THE ISRAEL HOUR PLAYLISTS (2009) January 4, 2009. Kol Shana Matchila B'siman She'eilah - Lahakat Shir; Od Yavo Shalom Aleinu - Sheva; Ha'amini Yom Yavo - Yaffa Yarkoni.

The Churchills (or The Churchills Band) was an Israeli band founded in 1965, active until the mid-1970s. It was a part of the rhythm bands scene that were active in Israel in the 1970s, especially in Ramla. The band played rock music in English, from psychedelic rock to hard rock and progressive rock. It was also active in other countries, under the aliases of Jericho Jones and Jericho. It was one of the first Israeli rock bands.

The band was a leading force in the early Israeli beat scene, but it was their cooperation with Arik Einstein that helped them cross over to the mainstream of Israeli pop and gain recognition. Their collaboration with Einstein proved to be very influential on Israeli rock. It began when the Churchills were invited to work with Einstein on his third solo album Poozy, recorded in 1969. This is considered by many to be the first rock album in Hebrew. The Churchills played on half of the tracks in that album, one of which was a Hebrew version of one of their own songs ('When You're Gone'). Following Poozy, the Churchills also played with Einstein in his gigs, and continued to play and produce three more albums with Einstein: Shablul (1970), Plastelina (1970) and On Avigdor's Grass (1971). Contributory to the Churchills' sound at the time was the joining of two foreign members: Canadian vocalist Stan Solomon and British guitarist Robb Huxley (formerly with The Tornados).

The A-side of their last single, Time is Now, was written by Ray Dorset, who included his own version on his solo album Cold Blue Excursion.

• 2Discography

Band members[edit]

• First Ensemble (1965–1967)
  • Itzhak Klepter – Guitar
  • Miki Gavrielov – Bass Guitar
  • Haim Romano – Guitar
  • Selwyn Lifshitz – Vocals
  • Ami Traibetch – Drums

• Second Ensemble (1968–1969)
  • Robb Huxley – Guitar, Vocals
  • Miki Gavrielov – Bass
  • Haim Romano – Guitar
  • Stan Solomon – Vocals
  • Ami Traibetch – Drums

• Third Ensemble (1969–1972)
  • Robb Huxley – Guitar, Vocals
  • Miki Gavrielov – Bass
  • Haim Romano – Guitar
  • Dani Shoshan – Vocals
  • Ami Traibetch – Drums

• Fourth Ensemble (1972–1973)
  • Robb Huxley – Guitar, Vocals
  • Haim Romano – Lead Guitar
  • Danny Shoshan – Bass, Lead Vocals
  • Chris Perry – Drums

• Fifth Ensemble (1972–1973) (as The New Churchills)
  • Miki Gavrielov – Bass
  • Roni Demol – Guitar
  • Shmulik Bodgov – Guitar
  • Ami Traibetch – Drums

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

• 1968 Cherchilim (צ'רצ'ילים, 'Churchill's') - Tracks: 'Open Up Your Eyes'/'Song From The Sea'/'Pictures in my Mind'/'Comics'/'When You're Gone'/'Strangulation'/'Straight People'/'Subsequent Finale'/'So Alone Today'/'Debka'
• 1971 As Jericho Jones: Junkies, Monkeys and Donkeys - Tracks: Mare Tranquilitatas / Man in the Crowd / There Is Always a Train/ Yellow and Blue / Freedom / Trangulum / No School to Day / Junkies Monkeys & Donkeys / What Have We Got to Lose / Mama's Gonna Take You Home
• 1972 As Jericho: Jericho - Tracks: 'Ethiopia'/'Don't You Let Me Down'/'Featherbed'/'Justin And Nova'/'Kill Me With Your Love'

Singles[edit]

• 1968 'Too Much In Love To Hear' (Gale/Holder)/'Talk To Me' (A-side first recorded by The Tornados)
• 1970 Churchill Sebastian Bach: Coral for Young Lovers/Double Concerto (צ'רצ'יל סבסטיאן באך: קוראל לאוהבים הצעירים/קונצ'רטו כפול)
• 1970 'Signs of You'/'Living Loving'
• 1970 'She's a Woman'/'Sunshine Man'
• 1971 'Time is Now'/'Freedom'

Collaborations[edit]

• 1969 Arik Einstein – Poozy
• 1970 Arik Einstein & Shalom Hanoch – Shablul
• 1970 Arik Einstein & Shalom Hanoch – Plastelina
• 1970 Oshik Levi – Kzat Sheket
• 1971 Pupik Arnon – Kol Ehad
• 1971 Arik Einstein & Robb Huxley – Shirei Yeladim
• 1971 Arik Einstein & Miki Gavrielov – BaDeshe Etzel Avigdor
• 1973 Arik Einstein – Eretz Israel HaYeshana VeHaTova

Artist Biography by Ayelet Yagil

Israeli singer/songwriter Shalom Hanoch is perceived by many as one of the most influential artists in the country. Starting as a successful songwriter while still a teenager, Hanoch had a pivotal role in introducing rock music to the Israeli public. Decades later, Hanoch continued to rock, releasing acclaimed albums and giving late-night performances in clubs to an ever-growing fan base.

Hanoch was born in Kibbutz Mishmarot and honed his songwriting skills within a local group, Mishmaron, performing in local festivities. At 14 he wrote his first song, the gentle 'Laila' (Night), a staple in his performances to this day. At 19 he already had a song recorded by folk duo Hedva and David. Hanoch's lyricist collaborator in many of his early songs was Meir Ariel, a fellow Mishmarot member who would later become a revered singer/songwriter on his own merit.

In 1966, Hanoch was enlisted in the Israeli army. Like his older sister Naama, he joined the famous Infantry Brigade troupe, the Nahal Band. At the time, the band was considered one of the main stepping stones on the path to musical superstardom: yet Hanoch was never given a solo song, and only one of his compositions was included in the band's performances.

His chance to shine came during some off-time: at a party in a Tel Aviv nightclub, he was urged to go on-stage and play his songs. Hanoch played four of his compositions and caught the attention of a member of the audience, Arik Einstein, at the time the biggest pop star in Israel. Einstein was impressed with the young artist's craft, and asked him to write his material. Within weeks, they would start a partnership which would later produce some of Israeli rock's biggest milestones: 1970s albums Shablul (Snail) and Plastelina (Plasticine). The former was billed as an Arik Einstein album, with all compositions by Hanoch; the latter was credited to both. The two albums would prove to be the turning point of Israeli popular music, from sweet melodies with elevated lyrics to a dirty rock sound with psychedelic echoings and slightly lewd lyrics.

During his work with Einstein, Hanoch formed his own pop trio, the Shlosharim (the Three Singers, aka the Three'ngers), with Benny Amdurski and fellow Mishmarot pal Hanan Yovel. The Shlosharim's mainstream success enabled Hanoch to finance his dallying to the wild side of music with Einstein.

By 1971, the successful 24-year-old felt a change was needed. Relocating to England without connections or a firm grasp of the English language, it took Hanoch six months until he was offered a recording contract by the label of noted publisher Dick James.

Hanoch set to create his solo debut by taking songs he wrote for Einstein and fitting them with English lyrics he cobbled together from the words he knew ('like a game of Scrabble,' he joked in an interview in 1972). He also added some new compositions in English: 'So Long,' 'Peaceful Love,' 'Lihi's Song,' and 'Under Tropical Moonlight.' Dick James Music assigned him a seasoned session band, headed by Caleb Quaye (who worked with Elton John and Paul McCartney). The resulting album, Shalom, was released in England in 1971, yet the labored lyrics and heavy Israeli accent were not well received, and the album tanked. DJM, seeking damage control, insisted he work with a local lyricist and manufacture a pop hit. Hanoch refused, and the contract was terminated.

Hanoch returned to Israel in mid-1973. The next year, he met keyboardist Ariel Zilber. Zilber himself had recently returned from Europe, where he wrote songs for Esther and Abi Ofarim and Françoise Hardy. Hanoch offered Zilber a partnership, which later evolved into a five-piece band called Tamouz.

Tamouz, considered to be Israel's first bona fide rock band, released its only album, the pivotal Sof Onat Hatapuzim (End of the Orange Season) in 1975. The songs were written and performed by Hanoch and Zilber, with the title track composed by Hanoch and his old friend Meir Ariel. Yet the subsequent tour caused strains between Zilber and the rest of the band, and they called it quits by July 1976.

1977 saw the release of Hanoch's debut Hebrew solo album, Adam Betoch Atzmo (A Man Within Himself). With songs lasting eight or ten minutes, and an introspective mood, the album differed from the energetic offerings of Tamouz.

In 1979 Hanoch rejoined Einstein for a tour and subsequent live double album, Arik Einstein and Shalom Hanoch in Concert. This time around, Hanoch was the bigger star, playing most of his solo material, as well as songs from Shablul and Plastelina.

His next release, Hatuna Levana (White Wedding) was a concept album dealing with the demise of his marriage. Produced by veteran sax player Jaroslav Jakubovic (who worked with Bette Midler and was the apparent inspiration for Jim Henson's muppet Zoot), Hatuna Levana received a bombast sound which did not fare well with the critics of the time, and neither did the accompanying tour. This was the first album to feature Hanoch's new, raspy, cigarette-singed singing voice, which would become his signature feature from now on.

In 1984 he released his most successful album to date, Mehakim LeMashiach (Waiting for Messiah), a compelling album with scathing political insight: 'Lo Otzer Be'Adom' (Doesn't Stop at Red Lights) is a critique of Ariel Sharon's conduct during the Lebanon war. The title track is an allegory in which the Messiah is a stock investor leaping to his death during the stock market crash of 1983. These songs, and others on the album, helped set Hanoch's status as one of the most important and influential artists in Israel, musically as well as socially.

In 1987, Hanoch embarked on a tour, named 'Rak Ben Adam' (Only Human), comprised of mainly new, unrecorded material. He enlisted American guitarist Ronnie Peterson, a one-time pal of Johnny Thunders, and his bassist brother Ray to join his backing band. The tour's material later found its way to the double album Rak Ben Adam.

In 1991, Hanoch released his most successful album of the '90s, Bagilgul Hazeh (In This Lifetime). This was followed by two other albums, A-Li-Mut (Vi-O-Lence) and Erev Erev (Every Evening).

In 1999, the anticipated Muskat album reunited Hanoch with Arik Einstein. In spite of the co-billing, this was actually an Einstein album of Hanoch's compositions, with Hanoch lending vocals to two tracks.

In 2003, Hanoch returned to form with the critically acclaimed Or Israeli (Israeli Light). Co-produced by Hanoch and longtime collaborator Moshe Levi, the album combined yet again pessimism with romanticism and political critique with tender ballads, such as the hit from the album, 'Ahavat Ne'uray' (Love of My Youth).

In 2005, Hanoch announced a joint summer tour with fellow rock star Shlomo Artzi. Although Artzi is Hanoch's contemporary, the separate career paths caused many to raise an eyebrow at the unlikely pairing. But the tour was a success, with 100,000 viewers.

That same year, 60-year-old Hanoch proved his durability in yet another way: he began a series of monthly nightclub concerts called 'Night Animals,' starting at 2:00 a.m. and continuing until dawn. The series, featuring a rock-out version of his greatest hits, was aimed at his younger audience, mainly soldiers coming home for the weekend.