Tag: lounge

The Kaplan Brothers – Eleanor Rigby

The Kaplan Brothers – Eleanor Rigby (The Kaplan Brothers, 1973)

Ponytone has long been a connoisseur of fine Rigbies of the Eleanor variety, and this one is stellar. According to the back of the record, not only did the Kaplan Brothers have a long standing gig at Chicago’s Sheraton O’Hare, they were the hosts of a one-hour nationwide television show sponsored by the San Antonio World’s Fair. They also entertained Lady Bird Johnson, one of my heroes because apparently she conducted all of her business from bed. (Which does make me wonder just where exactly this “entertainment” took place)

Mohammad Jamal – Alemni El Hob

Mohammad Jamal – Alemni El Hob (1985)

After an illustrious career as a singer and actor in Lebanon, Jamal emigrated to the US and opened a falafel restaurant called Byblos in Los Angeles, where he was a regular performer. The restaurant is still around and gets pretty decent reviews, despite the occasional roach in the men’s bathroom.

Gadi Elon – Smilin’ Eyes

Gadi Elon – Smilin’ Eyes (1976)

Gadi Elon was an Israeli lounge singer who captivated audiences from the trenches of the Israeli wars to the nightclubs of New York and Las Vegas. Presumably he sold this privately pressed record at his shows. According to the liner notes the song “Smilin Eyes” was especially written for Gadi by Butch Poverno and George Bitzer, who are also credited with background vocals. A bit of googling revealed that George Bitzer was also the main keyboardist on Andy Gibb’s Shadow Dancing LP and wrote the theme song for the cartoon “Galaxy High”.