Ofra Haza | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | December 1997 | |||
Recorded | January–August 1997 | |||
Studio | Nemo Studios Hamburg and Abbey Road Studios London | |||
Genre | World music, Mizrahi, Ethnic electronica, New-age | |||
Length | 51:29 | |||
Language | Hebrew, Arabic, English | |||
Label | BMG | |||
Producer | Frank Peterson | |||
Ofra Haza chronology | ||||
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Allmusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Ofra Haza is an eponymous 1997 album by Israeli singer Ofra Haza. The album was produced by Frank Peterson (of Enigma and Gregorian), recorded both in Hamburg as well as at legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, and includes the single release "Show Me", an updated version of "Im Nin' Alu", songs co-written by Peterson, Haza and manager Bezalel Aloni as well as a cover version of Carole King's "You've Got a Friend". Although Haza continued recording until 1999, mainly songs for movie soundtracks and collaborations with other artists, this was to be her final full-length studio album before her death in 2000.
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer, songwriter and actress, commonly known in the Western world as "the Madonna of the East", or "the Israeli Madonna". Her voice has been described as a "tender" mezzo-soprano. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Haza at number 186 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
"You've Got a Friend" is a 1971 song written by American singer-songwriter Carole King. It was first recorded by King and included on her second studio album, Tapestry (1971). Another well-known version is by James Taylor from his album Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon. His was released as a single in 1971, reaching number one on the Billboard Hot 100 and number four on the UK Singles Chart. The two versions were recorded simultaneously in 1971 with shared musicians.
Live is the first live album by singer-songwriter James Taylor released on August 10, 1993, by Columbia Records. The double album presents selections from 14 shows during a November 1992 tour. In the US, Live peaked at number 20 on the Billboard 200 chart and has sold more than one million copies, being certified 2× platinum by the RIAA.
The Best of James Taylor is the fourth compilation album by American singer-songwriter James Taylor released by Warner Bros. Records in 2003. The same album was released in Europe as You've Got a Friend: The Best of James Taylor.
Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity, known professionally as Tony Sheridan, was an English rock and roll guitarist who spent much of his adult life in Germany. He was best known as an early collaborator of the Beatles, one of two non-Beatles to receive label performance credit on a record with the group, and the only non-Beatle to appear as lead singer on a Beatles recording which charted as a single.
Frank Peterson is a German music producer known for his work with Enigma and artists such as Sarah Brightman, Ofra Haza, Gregorian, Princessa, and Andrea Bocelli on his first international album, Romanza.
"You've Got a Friend in Me" is a song by Randy Newman. Used as the theme song for the 1995 Disney/Pixar animated film Toy Story, it has since become a major musical component for its sequels, Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story 3 (2010) and Toy Story 4 (2019) as well as a musical leitmotif throughout the whole Toy Story franchise. The song was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song. Like many other Disney theme songs, "You've Got a Friend in Me" has been covered numerous times. Cover versions featured in the first three Toy Story films include a duet with Newman and Lyle Lovett in Toy Story; a diagetic instance by Tom Hanks, a version by Robert Goulet and an instrumental by Tom Scott in Toy Story 2, and a Spanish language version by the Gipsy Kings in Toy Story 3.
Head over Heels is the third studio album released by American singer Paula Abdul on June 13, 1995, under Virgin Records. The album features three singles "My Love Is for Real", "Crazy Cool" and "Ain't Never Gonna Give You Up". To date, it is Abdul's last studio album release.
Desert Wind is an album by the Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released in 1989. Popular in Israel, Haza was unknown in the rest of the world until the previous year, when the song "Im Nin'Alu" and the album Shaday were released. Desert Wind was therefore more oriented toward the international market.
Izhar Ashdot is an Israeli singer-songwriter, guitarist, and record producer. He is a co-founding member of the Israeli rock band T-Slam
Izhar is the recipient of the Israeli Copyright Society lifetime achievement award .
"Im Nin'alu" is a Hebrew poem by 17th-century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. It has been placed to music and sung by Israeli singer Ofra Haza and others. Haza first performed this song with the Shechunat Hatikva Workshop Theatre, appearing on television on IBA's General Television in 1978. The original version was included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom. The remixed version was part of her international debut Shaday of 1988.
Kirya is a 1992 album by Israeli singer Ofra Haza. Intended as the follow-up to Haza’s internationally successful Shaday (1988) and Desert Wind (1989) albums, it built on her successful blend of Electronic dance music and traditional Middle Eastern sounds, being a logical next step for Haza. Musically, it applied the sensibilities of pop producer Don Was to traditional song writing and instrumentation; lyrically, it delivered powerful themes of longing, joy, and the plight of the downtrodden in several languages, much like Haza's earlier work.
Shaday is an album by Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released in 1988. Shaday, recorded in both Tel Aviv and England, became Haza's international breakthrough album and includes the Hebrew-English language remix singles "Im Nin'alu" and "Galbi," as well as "Shaday" and "Da'Ale Da'Ale," also released as remix singles.
Yemenite Songs is a 1984 album by Ofra Haza, in which the Israeli pop star returned to her roots interpreting traditional Yemeni Jewish songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi. The album was recorded with both traditional and modern musical instruments; wooden and metal percussion, Yemenite tin and tambala, strings, brass and woodwind as well as drum machines and synthesizers. The songs are sung in Hebrew with a Yemenite accent and in Arabic.
At Montreux Jazz Festival is a 1998 album by Israeli singer Ofra Haza. The recording which captures Haza and a five-piece band live at the Montreux Jazz Festival in July 1990 comprises material from her international studio albums Shaday, Yemenite Songs and Desert Wind, including hit singles like "Im Nin' Alu", "Galbi", "Shaday", "Ya Ba Ye", as well as Yemeni Jewish traditionals and the a cappella performance of "Love Song" with lyrics from The Song of Songs.
Forever, subtitled as Her Greatest Songs Remixed, is a 2008 greatest hits album of recordings by Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released on the Edel Records label. The compilation features remixed versions by production team Ferris Bueller and Kai Panschow of tracks from Haza's international albums, mainly focussing on material from the bestselling Shaday (1988) and Desert Wind (1989), including some of her best-known songs like "Im Nin'alu", "Galbi", "Shaday", "Love Song", "Ya Ba Ye", "Fatamorgana" and "Kaddish" as well as the previously unreleased recording "The Poem".
Toy Story is the soundtrack album for the 1995 Disney/Pixar animated film Toy Story, with music composed, conducted, and performed by Randy Newman. The soundtrack includes the film score, as well as three original songs written and performed by Newman. It was released by Walt Disney Records on November 22, 1995, the week of the film's release, and the first soundtrack album from a Pixar film.
Conscience is the second studio album, and fourth album overall, by English electronic music group The Beloved, released in February 1993. It reached #2 on the UK Albums Chart and includes "Sweet Harmony", the first single taken from the album and the first from the band to enter the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 8. Both are the highest positions reached by The Beloved in the UK charts with an album and single release.
Carnegie Hall is a quadruple live album by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention, released posthumously on October 31, 2011, by the Zappa Family Trust on Vaulternative Records. It is a mono recording of the two shows given on October 11, 1971 at Carnegie Hall in New York and the sixth installment on the Vaulternative Records label that is dedicated to the posthumous release of complete Zappa concerts, following the releases of FZ:OZ (2002), Buffalo (2007), Wazoo (2007), Philly '76 (2009) and Hammersmith Odeon (2010).
The Five Faces of Manfred Mann is the debut British and second American studio album by Manfred Mann. It was first released in the United Kingdom on 11 September 1964 by His Master's Voice. In late October/early November, the album was released in Canada by Capitol Records. The Canadian track listing was almost the same as the UK version, except it included the hit "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" instead of "I've Got My Mojo Working". The record has been called "one of the great blues-based British invasion albums; it's a hot, rocking record that benefits from some virtuoso playing as well".