Galbi (song)
Encyclopedia
"Galbi" is an Arabic poem by the 17th century Yemenite
Rabbi
Shalom Shabazi
which later was set to music, and was sung by Israeli Yemenite
singer Ofra Haza
and others. The 1988 remix of the song, taken from the album Shaday
, was issued as the follow-up to Haza's worldwide chart hit "Im Nin'Alu
(Played In Full Remix)".
Both "Im Nin'Alu" and "Galbi" were originally recorded for the 1984 album Yemenite Songs
also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom containing modern versions of traditional Yemen
i Jewish songs, recorded with drum machines and synthesizers but still with comparatively traditional arrangements and instruments, including strings, woodwind and brass as well as distinctive percussion like Yemeni tin and tambala.
Contrary to popular belief "Im Nin'Alu" was not the first track from the Yemenite Songs album to be remixed for the dancefloor - in fact it was the other way around. "Galbi" was the first remix to be issued in Israel in 1984 on the Hed Arzi label, then subtitled Played Out Mix, remixed and re-produced by Izhar Ashdot and clearly influenced by contemporary American dance productions like Chaka Khan
's groundbreaking "I Feel For You
" with its prominent use of samples, editing, breakbeats and scratching. The Played Out Mix which more or less only retained the lead vocals and the string section of the original recording was released both as a 7" and an extended 12" single which later found its way to both Continental Europe and the U.K. via the independent world music
label Globe Style Records in 1985 and became something of an underground club hit. The B-side of the 1985 12" single was in fact the original un-remixed version of "Im Nin'Alu" with its a cappella intro - which may be an explanation as to why the world of British dance music and American hip hop
and rap was exposed to the somewhat exotic genre Yemen
i Jewish folk music and the sample of Haza's voice later appearing on tracks like Coldcut
's Seven Minutes of Madness remix of Eric B. & Rakim
's "Paid in Full
" and M/A/R/R/S' "Pump Up the Volume
", both milestones in the history of dance music and both released in 1987.
In 1987 "Galbi" was again remixed, then in The Netherlands by the Dutch DJ Peter Vriends and re-issued as a 12" single on the minor label Street Heat with the subtitle The Dutch Remix, also including the 1984 Israeli Played Out remix.
Following the pop chart success of "Im Nin'Alu (Played In Full Remix)" in the summer of 1988 - again remixed and re-produced by Izhar Ashdot, also with the assistance of British engineer Bob Kraushaar
- "Galbi" was remixed a second time by Ashdot in the autumn of that year, then with an arrangement similar to the million-selling hit single. The 88' Remix of "Galbi" which also included re-recorded vocals partly in English was first available on the Shaday
album and subsequently issued as the follow-up single to "Im Nin'Alu (Played In Full)" in the UK, Continental Europe, Scandinavia, the U.S. and Japan. For the 1988 7" single release Ashdot mixed two vocal 7" mixes, one with the original Yemeni vocals and the other the re-recorded Yemeni/English version. For the 1988 12"/CD single he created the extended Sehoog Mix (later appearing as a bonus track on Sire Records
' CD re-release of the Shaday album), a second 12" mix called 88 Maxi Mix (only commercially released in France), as well as an alternate 12" instrumental.
Sire Records
, the U.S. licensee of the Shaday album, then in turn commissioned further remixes from American and British producers such as Emilio Pasquez and Pascal Gabriel
in late 1988 which found their way on to the U.S. 12" singles (which also included the Israeli Played Out remixes, by then already four years old, and The Dutch Remix) as well as to 'various artists' dance albums and sampler compilations like Just Say Yo in the Just Say Yes series. Further remixes have followed all through the 1990s and 2000s - both on official albums, white label 12" singles, DJ compilations by Razormaid, Disconet, Hot Tracks, Ultimix and DMC as well as bootleg remix compilations.
The latest official remix of "Galbi" was included on the 2008 album Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed
, then remixed and re-produced by German production team Ferris Bueller and Kai Panschow, issued on the Edel Records label.
1987
1988
2008
Yemenite
Yemenite may refer to:*Yemenite, a person from Yemen*Yemeni Arabic, dialect of the Arabic language*Yemenite step, an Israeli folk dance step originating from Yemen*Yemenite Jews...
Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Shalom Shabazi
Shalom Shabazi
Rabbi Shalom ben Yosef Shabbazi, also Abba Shalem Shabbezi or Salim Elshibzi was one of the greatest Jewish poets who lived in 17th century Yemen and now considered the 'Poet of Yemen'. Shabbazi was born in 1619 at Jewish Sharab, close to Ta'izz, and lived most of his life in Ta'izz from which he...
which later was set to music, and was sung by Israeli Yemenite
Yemenite
Yemenite may refer to:*Yemenite, a person from Yemen*Yemeni Arabic, dialect of the Arabic language*Yemenite step, an Israeli folk dance step originating from Yemen*Yemenite Jews...
singer Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza
Ofra Haza was an Israeli singer of Yemeni origin, an actress and international recording artist....
and others. The 1988 remix of the song, taken from the album Shaday
Shaday
Shaday was a 1988 album by Ofra Haza, released after the international chart success of the single "Im Nin' Alu ." Like the follow-up "Galbi," it was originally included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, which consisted of traditional folk songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century...
, was issued as the follow-up to Haza's worldwide chart hit "Im Nin'Alu
Im Nin'Alu
"Im Nin'alu" is a Hebrew poem by 17th-century Rabbi Shalom Shabazi that has been set to music and sung by Israeli singer Ofra Haza and others...
(Played In Full Remix)".
Both "Im Nin'Alu" and "Galbi" were originally recorded for the 1984 album Yemenite Songs
Yemenite Songs
Yemenite Songs a.k.a. Shirey Teyman 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...
also known as Fifty Gates of Wisdom containing modern versions of traditional Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i Jewish songs, recorded with drum machines and synthesizers but still with comparatively traditional arrangements and instruments, including strings, woodwind and brass as well as distinctive percussion like Yemeni tin and tambala.
Contrary to popular belief "Im Nin'Alu" was not the first track from the Yemenite Songs album to be remixed for the dancefloor - in fact it was the other way around. "Galbi" was the first remix to be issued in Israel in 1984 on the Hed Arzi label, then subtitled Played Out Mix, remixed and re-produced by Izhar Ashdot and clearly influenced by contemporary American dance productions like Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
's groundbreaking "I Feel For You
I Feel for You
"I Feel for You" is a song written by Prince that originally appeared on his 1979 self-titled album. It became a hit single in 1984 for female R&B singer Chaka Khan, appearing on her album, which was also called I Feel for You...
" with its prominent use of samples, editing, breakbeats and scratching. The Played Out Mix which more or less only retained the lead vocals and the string section of the original recording was released both as a 7" and an extended 12" single which later found its way to both Continental Europe and the U.K. via the independent world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
label Globe Style Records in 1985 and became something of an underground club hit. The B-side of the 1985 12" single was in fact the original un-remixed version of "Im Nin'Alu" with its a cappella intro - which may be an explanation as to why the world of British dance music and American hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
and rap was exposed to the somewhat exotic genre Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
i Jewish folk music and the sample of Haza's voice later appearing on tracks like Coldcut
Coldcut
Coldcut are an English dance music duo, comprising Matt Black and Jonathan More. Their signature style is electronic dance music, featuring cut up samples of hip hop, breaks, jazz, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia.-1980s:In 1986, computer programmer Matt...
's Seven Minutes of Madness remix of Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim
Eric B. & Rakim were a hip-hop duo composed of DJ Eric Barrier and MC Rakim .Hailing from Long Island, New York, the pair are generally considered by hip hop enthusiasts to be one of the most influential and innovative groups in the genre...
's "Paid in Full
Paid in Full (Eric B. & Rakim song)
"Paid in Full" is a song written, produced and recorded by American rap duo Eric B. & Rakim, released as the fifth and final single from their debut album of the same name, Paid in Full....
" and M/A/R/R/S' "Pump Up the Volume
Pump up the Volume (song)
"Pump Up the Volume" is a song and the only single by British recording act MARRS. It was a number-one hit in many countries and is generally regarded as a significant milestone in the development of British house music and music sampling....
", both milestones in the history of dance music and both released in 1987.
In 1987 "Galbi" was again remixed, then in The Netherlands by the Dutch DJ Peter Vriends and re-issued as a 12" single on the minor label Street Heat with the subtitle The Dutch Remix, also including the 1984 Israeli Played Out remix.
Following the pop chart success of "Im Nin'Alu (Played In Full Remix)" in the summer of 1988 - again remixed and re-produced by Izhar Ashdot, also with the assistance of British engineer Bob Kraushaar
Bob Kraushaar
Robert Peter Kraushaar is an English pop music record producer specializing in mixing. Kraushaar has mixed and produced commercially successful songs and albums for numerous British and international artists....
- "Galbi" was remixed a second time by Ashdot in the autumn of that year, then with an arrangement similar to the million-selling hit single. The 88' Remix of "Galbi" which also included re-recorded vocals partly in English was first available on the Shaday
Shaday
Shaday was a 1988 album by Ofra Haza, released after the international chart success of the single "Im Nin' Alu ." Like the follow-up "Galbi," it was originally included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, which consisted of traditional folk songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century...
album and subsequently issued as the follow-up single to "Im Nin'Alu (Played In Full)" in the UK, Continental Europe, Scandinavia, the U.S. and Japan. For the 1988 7" single release Ashdot mixed two vocal 7" mixes, one with the original Yemeni vocals and the other the re-recorded Yemeni/English version. For the 1988 12"/CD single he created the extended Sehoog Mix (later appearing as a bonus track on Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
' CD re-release of the Shaday album), a second 12" mix called 88 Maxi Mix (only commercially released in France), as well as an alternate 12" instrumental.
Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
, the U.S. licensee of the Shaday album, then in turn commissioned further remixes from American and British producers such as Emilio Pasquez and Pascal Gabriel
Pascal Gabriel
Pascal Richard Marcel Gabriel is a Belgian-born musician based in London. His musical career began in 1977 in the punk rock band The Razors...
in late 1988 which found their way on to the U.S. 12" singles (which also included the Israeli Played Out remixes, by then already four years old, and The Dutch Remix) as well as to 'various artists' dance albums and sampler compilations like Just Say Yo in the Just Say Yes series. Further remixes have followed all through the 1990s and 2000s - both on official albums, white label 12" singles, DJ compilations by Razormaid, Disconet, Hot Tracks, Ultimix and DMC as well as bootleg remix compilations.
The latest official remix of "Galbi" was included on the 2008 album Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed
Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed
Forever Ofra Haza - Her Greatest Songs Remixed is a 2008 greatest hits album of recordings by Israeli singer Ofra Haza, released on the Edel Records label...
, then remixed and re-produced by German production team Ferris Bueller and Kai Panschow, issued on the Edel Records label.
Official versions and remixes
1984- Original recording, album Yemenite SongsYemenite SongsYemenite Songs a.k.a. Shirey Teyman 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...
, a.k.a. Traditional Version - 4:03 - Played Out Mix a.k.a 12" Long Version a.k.a. Long Super Mix Version - 7:02
- Played Out Single Mix a.k.a. 12" Short Version - 4:04
1987
- Dutch Remix (Peter Vriends & Allstar Fresh) - 6:13
1988
- ShadayShadayShaday was a 1988 album by Ofra Haza, released after the international chart success of the single "Im Nin' Alu ." Like the follow-up "Galbi," it was originally included on the 1984 album Yemenite Songs, which consisted of traditional folk songs with lyrics coming from the poetry of 16th century...
Album Mix a.k.a. '88 Mix a.k.a. English/Yemeni Version 7" Mix - 3:13 - '88 Mix Yemeni Version 7" Mix - 3:13
- The Sehoog Mix - 5:08
- '88 Mix 12" Instrumental - 4:08
- '88 Maxi Mix - 5:50
- The Emilio Pasquez Mix - 6:12
- Liquidator Mix (Pascal Gabriel) - 7:03
2008
- 2008 Remix (Ferris Bueller & Kai Panschow)