Efraim Shamir
He is known, among others, from the bands "Kaveret" and "Khamsin", but he also has an interesting solo career and quite a few collaborations. Today we will tell you about Efraim Shamir - a singer, guitarist and composer who is one of the most talented Israeli rock has ever known:
(Photo: Gili Yaari/Flash 90)
1. He was born on December 9, 1951 in Siberia, the Soviet Union, under the name Yafim "Fima" Shmukler.
2. At the age of 7 he moved with his family to Poland and ten years later immigrated with his family to Israel, at which time he also changed his name to Efraim Shamir.
3. Upon his enlistment in the army, he was accepted into the "Nahal" IDF band. During the audition, he performed the song "Shiur Moledet", which he composed while he was still in Poland.
4. Served with him in the same "Nahal" band was, Danny Sanderson, Gidi Gov, Alon Oleartchik and Meir Penigstein who later founded the band "Kaveret" with him, but also Miri Aloni, Yardena Arazi, Leah Lopatin and more.
5. Among the plays he was a part of during his military service was "Heachzut Hanachal Besinai" from 1970 and “Hapalnachnik" from 1971 in which he was the main singer.
(In the TV Show "Palanachnik" the Nahal band)
6. At the same time as his military service, he founded together with Alon Oleartchik the duo "Nu As Ma?" They even recorded two songs that were released as singles.
7. Before his release from the army, Shamir also managed to perform songs outside of the military band, among them "Mika" and "Lauf Itach" which was part of the soundtrack of the movie "Katz and Karaso" from 1971.
8. Back in 1971, Shamir composed the song "Bemedinat HaTapuz" which appeared on the album "Saba Rivka" by Rivka Zohar.
9. After his release from the IDF, Shamir joined the band "The Schnitzels" in which Danny Sanderson was part of. He participated in the recording of "Poogy Opera", which was the basis for the debut album of "Kaveret".
10. He founded "Kaveret" in 1973 together with his friends from the "Nahal" Danny Sanderson, Gidi Gov, Alon Oleartchik and Meir Fenigstein and with Yoni Rechter and Itzhak Klepter.
(Photo: Monty Abrahamson)
11. Shamir, was a member of the band until it disbanded three years later. He played the guitar, sang and co-wrote some of it's most famous songs, including "Lo Yadanu Ma Laasot", "HaOlam Sameach", "Kacha He Baemtza" and of course "Shiur Moledet".
12. in 1973, Simultaneously with his membership in "Kaveret", Shamir participated in the "HaZemer Ve HaPizmon" Festival, where he sang the song "Leil Chanaya", along with Yardena Arazi, Hanan Yuvel and the "Af Ozen Garon" Trio.
13. In 1975, he sang "Yamim Levanim" on the radio program "Pgishot Muzikaliot" and in the same year he participated in the IDF Galatz "Hakol Zorem" show together with the band "Fourteen Octaves".
14. In 1975, he married singer Estar Shamir and produced her first songs, including "Avarti Rak Kedei Lirot" which he also composed.
15. After the disbandment of "Kaveret", Shamir and his wife were part of Arik Einstein's "People Love to Sing" show. As part of the show, the Shamir couple also sang their own songs, including: "Erev Shel Yom Bahir", "Nachon At Yafa" and "Shiur Moledet".
16. In 1977, the Shamir couple participated in the recordings of the albums "Lemonade" by Dori Ben Zeev and "Yachas Cham" by Danny Litani.
17. At the end of 1977, Efraim and Astar Shamir released their joint debut album called "Efraim and Astar Shamir". Shamir composed and arranged all the songs on the album, except for the song "Bo Venesachek Bemachboim" which was composed by Astar.
18. Shamir wrote the song "Nachon At Yafa" from the same album about his love for Yardena Arazi who served with him in the "Nahal" band. Yardena did not respond to Shamir's courtship, who wrote the song out of his frustration, in which he sings, among others, the words: "You will not know true love". Arazi was angry and claimed that the song was a kind of curse for her, but the two managed to make up years later.
19. In 1978, he arranged the two songs "Shimish parties" and "Hear a mist" for his wife and the two recorded a remake of the song "Mahboim" written by Naomi Shemer. Soon after their marriage broke up.
20. In 1979 he participated in a small role in the film "Schlager" by Asi Dayan. It wasn't the only famous movie he participated in, some of you probably remember him as the guitar seller in the movie "Someone to Run With".
21. In 1980, Shamir founded the band "Khamsin", together with bassist Ohad Inger and drummer Alon Hillel. The one who produced their album was none other than Louis Lahav who among others worked with Bruce Springsteen. Shamir composed most of the album's songs.
22. The rock-punk style album was a commercial failure and the band broke up, and so Shamir left the country for the USA.
23. In 1981, Shamir returned to Israel and participated in the first "Pestigal", performing of the song "Yalkut Kaved", which he composed and performed together with Astar Shamir and Kobi Recht.
24. Shamir remained in touch with his ex-wife and even composed for her the song she wrote "Man for One Night", taken from her first album "In the lowest place in Tel Aviv", released in 1982.
25. Back in 1982, Shamir participated in the radio program "Land of the Sun". He composed the songs "Hidayat a't-Dagher" (with Shem Tov Levy) and also sang the songs "Every day" with Mazi Cohen, "Hinach Yafa Raiati" with Shem Tov Levy, and "Nama Yafo" with all the participants of the program.
26. In 1983, Shamir released his first solo album "Roked Lekol Habanot" (Dancing to the voice of the girls). The theme song which became one of his biggest hits was originally called "Dancing for all the girls" (and some say even "Hard nipples for all the girls"), but this version was rejected for broadcast and forced him to correct the song's name.
27. In 1984, Shamir was part of the first union of "Kaveret", which he also initiated.
28. At the same time, Shamir participated in the albums of his fellow band members: "Olarchik" by Alon Oleartchik, "Begova Haeinaim" by Yoni Rechter, and "Chacham Al Ktanim" and "Chaf Mipesha" by Danny Sanderson.
29. In 1989, together with Danny Zuckerman, Uri Miles and Gadi Seri, he founded the band "Gulliver", which mainly performed his songs.
30. In 1990 he joined the second union of "Kaveret". In the same year, he also took part in Danny Sanderson's "Kofetz Leshnia" album and Dori Ben Zeev's "Private Parking" album.
31. In 1992, his second solo album "Finally Rain" was released. Some of his songs were produced by Gidi Gov. The album also included compositions by Arkady Duchin, Alon Oleartchik, Ovad Efrat and Leah Shabbat, in addition to those by Shamir himself.
32. In 1994, he produced the vocals on the album "Your Life in a Lafa" by the band "Tipex".
33. In the same year, he also participated in the children's tape "And this child is me" and in the album "Signs" by Gali Atari.
34. In 1995, Shamir released the concert album "Erev Shel Yom Bahir", which included his best hits.
35. In 1997 he produced and arranged the album of the band "Nimrod and the Lonely", "Shikler's List".
36. In 1998 he joined another "Kaveret" reunion, this time recorded for a triple album called "Kaveret in the Park".
37. In the years 2001-2000 he sang in the children's series "Hanimnumim".
38. In 2002 he was part of the successful show "Danny, Gidi and Friends". It was attended by Danny Sanderson, Gidi Gov, Alon Oleartchik, and Mazi Cohen.
39. In 2004, together with Alon Oleartchik and Itzhak Klepter, he staged the show "Nifgashnu". In this show, the three combined songs from their solo careers, alongside songs from "Kaveret". The show was also later released on a 2009 album.
40. In 2003, Shamir released his fourth solo album "The Concrete Sea". Shamir wrote, composed and arranged all the songs on the album.
41. In 2011, Shamir's fifth solo album, "Efraim Shamir and the Time Thieves" was released. The album included new arrangements of his songs.
42. In 2013, Shamir was part of another "Kaveret" reunion, which included five live shows, two of them at Yarkon Park.
43. In 2014, Shamir reunite the band "Khamsin" for one performance that included Alon Hillel and Yossi Fine, who replaced Ohad Unger from the original lineup.
Once again, we have prepared a playlist for you of Shamir's best songs: Click Here: