANS ARE JEWISH?

I have always been curious about the abundance of ethnically Jewish individuals who have achieved significant success in the music industry. This phenomenon has been in train for many decades, and it displays no apparent signs of concluding.

In order to have any chance of “making it” in the music industry, you require musical talent. This being said, in order to “survive” in the music industry, you require infinite levels of drive. Let’s explore this point in comparison to the last century of Jewish civilisation.

The global Jewish population was decimated during the World War II era, and in effect, has been required to re-populate itself in order to survive. In doing so, this fight against adversity appears to have generated a certain “X-Factor” in the character of Jewish people, to the extent that “failure is not an option”.

There are many musically talented individuals in the world, however the vast majority of these individuals never realise their true potential due to various factors, albeit predominantly based around a lack of commitment to their craft. This could be the single defining reason as to why so many Jewish people are successful in the music industry; it all comes down to talent and drive.

We are all very familiar with the musician superstars who are patently Jewish [e.g. Billy Joel, Simon and Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Neil Diamond, Barbara Streisand] and the music industry chiefs [e.g. Clive Davis, David Geffen]. There are even some very successful rock groups who are almost exclusively Jewish!! [e.g. Kiss and 10CC]. Let’s have a look at some past and present Jewish music superstars who have reached the zenith on the music industry, albeit without actually promoting the fact that they are Jewish.

Dianne Warren – the most successful songwriter of the past 25 years.

Robbie Robertson [real name: Jaime Robert Klegerman] – his biological name defines his Jewish background, albeit it is interesting that Robertson has consistently promoted his mother’s Native American heritage throughout his long career.

Harry Connick Jr – his music tends more towards Sinatra and the South; Connick Jr has built a career around bringing a contemporary feel to the Swing Sound.

Melissa Manchester – her early musical years of singing backup to Barry Manilow and Bette Midler provides a link to her Jewish background.

The Cars – Ric Ocasek, Elliot Easton [real name: Elliot Steinberg] & Ben Orr [real name: Benjamin Orzechowski] were the driving force behind this Boston-based pop/ rock Group of the 1970’s & 1980’s.

Pink [real name: Alecia Beth Moore] – her mother is Jewish, and Pink has been the most successful female singer/ songwriter for the past 15 years.

There are also some famous musicians who have never confirmed nor denied their Jewish faith; Alice Cooper [real name: Vincent Furnier] comes to mind.

Either way, it’s a great achievement for the individuals of a rebuilding religious faith to command such a presence in an extremely demanding industry. I’m keen to read your thoughts about my statement, plus I look forward to your contributions to my list!!

WHEN DID THE SAXOPHONE SOLO LEAVE THE POP CHARTS?

The recent passing of ace saxophonist Clarence Clemons marked the end of an era for Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band, as we know it. Clemons’ distinctive playing style is irreplaceable; let’s think about his contribution to some of Springsteen’s best-known work.

• The frenetic playing during the instrumental break in “Born To Run”. Would an alternate saxophonist have been able to push the tempo of the song to the heights so famously achieved by Clemons?
• The subtle solo during the coda in “Dancing In The Dark”. It would have been sacrilege to leave Clemons’ instrumentation out of Springsteen’s pop chart zenith; a very “cool” sax break to round out a great song.

The saxophone has always been a part of modern music, whether it be playing a dominant riff [Gerry Rafferty’s “Baker Street”; George Michael’s “Careless Whisper”] or a timeless solo [Roxy Music’s “Jealous Guy”; Billy Joel’s “Just The Way You Are”]. There have even been some hit songs based predominantly around some great sax work [Kenny G’s “Songbird”; Candy Dulfer’s “Lily Was Here”]. If you check out the latest pop charts, one will find a distinct lack of saxophone work in today’s hit songs. Thus, the question that I ask is:

“When did the saxophone solo leave the pop charts?”

I don’t have the definitive answer; it’s most likely due to the fact that the modern dance music dominating the pop charts simply doesn’t gel with the saxophone sound. I would love to be proven wrong, however could it be that the saxophone has been lost to popular music forever?

Many people love the saxophone sound; the saxophone has made hit songs. Can you imagine Sade’s “Smooth Operator” without its seductive sax riff? What about the lively solo break in Bill Medley & Jennifer Warne’s “I’ve Had The Time Of My Life”? This song’s success was a contributing factor to the phenomena of the Dirty Dancing movie. The movie soundtrack’s other hit songs [Eric Carmen’s “Hungry Eyes”; Patrick Swayze’s “She’s Like The Wind”] also featured great sax solos.

Let’s remember the saxophone sound for what it is; an instrument capable of stellar riffs and timeless solos. I’ve jotted down some of my favourite “saxophone songs”; I’d love to read your lists of favourite saxophone songs, plus any modern “saxophone hits” for my aural pleasure…

“Just The Two Of Us” – Grover Washington Jr & Bill Withers
“The Heat Is On”; “You Belong To The City”; “The One Who Loves You” – Glenn Frey
“Who Can It Be Now?” – Men At Work
“I Can’t Go For That” – Hall & Oates
“What You Need”; “Never Tear Us Apart” – INXS
“Modern Love” – David Bowie
“Harden My Heart” – Quarterflash
“The Sad Café” – The Eagles
“Your Latest Trick” – Dire Straits
“Going Home” – Mark Knopfler
“Smoke From A Distant Fire” – Sanford Townsend Band
“Rainy Days And Mondays” – The Carpenters
“True” – Spandau Ballet
“Urgent” – Foreigner
“What Can I Say” – Boz Scaggs
“The Logical Song” – Supertramp
“I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” – ABBA
“Money”; “Us And Them” – Pink Floyd
“Year Of The Cat”; “Time Passages” – Al Stewart
“Waiting On A Friend” – The Rolling Stones