Isaac Bitton
Encyclopedia
Isaac “Jacky” Bitton was the drummer for Les Variations
, a French rock band that rose to stardom between 1967 and 1975, after which when they split up.
Born in Casablanca
, Morocco, Bitton moved from Morocco to France alone at the age of 18.
, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
, Cream
, Taste
and Aerosmith
.
Having a close affinity to his Jewish roots, Bitton always wore the Star of David around his neck while performing.
Bitton is said to have been rated at the time in the top 3 drummers of Europe. He jammed with John Bonham
and Robert Plant
in a club in Belgium
.
emissaries (shluchim) who helped him further discover his orthodox Jewish heritage.
Bitton settled in the Chabad Lubavitch neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn
, where he still lives with his family.
, in Morristown, New Jersey
, as part of an outreach program to college students. The regular members included Menachem Schmidt (snare drum), Tzvi Freeman (acoustic guitar), Moshe Morgenstern (cello), and business and equipment manager Shlomo Sawilowsky
. They were occasionally complemented by a violinist and a flutist who attended the College. Subsequently, Bitton, who had moved to the nearby Crown Heights
section of Brooklyn
, New York, joined and completed the group.
With the addition of Bitton, Schmidt was able to move to lead guitar, Freeman to rhythm guitar, and Morgenstern to bass guitar. The combination of Schmidt's creative genius and powerful rock licks, with Bitton's Sephardi/Moroccan
rhythm and lead vocals, produced an electric rock and roll sound. They played traditional Chabad
nigunim (songs and melodies) to this beat at Chabad
Houses on college campuses and other venues, primarily on the Eastern seaboard of the United States. One of the highlights of each performance was Bitton's drum solo. A four song demo was cut in a local studio, but the BSTB disbanded in 1978 as the rabbinical students began to graduate.
The experience with the BSTB provided a transition for Bitton. Subsequently, he was the founding member of the Jewish music group "Raaya Mehemna" ("Faithful Servant" – a reference to a Kabbalistic work; the group was later renamed "Raava Mehemna"), which was formed in the early 80's. Bitton was perhaps the first religious Jew to infuse music on religious Jewish themes with "non-Jewish" styles such as rock and soul. He helped establish the idea of Jewish rock with his heavy hitting style and brought real rock and roll showmanship to the Jewish stage. He released his first record of this genre in 1980 and the second in 1984.
Currently, Bitton makes new music, and performs at concerts occasionally. He performed at Yeshiva University
on 6 May 2007 at a Lag B'Omer celebration concert. The opening group played with little response. Once Bitton began his set on the drums to the tune of "Im Ein Ani Li Mi Li" the crowd erupted.
Bitton is widely known for his energetic drumming style, soulful powerful voice, and for fusing traditional Moroccan tunes and scales with R&B, Blues, and Soul. He has served as leader and Cantor for a Sefardi Synagogue in Crown Heights since the early 1980s, where his musical signature is evident in his cantorial renditions.
).
. Due to the rioting, Bitton called a cab to take him and his son to his house. The driver refused to take them all the way to their house, letting them off one block away. Police were stationed at each end of the street. They informed Bitton it was safe to continue, and no police accompanied them. However, within a block, they were attacked by an angry mob of Caribbean American, West Indian, and African American rioters. The Bittons were removed from the scene by local residents and reporters, including Peter Noel, a West Indian journalist for the Village Voice.
Bitton suffered a torn rotator cuff and required 10 stitches to his head. His son was struck by bottles and bricks, and suffered hearing loss and psychological damage. Riot police saw the attack but failed to respond, choosing instead to radio for reinforcements. This was due to their instructions to remain in fixed positions during the early stages of the rioting. The police reinforcements were also met by an attack of rocks and bottles from the rioters, but none of the rioters were arrested. Subsequently, Bitton sued and was awarded $200,000 by New York City.
(OU). He made allegations that the chef was intentionally making food unkosher, but the OU disagreed with his assessment. Bitton believed he had an obligation to report a cover-up to Jewish consumers. He quit the position, posted his views on his blog, and distributed emails about his account of the debate.
Les Variations
Les Variations was a French rock band from the 1960s and 1970s that sang in English and was known for its rock guitar-based music. They were France's first band to headline the famed Olympia Theatre, the first to tour America, the first to sign with a US label and the first to achieve hit records...
, a French rock band that rose to stardom between 1967 and 1975, after which when they split up.
Born in Casablanca
Casablanca
Casablanca is a city in western Morocco, located on the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Grand Casablanca region.Casablanca is Morocco's largest city as well as its chief port. It is also the biggest city in the Maghreb. The 2004 census recorded a population of 2,949,805 in the prefecture...
, Morocco, Bitton moved from Morocco to France alone at the age of 18.
Early history
Together with his friends, Bitton formed a rock group and played locally until getting noticed in 1969. Les Variations opened for some of the top billed rockers of the day, such as Bachman–Turner Overdrive, KissKISS (band)
Kiss is an American rock band formed in New York City in January 1973. Well-known for its members' face paint and flamboyant stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid to late 1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured fire breathing, blood spitting,...
, The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
, Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, Taste
Taste (band)
Taste was an Irish rock and blues band formed in 1966 that gained fame in large part because of their unique style, and the talent and charisma of the band's founder, songwriter and musician Rory Gallagher...
and Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
.
Having a close affinity to his Jewish roots, Bitton always wore the Star of David around his neck while performing.
Bitton is said to have been rated at the time in the top 3 drummers of Europe. He jammed with John Bonham
John Bonham
John Henry Bonham was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the drummer of Led Zeppelin. Bonham was esteemed for his speed, power, fast right foot, distinctive sound, and "feel" for the groove...
and Robert Plant
Robert Plant
Robert Anthony Plant, CBE is an English singer and songwriter best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the iconic rock band Led Zeppelin. He has also had a successful solo career...
in a club in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
.
Jewish identity
Bitton met ChabadChabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
emissaries (shluchim) who helped him further discover his orthodox Jewish heritage.
Les Variations' end
By the end of 1975, Les Variations, with their new singer Robert Fitoussi, were nearing a deal to tour with the Rolling Stones. The deal did not come to fruition, however, because the singer soon left the group. Bitton took the opportunity to go to New York, where he met the Lubavitcher Rebbe for the first time.Bitton settled in the Chabad Lubavitch neighborhood of Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....
, where he still lives with his family.
Music career after Les Variations: crossover into modern Jewish music
In 1977, the Baal Shem Tov Band (BSTB) was formed at the Lubavitch Rabbinical College of AmericaRabbinical College of America
The Rabbinical College of America is one of the largest Chabad Lubavitch Chasidic Yeshivas in the world. The Yeshiva is located in Morristown, New Jersey and has trained thousands of Rabbinic students. The Yeshiva is supported by Jewish philanthropists such as David T. Chase, and Ronald Lauder of...
, in Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
, as part of an outreach program to college students. The regular members included Menachem Schmidt (snare drum), Tzvi Freeman (acoustic guitar), Moshe Morgenstern (cello), and business and equipment manager Shlomo Sawilowsky
Shlomo Sawilowsky
Shlomo S. Sawilowsky is professor of educational statistics and Distinguished Faculty Fellow at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, where he has received teaching, mentoring, and research awards.- Academic career :...
. They were occasionally complemented by a violinist and a flutist who attended the College. Subsequently, Bitton, who had moved to the nearby Crown Heights
Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Crown Heights is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The main thoroughfare through this neighborhood is Eastern Parkway, a tree-lined boulevard designed by Frederick Law Olmsted extending two miles east-west.Originally, the area was known as Crow Hill....
section of Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York, joined and completed the group.
With the addition of Bitton, Schmidt was able to move to lead guitar, Freeman to rhythm guitar, and Morgenstern to bass guitar. The combination of Schmidt's creative genius and powerful rock licks, with Bitton's Sephardi/Moroccan
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
rhythm and lead vocals, produced an electric rock and roll sound. They played traditional Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
nigunim (songs and melodies) to this beat at Chabad
Chabad
Chabad or Chabad-Lubavitch is a major branch of Hasidic Judaism.Chabad may also refer to:*Chabad-Strashelye, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism*Chabad-Kapust or Kapust, a defunct branch of the Chabad school of Hasidic Judaism...
Houses on college campuses and other venues, primarily on the Eastern seaboard of the United States. One of the highlights of each performance was Bitton's drum solo. A four song demo was cut in a local studio, but the BSTB disbanded in 1978 as the rabbinical students began to graduate.
The experience with the BSTB provided a transition for Bitton. Subsequently, he was the founding member of the Jewish music group "Raaya Mehemna" ("Faithful Servant" – a reference to a Kabbalistic work; the group was later renamed "Raava Mehemna"), which was formed in the early 80's. Bitton was perhaps the first religious Jew to infuse music on religious Jewish themes with "non-Jewish" styles such as rock and soul. He helped establish the idea of Jewish rock with his heavy hitting style and brought real rock and roll showmanship to the Jewish stage. He released his first record of this genre in 1980 and the second in 1984.
Currently, Bitton makes new music, and performs at concerts occasionally. He performed at Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University
Yeshiva University is a private university in New York City, with six campuses in New York and one in Israel. Founded in 1886, it is a research university ranked as 45th in the US among national universities by U.S. News & World Report in 2012...
on 6 May 2007 at a Lag B'Omer celebration concert. The opening group played with little response. Once Bitton began his set on the drums to the tune of "Im Ein Ani Li Mi Li" the crowd erupted.
Bitton is widely known for his energetic drumming style, soulful powerful voice, and for fusing traditional Moroccan tunes and scales with R&B, Blues, and Soul. He has served as leader and Cantor for a Sefardi Synagogue in Crown Heights since the early 1980s, where his musical signature is evident in his cantorial renditions.
Making headlines
Bitton has played some shows geared toward an Orthodox Jewish audience, but has not rekindled his music career to his former level of a Chart topping rock musician. He has since served as a hotel manager for the Crown Palace Hotel in Crown Heights and as a kosher food supervisor (mashgiachMashgiach
In Judaism, a Mashgiach is a person who supervises the kashrut status of a kosher establishment.A mashgiah may supervise any type of food service establishment, including slaughterhouses, food manufacturers, hotels, caterers, nursing homes, restaurants, butchers, groceries, or cooperatives...
).
1990s
In 1991, Bitton made headlines when he was hit by rocks and bottles, during the Crown Heights RiotCrown Heights Riot
The Crown Heights Riot was a three-day riot in the United States that occurred August 19–21, 1991. It took place in the Crown Heights neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn....
. Due to the rioting, Bitton called a cab to take him and his son to his house. The driver refused to take them all the way to their house, letting them off one block away. Police were stationed at each end of the street. They informed Bitton it was safe to continue, and no police accompanied them. However, within a block, they were attacked by an angry mob of Caribbean American, West Indian, and African American rioters. The Bittons were removed from the scene by local residents and reporters, including Peter Noel, a West Indian journalist for the Village Voice.
Bitton suffered a torn rotator cuff and required 10 stitches to his head. His son was struck by bottles and bricks, and suffered hearing loss and psychological damage. Riot police saw the attack but failed to respond, choosing instead to radio for reinforcements. This was due to their instructions to remain in fixed positions during the early stages of the rioting. The police reinforcements were also met by an attack of rocks and bottles from the rioters, but none of the rioters were arrested. Subsequently, Bitton sued and was awarded $200,000 by New York City.
2000s
Bitton was the subject of news stories and blogs when he challenged the kosher status of a restaurant he was supervising for the Jewish agency, the Orthodox UnionOrthodox Union
The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America , more popularly known as the Orthodox Union , is one of the oldest Orthodox Jewish organizations in the United States. It is best known for its kosher food preparation supervision service...
(OU). He made allegations that the chef was intentionally making food unkosher, but the OU disagreed with his assessment. Bitton believed he had an obligation to report a cover-up to Jewish consumers. He quit the position, posted his views on his blog, and distributed emails about his account of the debate.
