I need it for a Yiddishe Club luncheon coming up this year! .....
I like this Tom Jones version alot,....
learning it now...

Update: .....Music backing track done,
Acoustic Guitar & Strings....next Vocals...
what a powerful beautiful song!!
It's a MUST at any Jewish affair!!
Almost like "MAMMA" is for Italians....


Maybe I'll post it when I'm done ...

Let us HEAR it, Donny !!! ...

Tony dont you do this tune also......?

anyway Im off to a Latin Club Gig now, ......sometime this weekend I will try to record this wonderful song if I get a chance inbetween gigs & football!!

Donny, if I were to do this at any of the Jewish venues where I perform, I think they would either fall asleep, or toss me out on my ear. And, I perform at a lot of Jewish retirement centers, Adult Day Care centers, etc... and have been for 20 years. The only person I know in my area that plays more Jewish venues than myself is Joe Ayala, and I seriously doubt that he would do this one either. There are a couple styles in the keyboard you could use to do this one, live - no backing tracks. The Organ Rumba with a tempo of 92 does a great job with this one.

Gary

Gary

Gary ... Donny said he "needs" it for a gig, so I would imagine it was a request... but, why would you be "tossed out on your ear" for performing this song ??? ... that sounds a little harsh for a song that might pull at some heart strings ...

I don't do this one at Italian venues either - beautiful song, though.

OK ... I think I get your point ... they are very sentimental songs, but still there are people who want to hear them ... I've had many requests for "Mama" over the years ...
and it can be tough for the performer to get through as well ...

Tony, all of the Jewish gigs I play, which is usually at least 3 a month, want upbeat music. They love to dance to Sinatra, they even love country, which I didn't anticipate, and they really love Latin music. Who woulda thunk? The only slow stuff they seem to like is 60s, 70s slow rock ballads and some Latin stuff they can dance to. I've never had a request for that song - ever. Not that the song is bad, but it really drags during the first half of it. And, it Donny Pesce that told me many years ago, "if you can't dance to it, don't play it!"

So, has anyone other than Donny ever had someone request this particular song? Maybe it's something I've just overlooked all these years.

Gary

Gary........I play Yiddish groups.....big difference then reformed Jewish. You beterr play songs by the Barry Sisters etc etc.too

Gary ... when I was with the 'band' back in the day, Latin tunes were the rage at Jewish gigs ... we knew we had to have a lot of them and at the right tempo too ... of course the ballads of the 60's and 70's were the Top 40 of the day back then ...

I guess so, Donny - just never had anyone request that song, though.

Gary

Couldn't agree more, Tony - those ladies knew those tempos and demanded perfection. If they didn't get what they wanted it would be the last time you performed there.

Gary

One gig we talk about when we get together was when we were just starting out in high school and a guy asked us if we wanted to play at a Jewish community center ... he said "play this first job for free, and you can name your price after that" ... we played, and are STILL waiting for that second call ...
... but as a group we lasted a lot longer than the 'Elegants' ... just didn't have as much fame ...

Tony this song is a showstopper for sure